Obama held a town hall meeting in the White House Thursday. (Getty Images)
WASHINGTON (CNN) - The President is not just the commander-in-chief - he's also the politician-in-chief. And lately, we're seeing President Obama more and more in that role.
Two town halls in California last week. This week, a virtual town hall. Appearances on The Tonight Show . . . 60 Minutes . . . ESPN. Two prime-time news conferences.
Then there's door-to-door canvassing by his grass-roots supporters, and a TV ad from his supporters in the Democratic Party that urges Americans to call their members of Congress and tell them to vote for the Obama budget.
Is the President risking overexposure? You hear that criticism in the press. New York Times columnist Gail Collins wrote, "Barack Obama is going to be on television every day forever. No venue is too strange."
So far, however, the public doesn't seem to mind. At 63 percent in CNN's poll of polls, the President's job approval is higher than any of his four predecessors after two months in office. After all, the President is spending time with THEM.
Is President Obama violating his promise to change the tone of American politics? Actually, the president's tone has not been particularly harsh or partisan, even when he spoke to two Democratic Party fundraisers Wednesday night - audiences eager for partisan red meat.
"And to a bunch of critics out there, I've already said, show me your budget; show me what you want to do," said Obama.
The President saved his harshest rhetoric for, um, us.
"I know it can be easy, especially in Washington, to get caught up in the day-to-day chatter of cable television, to be distracted by the petty and the trivial and to fall into the trap of keeping score about who's up and who's down," Obama said.
He's leaving the toughest talk to his critics.
"The President's budget will hurt the economy and destroy jobs in our country at the very time that our country needs help, and I think it is completely irresponsible," says House Republican leader John Boehner.
"I want his policies that I believe take us in the wrong direction to fail," adds former senator and Republican presidential candidate Fred Thompson.
Meanwhile, just how mild is the president's rhetoric right now? This week, the politician-in-chief endorsed a Democratic candidate in a special election for Congress. But he did not criticize the Republican in that race, praising Democrat Scott Murphy instead.
"Scott has the right experience with a record of creating real, high-paying jobs in Upstate New York. Now, he's ready to go to Washington to continue that work alongside me and Democrats and Republicans in Congress."
From CNN Politics
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I think his exposure is just right. Go directly to the people about every 6 weeks.
I am so PROUD of President Obama. Bush would have been hiding out at Crawford by now. Obama is not afaid to go straight after what he wants. He made promises on the campaign trail, and by George he plans to do every thing he can to see it through. Americans aren't used to that! The Republicans can't stand it.
He is truly the President of the people. The Republicans can only spout the same old socialist, communist, facist crap. They don't even know what any of that means. They howl about universal healthcare as being socialism or communism. Are they not going to accept Medicare and Social Security. It's the same exact thing! I can't believe that fairly intelligent people would fall for this stuff.
Just for my two cents I agree with WakeupAmerica.....whenever President Obama is on TV or the cover of a magazine....I'm THERE! And don't think that fact is lost on the MSM....make no mistake, that's why they cover him! But we'll take it, we WANT TO BE INVOLVED NOW!
@ Meka writes,
"This is GREAT. President Obama, taking America to a HIGHER LEVEL!
IT'S CALLED, INTELLIGENCE!"
--
Actually it's called EGO.
Obama isn't interested in debating policy, bipartisan efforts, or REAL work. His goal is unilateral implementation of HIS idea – HIS plan.
Obama lacks the critical understanding of the difference between LEADERSHIP and DICTATORSHIP.
Over exposed? In a word, yes. I would say no if his continual public face time resulted in anything concrete but it's just one big campaign. All fluff, no substance.
his 'flippant' answer to the marijuana question, has me doing a 180. that topic is no joke to US Marshall's and innocent victims of america's war on drugs. he can try to get support for his ideas from repubs. this 'progressive', has had ENOUGH of so-called change!
Bill schiender has a Problem with the President opening the white house to the American Public. Why is that so Mr. schinieder?
I THINK HE SHOULD take another step forward and have his face plastered everywhere. On stone in the malls, in the town courts, in the parks, on the roadways, TIMES SQUARE for sure. That way all of us will feel comfy knowing that "BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING YOU".
Look, I like seeing a President as much as the next person, but this is really getting to a point where it's just plan sad.
Wonder when he'll become our Mr. Rogers and start reading bedtime stories to us.
Get a hold of yourself people, wake up and smell the coffee. Your love affair with this man is causing our country to take a turn for the worst.
O-Blame-O's next appearance will be on 'Lost.'
I just wish he would actually say something. We need to get rid of all incumbents, Barak included. Time to make the gov't by the people, of the people and for the people again.
The President is keeping the people in the loop. That is his strength. Divide and conquer is the way of the republicans. We will continue to hear "over exposure", "constant campaigning", "doing too much" and such terms from the right wing as attempts to make him disconnect.
That will not happen. He is wise to your trickery and the people have caught on.
The party of no is out of tricks, never had any good ideas.
I think that keeping the American people engaged and involed in a great idea. We need to be able to communcate with our President and he with us. He needs to able to keep the pulse on the everyday people who elected him to this office.
Is that his new Jumbotron Teleprompter in the lower center? LMAO, I wouldn't waste a shoe on this Racist Socialist in Chief.
Would you rather have him take an extended vacation like W did during his first 60 days?!?!
What an absolutely idiotic basis for a news organization to address.
Right CNN, after eight years of total silence from our president, we, the American people, are UPSET that our president wants to involve transparency in his administration.
Sure, CNN, we're furious. It pains us to be spoken to, not at, by our president. It really RUBS US THE WRONG WAY, when the president asks for our input, includes us in a dialogue and seeks our reactions to big policy changes.
Are your producers so desperate for news that you've gone into the business of creating it?
To set the record straight, my family LOVES this new approach. We hope it lasts all eight years. Why? Because we deserve it.
And by the way -and this may shock you, CNN- there's this cool little gadget on our TV sets called the off button. If we don't like something, we turn it off. Now get over your reporter's smack-down by the president during this week's news conference, wipe yourself off, and do your job.
The president is on target with what he is doing, Mr presidenr we love seeing Sir , keep speaking to us. Schneider go pound sand you fool , I have often wondered how you guys got your job.
A mark of a great leader is being a great communicator. We haven't had one of this calibre since Reagan. It's nice to feel proud about my President, after eight years...
When does he work? Oh, that's right he has never worked.
Obama knows that the only way that he's going to get anything done is if the people are behind him. The Republicans are just waiting for him to fail or for some scandal to occur so that they can turn the people against him and prevent him from accomplishing anything. He should just use reconciliation and push everything through, the Republicans would do it if they had the chance and have already done so in the past.
i am getting really tired of turning on the t.v. and seeing o'bama. he really doesn't get it that he is president – not candidate – or rock star or t.v. commentator. he needs to remember dignity comes (or should) with the office and leave the media to others.
To meka – what higher level – he has virtually bankrupt us in just a little over 60 days – sold our children to youth camps – sold his opposition to civil patrols and concentration camps. Some higher level. As for intelligence – give an A+ to the teleprompter.
What an insulting title! If he wasn't out talking to the American people, you would say he is hiding. Silly cable news-like babble....
Bill Schneider, You are so negative. Since Americans have choices, it stands to reason that if the people do not want to watch him or listen to him, they will turn off the TV, Internet, radio, etc. You should be happy he is "overexposed" it gives you something to complain about.
Wow! The people love him and the media is trying to ridicule him! I'd say one of the biggest sources of racism in this country is the main stream media.