Obama To Appear On "The Daily Show": Is It A Double-Edged Sword?

From Yahoo News:

Obama to go on ‘Daily Show’: Is it a double-edged sword?




.. News – **File Photo** Democratic presidential hopeful, U.S. Sen Barack Obama, D-Ill., talks with host Jon Stewart … .By Torrey AndersonSchoepe torrey Andersonschoepe – 2 hrs 28 mins ago

With Republican voters showing a strong lead in enthusiasm over Democrats in the polls, President Obama is making a last effort to encourage young voters who helped vote him into office in 2008 to support the Democratic Party in the midterm elections.



In the past week he has gone on a campaign "blitz," hitting five states in four days, stopping mostly at universities. Last week he answered young voters' questions on an MTV Town Hall program, and to top off his push for the youth vote, Obama will appear tonight on Comedy Central's "The Daily Show" with Jon Stewart.



Satirical shows like "The Daily Show" and "The Colbert Report" have a younger viewership compared to news broadcasts, according to a June poll by the Pew Research Center. Seventy-four percent of "Daily Show" viewers are between the ages of 18 and 49, while most other newscasts only have about 30 percent in that age group.



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With less than a week before Election Day, Obama is trying to reach as many young voters as possible. But appearing on these types of shows can be a double-edged sword. While being a guest on late-night shows allows politicians to show a lighter, jovial side, they can come off as not taking political matters seriously.



We have been collecting votes and comments on this topic in Ask America, the Yahoo! News informal polling forum. We asked if appearances on these less serious shows are fitting for a president or if Obama is just trying to stay current.



So far, of nearly 2,000 responses, 61 percent voted that participating on these comedy shows blurs the line between politics and entertainment.





.Are Obama's appearances on shows like "The Daily Show" blurring the lines between politics and entertainment?

Vote now60%

Blurring lines40%

Catching up.Yahoo! News.

Yahoo! user Edwin reflected the popular sentiment, commenting: "He is supposed to be a leader instead of an entertainer."



Meanwhile, 39 percent of responses say Obama is just trying to keep up with the times.





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User HelenM sees nothing wrong with the president appearing on "The Daily Show." "What's the problem? Many Americans watch these shows and it a good place to get out your message in a somewhat relaxed atmosphere."



User Abby disagreed: "I just think there are more important issues that need to be addressed than trying to be hip and appear on 'The Daily Show' or 'Tonight Show'. I don't care for any President on either side doing this."



Although Obama has been a guest on multiple late-night comedy shows in the past, this will be his first appearance on "The Daily Show" as president. Balancing political sincerity while showing a more light-hearted side is one of the challenges of appearing on satirical shows.



Critics scrutinized Obama's last appearance on "The Tonight Show" with Jay Leno in 2009. While cracking a joke about his bowling skills, Obama made an unintentionally offensive remark about the Special Olympics. He called the Special Olympics chairman to apologize after, but still received backlash from his comment. Critics said he came off as "elite and out of touch with the needs and lifestyle of regular Americans," according to a CBS News article.



But Obama isn't the only high-profile politician to have gaffes with late-night comedy shows. During his run for the presidency, John McCain canceled an appearance on the "The Late Show with David Letterman" while he suspended his campaign to attend to the financial crisis in Washington.



Letterman assailed McCain, especially when he found out that McCain was preparing for an interview with Katie Couric at the same time he was supposed to be taping Letterman's show, according to The New York Times. Three weeks later McCain came back onto the show and apologized, but the scheduling blunder earned him weeks of negative press.



Despite the potential for making these kinds of gaffes, the benefits seem to outweigh the costs, as more and more politicians become guests on these comedy shows.



What do you think? Cast your vote now.



Keep up with Ask America: Follow our "video ninja" on the Ask America blog and on Twitter: http://twitter.com/askamericavan.