Do boy scouts hate Obama?
A video clip making the conservative rounds shows scouts booing during Obama's taped address after he skipped their Jamboree to go on "The View"
President Obama may be facing a backlash over his decision to appear on "The View" last month instead of attending the Boy Scouts of America's 100th anniversary celebration in Virginia. Though Obama recorded an inspirational message for the scouts' gathering, a video clip posted on several conservative blogs shows some of the 43,000 young men loudly booing the president's canned address. Their ire is understandable, says Rick Moran at American Thinker. Like all presidents, Obama is the honorary leader of the Boy Scouts, but he turned his back on them to "hobnob" with Whoopi Goldberg and Barbara Walters. That's no way to treat an organization that has spent 100 years "developing boys into fine men with a clear idea of right and wrong...." Let's not exaggerate, says Colby Hall at Mediaite. The president's conservative critics may be overplaying the "booing" angle; other footage from the same event suggests that Obama's message went over rather well. Watch the controversial clip:
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Political cartoons for January 4Cartoons Sunday's political cartoons include a resolution to learn a new language, and new names in Hades and on battleships
-
The ultimate films of 2025 by genreThe Week Recommends From comedies to thrillers, documentaries to animations, 2025 featured some unforgettable film moments
-
Political cartoons for January 3Cartoons Saturday's political cartoons include citizen journalists, self-reflective AI, and Donald Trump's transparency
-
Bari Weiss’ ‘60 Minutes’ scandal is about more than one reportIN THE SPOTLIGHT By blocking an approved segment on a controversial prison holding US deportees in El Salvador, the editor-in-chief of CBS News has become the main story
-
Has Zohran Mamdani shown the Democrats how to win again?Today’s Big Question New York City mayoral election touted as victory for left-wing populists but moderate centrist wins elsewhere present more complex path for Democratic Party
-
Millions turn out for anti-Trump ‘No Kings’ ralliesSpeed Read An estimated 7 million people participated, 2 million more than at the first ‘No Kings’ protest in June
-
Ghislaine Maxwell: angling for a Trump pardonTalking Point Convicted sex trafficker's testimony could shed new light on president's links to Jeffrey Epstein
-
The last words and final moments of 40 presidentsThe Explainer Some are eloquent quotes worthy of the holders of the highest office in the nation, and others... aren't
-
The JFK files: the truth at last?In The Spotlight More than 64,000 previously classified documents relating the 1963 assassination of John F. Kennedy have been released by the Trump administration
-
'Seriously, not literally': how should the world take Donald Trump?Today's big question White House rhetoric and reality look likely to become increasingly blurred
-
Will Trump's 'madman' strategy pay off?Today's Big Question Incoming US president likes to seem unpredictable but, this time round, world leaders could be wise to his playbook