Obama's Olympic Pitch

" This week the debate over health care heated up on Capitol Hill with no clear end in -- A democratic congressman made headlines with his show and tell on the topic. -- burning question over US troop deployment in Afghanistan and whether or not we can succeed there. And the possible nuclear threat posed by Iran dominated the world stage. All this is the president and mrs. Obama jetted off to Denmark for a sales pitch to win the Olympics for their hometown of Chicago. If we tried."

" That's not just the American dream that is the Olympics here. -- the absence of the -- Mets why we've seen so much of ourselves in these -- That's why we want them in Chicago and."

" Well that presidential plea went nowhere the International Olympic Committee chose Rio de Janeiro. We know the result now Jim. Was the press playing along or were they supportive of the president's move here I think the press was -- Katy Kirk said that it. Oprah and present -- the dream team going over there I think they're making their own Kool aid and they've now sort of discovered. That the rest of the world doesn't -- President Obama as much as the mainstream media what what about a one pretty unusual to have a president go on a trip like this in fact I don't think it's ever been done before."

" I -- than usual because remember the king of Spain the prime minister's name the prime minister of Japan. The president of Brazil. They're all there and don't forget that Tony Blair played a key role for -- in getting the Olympics and and Spain was a superpower several hundred years. It's like that's what's required so I don't think that's I think it was you know there was lots -- questions raised about President Obama going. But the idea that it was somehow taking distracting and I thought with -- a little."

" So -- does this becomes something like pardoning the Thanksgiving Turkey and receiving the bowl of -- it's from the Irish prime minister -- something that every president has to do -- real story here John is not the diminished credibility of the president it's the diminished credibility of Oprah I mean if Oprah can't deliver what is the future of the planet. No I I think this proves again that the president is overexposed. And when you take the office and the prestige of the presidency of the United States. And you take it down the lobbying for a city like Chicago especially. And you lose. The Iranians -- going to be looking at this the republic. It was going to be looking at has been well. Next -- little overweight. You would have been critical criticized if he hadn't gone as you point."

" I don't know that he would have been criticized that he hadn't gone I think that what happened and you know what the -- did point out -- lot of cronyism in Chicago and I. And a lot of Obama's buddies -- gonna benefit from them alike and that we'll follow that Chicago papers the national press however did not pay attention that story."

" Let's take a look at some national numbers president Obama's job approval rating -- this week right now only about half of all Americans today. They approve of the job he's doing 50%. 42%. Disapprove are those. Ratings -- said you think reflective of the way the press is treating the president."

" Well I think that. Being the argument that he's -- apologizing and the office of the president by being on Letterman and by going to. Copenhagen whatever the legitimacy. Of the substance of that argument is. Is probably contributing to a certain amount of over exposure. And may -- that and I but I think what's reflected in the polls is health care Afghanistan. The ongoing violence in Iraq I don't think because he went to Copenhagen his polls are gonna plummet I don't think he's gonna be permanently damaged by that."

" I think unemployment also is variable here and it worked in the Reagan administration when unemployment went almost 11% and president Reagan's approval rating went into the low thirties. Obama is at fifty and one reason -- still high is is is according to the Media Research Center the coverage of president Reagan's unemployment. In 1982 -- Obama as unemployment 2009. Is thirteen to one more negative for Reagan back and and and MRC. Dan Danner who even was cheeky enough to track down. Charlie Gibson's coverage of unemployment going so high back 27 years ago and -- comparing it to what Charlie Gibson did. That is of the White House now is that obviously anchored ABC news and back in 1980 with all that is Reagan. And in 2009 it was all good news for Obama but mostly --"

" Here's the problem -- he who lives by the media dies by the media. The time for president to go on television is to advance policy or to persuade the public of something. President doesn't have a plan for Afghanistan -- think about it for the next however long. He he doesn't really have a health care plan this is a congressional plant or at least several versions of it. He didn't -- have a plan to bring the Olympics to Chicago other -- the force of his personality which didn't work. So he we've seen a diminished. Power right before our eyes because he doesn't have anything other than his personality."

" One other burning issue this week you're wrong take a look at some new numbers from our new poll just out this week 69. I'm percent of Americans do not think the president is being tough enough on Iran. Only 16%. Say they think he's handling the situation about right 6% say he is being too tough again. The same question one is is the -- is the press coverage he's receiving on Iran is that reflective of what the American people --"

" I think this is our poll numbers that reflect the American. People's impatience with Iran in the sense that Iran's been lying and continues to -- now there's been a little bit of a shift in this story with a run making some concessions and the question is. How does that get played the international community -- national press. At the end of the week with thing. Iran is really taking a step back and coming into the international community newspapers in the United States on the other hand were much more cautious in their coverage. We'll see where this goes but you -- you look at these numbers one of the things just going back her previous story -- That sort of thing to me is that a plurality of Americans I think it was high forties. -- they disapprove of the president going to Copenhagen for the Olympics I didn't think it is a big deal apparently I was not a step mom -- right. --"