1. SUBTEXT OBAMA on ELLEN

2. SUBTEXT The President of the United States appeared on a morning talk show.

3. SUBTEXT  The President of the United States appeared on a morning talk show. the leader of the most powerful nation on the planet  Who else has done this?  What party was he in?  What was the result? Clinton, a Democrat, in his successful run for the presidency  What does this subtextually say about the party?  What does this say about Obama’s originality?

4. SUBTEXT  The President of the United States appeared on a morning talk show. the leader of the most powerful nation on the planet  the Office of the Presidency = power, respect, importance, austerity, seriousness  So then what does such an appearance do to that elevated & respected position?

5. SUBTEXT  The President of the United States appeared on a morning talk show. the leader of a nation embroiled in wars, partisanship, mid-term elections, lame-duck presidency  Doesn’t he have something better to do?  Something more urgent?  Is this part of some agenda?  Then isn’t this “politics as usual”?

6. SUBTEXT  The President of the United States appeared on a morning talk show. the leader of a nation with problems against Russia … again  Obama vs. Putin  USA vs. RR in Olympics  USA vs. USSR – Cold War  USA into Iraq & Russia into Crimea  Crimean War

7. SUBTEXT  The President of the United States appeared on a morning talk show. on a morning talk show  Who watches these shows? young (not in school), uneducated, unemployed housewives, retired  Why is he reaching out to them? Why does any politician reach out to any group?  So then what’s the connection between this audience to this politician, to this political party?

8. SUBTEXT  The President of the United States appeared on a morning talk show. on a morning talk show  Who watches these shows? young (not in school), uneducated, unemployed single moms  Why is he reaching out to them? What new policy of his directly affects these people? pitched to “especially all the moms out there who may have young people – 26, 27, do not have health insurance, but they think they’re invincible and nothing’s ever going to happen to ‘em – what we’ve said is you never know what life is going to throw at ya.”

9. SUBTEXT  The President of the United States appeared on a morning talk show. on a morning talk show hosted by an openly gay woman  Now what’s his agenda?  What message is he intentionally sending?  What message is he unintentionally sending?

10. SUBTEXT  The President of the United States appeared on a morning talk show. on a talk show  Who typically appears on a talk show & why? actors, entertainers pretty, popular people, celebrities Stupid Human Tricks people pushing a product: movie, CD, show  Unintended Subtext 

11. SUBTEXT  The President of the United States appeared on a morning talk show. Unintended Subtext  by appearing on such a show  he has equated the presidency & all politics  to the level of acting & entertainment  infomercials

12. SUBTEXT  The President of the United States appeared on a morning talk show. Unintended Subtext  ANALOGIES – politicians = actors, celebrities, pop stars politicians = Dancing Chickens, doing Stupid Human Tricks  the “theatricality of pomp,” of politics politics = theater, a play staging, casting, costuming scripting, …. “acting”

13. SUBTEXT BONUS ROUND: OBAMA on ESPN (bracketology)