President Obama, Samantha Bee speculate on President Hillary's 'birther' equivalent
President Obama sat down with Samantha Bee for Monday's Halloween edition of Full Frontal, and they began by discussing costumes. "This year I'm going as a witch," Bee said. "That's not a witch costume," Obama noted. "I'm a woman on television and I'm over 40, so I'm already in costume," she replied. "Where's yours?" "I'm dressed up as what happens when young people vote," Obama said. "Someone gets really old really fast?" Bee joked. "That's... not it," Obama said, but Bee continued: "So is that, like, white spray paint, or fun Halloween cobwebs up there?" "Sam, I'm still president for about three months," Obama said.
The president explained that he wasn't just sitting down with Bee to make costume jokes; he wanted to encourage young people to vote. "So you are the father of a college student, sitting down with a 47-year-old mother of three," Bee said. "Um, if this was your best idea to get young people to vote, what was your worst idea? Have you thought about going on Antiques Road Show?" "I haven't," Obama laughed, "but it turns out young people are more interested and engaged than I think we give them credit for." Bee caricatured a millennial and had Obama make his pitch.
"If and when Hillary is president, what do you think will be the female equivalent of 'you weren't born in this country'?" Bee asked, and Obama thought a second: "I think the equivalent will be 'She's tired, she's moody, she's being emotional.'" "There's just something about her," Bee suggested. "'There's something about her,'" Obama agreed. "When men are ambitious, it's just taken for granted — well of course they should be ambitious. When women are ambitious: 'Why?' That theme, I think, will continue throughout her presidency, and it's contributed to this notion that somehow she is hiding something."
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Bee asked about Obama's legacy hopes, and he said he would like younger people to follow him and his wife, Michelle, into public service: "If we can look back 20 years from now and say to ourselves, wow, there are a whole bunch of people who were inspired by what we did and are doing it even better, then we'll feel pretty good." Watch below. Peter Weber
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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
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