Could an interview be any more accommodating? I think a 10-year-old girl would have conducted a tougher sit down with the Jonas Brothers.

I like how you don't mention his gaffe about the special olympics. You media disgust me.

We all knew the president would not go up there and dodge the political rhetoric, the fact that he integrated some humor into some of his answers was just enough to lighten the tone. Leno was a bit nervous I must admit, but then again who wouldn't be when they're making history.

Talk about scripted softball questions, give me a break.

I love it. NO mention of Obama's Special Olympics gaff. Unreal. If that was John McCain or Sarah Palin ...or George Bush it would be all over ...oh wait, those leaders are professionals and don't have time spending their afternoons taping late night shows with Leno. Simply Amazing.

How does tea mix with salt water?

And where is your coverage of the entirely offensive remark about the Special Olympics? This is Obama's "nappy headed ho" moment.

Well, to be honest buddy, I think you're taking it all a little too seriously. It's freaking Leno for cripes sake, think about it. That guy and his staff have to come on every night with fresh material and they've been doing it for years, so why not do an episode on a current and very popular president? It's all about ratings and this is a great way to get them.

He took over the show and Leno set him up with questions blah blah blah, who cares? Is it really that big of a crime that an episode of Leno was used to fuel some ulterior motive? Isn't that the friggin point of Leno anyway? I mean, seriously, there's ALWAYS someone on there, promoting their latest movie, dvd, album or whatever. Is their exploitation of Leno any different? It's business as usual on Leno, just with a different product this time.

All in all, I'd say you're reaching a bit much with this whole, "taking over the show" angle you got going here.

Obama seems to think he can slide by on his "coolness" factor alone which I'm sure got him by in Chicago. Not so when in the actual big league. And how about that Special Olympics comment? Not bright.

Let's say for a crazy moment, that McCain had won the election. Would the "convenient questions dialogue" you describe have been any different - and would your critique have been any easier on McCain? Chew on that one for a while.

Has anyone in Washington read the constitution, or for that matter taken Civics 101?
No Bill of Attainder people!

The author is so diluted to the major story here. When the President of the US makes fun of special olympic kids on a late night talk show there should be backlash. Not this liberal society who says that he is a person and how he has "right people in place" come on America Wake up.

Someone please tell Obama he won the election - he cna stop campaigning and try and run the country please!

Shouldn't the headline say:

"Leno and Obama: the TV talk show and a political Fool?"

I wonder if the expectations were that the President would less business and more entertaining because it was the Leno show? I think that NBC and Leno put themselves out there to offer The President a chance to deliver a more casual speech that would be more receptive to the people of America and the world. As a Canadian I follow Obama with hope that he will restore - as he said - the values that America was built on. The Leno show is a great place to start this and speak to an audience perhaps would not normally hear what he has to say.

Geez, Z... seems you were hoping for another Couric or Gibson v. Palin. What did you really expect from Obama appearing on Leno? The whole point of his show is to promote the guest's agenda, and who's agenda needs more promotion than the president's?

so, President Obamam should be known, henceforth, as "The Greater Communicator"?

Wow! this is about the most yellow opinionated piece of journalism I have ever read. You do in this story what you accuse the President of doing on the tonight show.
Your opinion is noted.
Now the truth: The president of the United States appeared on the tonight show to let the people know that he is taking responsibility for his cabinate and his choices of personnel helping him run this country. The president was honest, forthcoming, and truthfull while informing the people of this great nation of ours as to what the direction he is taking our country and how he plans to achieve it.
I for one thank President Oabma for taking time out of his overwhelming schedule to keep the people he serves informed and assured.

During Watergate, the media were the watchdogs of government. Today, they have become the guard dogs. Why is there no mention in this story of Obama's use of "Special Olympics" to describe his poor bowling? Oh, if this were anyone else (especially a Republican), the media would be howling for apologies and resignations. C'mon fourth estate...wake up!

I thought Leno will ask president Obama about UFOs.
If President Barack Obama would like to see AFOs (Aliens
Flying Object) in the sky I will personally show him their existence. Read article:
"Aliens live in our Earth's atmosphere"
For the first time in human history, I present here incontrovertible evidence of existence of tens of thousands of UFO in the Earth's atmosphere, which can be seen by any person in any part of the world at any time. ..
http://sites.google.com/site/socialcapital1/Home/aliens

Leno just took a step backward with his legacy. I really thought he had more class.

Right on. The President seems to be akin to a huckster(give me a soft venue and I can sell it).

Comrade Leno and NBC are obedient servants to the Socialist movement; they should be proud of themselves. Hopefully their ratings will go down the toilet and their sponsors will abandon them. The counter movement, the National Tea Party, will surround them.

President Kennedy and his brother Robert did appear on Jack Paar. I saw this program, which was replayed on my PBS station two or three years ago, and was impressed by the calibre of intelligence and articulateness exhibited by both men.

It quickly became apparent to me that the President will not only have to fight politicians for his priorities; he will also have to fight the news media. I've been a Republican for 40+ years - I watched Leno and the President and thought both were great. What IS it with you guys in the media?

Oh, this was simply another "historical moment". Leno becomes a useful idiot of the State, and the whole thing came off as an act of desperation. How many different ways can a president lie to the American people about what he knew and when he knew it? AIG is a huge contributor to the never-ending Obama campaign. In fact that seems to be all the guy can do is campaign. Hard to be hip and cool when the country is falling down around his ears. For sure, this guy is a one termer, considering our country wouldn't last through a second term of this misplaced arrogant royalty.

A fluff piece of an interview……I would have expected nothing less from NBC and I am sure that was the reason for choosing Such a venue.

The “Special Olympics” gaff is being down played and nothing of a personal apology from the President.

The sad thing is that it can be effectively argued that Obama is still much better of a bowler than he is as President.

Here's a rule: If you were truly expecting hard-hitting investigative journalism from fluff-o-tainment star Jay Leno, you might as well walk into a waffle house and demand gourmet.

Shouldnt our president gain some credibility with the people before he performs his acting debut on late-night television? This is just another tool used by the far-left media to try and keep the approval rating up no matter what the conditions are. His side will probably make the argument that its good the president came on the show to try and win the trust of the American People and put out the setting that these times are not that tough and we should not panic. I am sorry but if you are still stuck on this AIG Dog & Pony Show, you really need to pull the blinders off and see what they are doing with the other trillions of dollars that we do not know about. I urge Americans to read and watch TV more to understand what is really going on with our government.

any comment on his special olympics joke?
i wonder what you would post if george bush or dick cheney said the same thing.

Obama has become an embarassment. The groupies may think that comedy shows and daily townhalls with his pre-selected audience look great since they love image but people who are more serious and reflective see Obama as immature and inexperienced. And his current love of the camera is an attempt to use his charm to distract from his inadequacies for the job of President. He is very unprepared and is showing the world that he is a nice, likeable guy but is not serious. We don't want a President to be a comedian or to have large, expensive parties at the White House every Wednesday night with "friends" or to spend millions of dollars on Air Force One to attend rallies and townhalls in campaign mode while cracking jokes. But this is all he knows. This is how he won the election with the groupies still in awe at the Obama image without knowing what he stands for but singing the "amen chorus" to everything he says. But most of America is a bit more serious and will judge him on his actions, not telepromter-speak. So far, we see a very unprepared man who is flailing about still hoping that his nice-guy image will bypass his actions and overt bold-face lies (ethics in his administration, no lobbyists, bipartisonship, no earmarks, etc). I believe his camera image will turn against him since he continuously exposes his doublespeak.

what a great way to see the president as a real person!!! if we spent more time appreciating things instead of being negative...i think we would all be better off !!!!!

It’s time to grow up America. What a unique idea…an elected official speaking directly to the folks who elected him without hiding behind the spin doctors. Please sign up as the first person who has not used a term like Special Olympics. The “special” people are not offended, it’s you idiots who don’t have anything better to do than nit pick. If it offends you so much go work on the Special Olympics. Don’t you think it’s time to focus on what we need to do to get out of this mess and stop sniveling?
It's time to grow up and get a grip.

First of all, IT IS JAY LENO. This isn't 60 Minutes. It is a late night comedy show. When has Jay Leno EVER given a tough interview? The whole point of the show is to flatter the guest, ask silly questions, exit stage left, cue the band.

Second, someone made a remark to the effect of "I wonder what they would say if Bush/Cheney made that 'special olympics' remark?" Are you kidding me? If the worst thing Bush/Cheney ever did was make an off hand remark about the Special Olympics, I would cry tears of joy.

What?! You mean a comedian didn't ask hard hitting questions? What is real journalism coming to when a comic doesn't step up to the plate and do the job of a real newsman?
Jon Stewart needs to give Leno some lessons.
Give me a break. You really expected Leno to give the President a hard time. It's an entertainment show.
But I guess since the real media laid down for Bush and the Wall Street powers for so long you guys are now expecting the comics to do your jobs for you.

I have watched the tonight show since the days of Johnny Carson but I can No longer support Leno as he is in the tank for Obama and his socialist communism ways. Bye Leno.
In the mid forty's when I first went to school, one of the first things we learned was the pledge of allegiance and would recite the pledge each morrning before school would start. With the way our government operates today, almost every bill passed is a socialist unconstitutional bill and congress trashes our constitution at will, I have a question. In our pledge of allegiance, What word will we use to replace the word "REPUBLIC".

Jay Leno is an entertainment show. why complain that it is fitting one personal agenda, at the same time being upset it didn't fit yours?
It is so easy to point fingers and make negative comments - much harder to step up and contribute and work towards improvements. It isn't about who you like as Pres. Actually, it is about you, and what you say and do.

HAHAHA, the wingnuts are out in force today! Leno throwing softballs? Are you serious, that's what he's paid to do. Lob softballs to whatever guest is on....

First of all, I am a Democrat and I voted for Obama. However, I think he needs to pull back from so many public appearances.

He is diluting the importance of his message by constantly being on TV. I think he has a deep seated need to be liked by everyone and it needs to stop.

The joking and glad-handing is being overdone. He may be well liked but he is losing the respect that the office of the President needs to be an effective leader.

Hi Barbara, I have piece in Sunday's paper that agrees with your point of view -- he needs to pull back. Thanks. Z

Doesn't really matter in the grand scheme of things. Move along and keep putting pressure on all politicians and all people in power that they answer to the people ultimately. And they shoudl always fear doing the wrong thing. They shoudl always fear the masses rather than think they can get away with something.

Z - just to refute one point. Rachel Maddow (who I am against as much as you are) was actually on Letterman a few nights ago (oddly sporting Woody Allen glasses that absorbed her whole face). Anyway, Letterman and she had a pretty good and serious chat about real economic and political issues... so as for guests never talking "toxic assets" and "capital ratios"...

Good point, Dan. Was she the only guest, though, as Obama was (outside of a musical performance by Garth Brooks during the last five minutes)? That is the point I was trying to make: that talk about such matters was pretty much the WHOLE show with Obama and Leno. Butyou are right, and I was impressed by the level of conversation between Maddow and Letterman. I probably should not have been -- they are both smart folks -- but I was. Thanks for reminding readers of that chat. In case they have not seen it, they can track down a video or transcript online. Thanks.Z

OH NOES SOCIALIZMZZZ! Please tell me that idiot who called Leno "Comrade Leno" isn't for real.

Did anybody tune into Leno thinking they were going to see him grill Obama? Leno is nothing more than an entertainment show. It's not a serious news show. The fact that Leno and Obama talked about anything serious is more newsworthy.

I'd also like to add that the Republicans charge of Obama being a celebrity is starting to become well-founded. He filled out an NCAA Tournament bracket this week on ESPN and then went on Leno. At least Obama is moving fast on many important issues, but he has taken the time to enjoy the celebrity lime light.

I, for one, am happy to see President Obama making appearances in various media outlets, so we, the American people, are informed and can finally feel we are important enough to know and understand what is going on in Washington. After the Great Depression, checks and balances were put in place so it wouldn't happen again. For years, these checks and balances have been pulled out, allowing Wall Street, financial institutions and the real estate industry to speculate at the expense of the individual American. Many of us were not made aware of what was happening with our money, or the risks that we were taking by investing it or buying homes we could not afford. Take the Madoff ponsi scheme for example, or the millions who are underwater or struggling to keep afloat with home loans, home equity loans, etc. after being told by “financial professionals” they could not only afford to invest, but they could not afford to grab a part of the American Dream!

Those who want to fault our president for making public appearances where they deem it is not suitable have the right to keep their head buried in the sand. As for me, I applaud the president and this administration for reaching the common person wherever they can to keep us informed and up to date on the problems and complexities of this financial mess and what is being done to try to put us out of this major recession. Keep in mind, the more that is done, the greater the chance of a mistake. I am just thankful we now have a president who is not afraid to admit them.

Nothing is more ridiculous than Republican’s complaining about Obama appearing on the Tonight Show. I can understand why – they fear Obama will reach the average person and that is the last thing Republican’s want. Republican’s want democracy to stay in the Washington bubble where they think they have more control and continue to pass laws that favor the rich who in turn feed the Republican campaign machine with donations. For Obama to think outside of the box speaks well of a man who was elected by the people (not wall street, lobbyists and the rich that Republican’s represent). What are the Republican’s afraid of? They are so out of touch that maybe instead of spending their time complaining, whining and trying to change the tax laws to favor the wealthiest Americans, maybe they should spend less time complaining and actually learning how to communicate to hard working Americans who are still the vast majority.

Sorry, Republican’s, most of us work 12 hour days, 6 days a week (not 4) and if lucky we may get a week vacation (not months) at wages that is probably less than what you pay your servants or waste our tax dollars on for your pet peeve projects. After a 12 hour day, the last thing we want to do is listen to O’Reily spin on politics, Hannity whining like a soar loser or even listen to you on CNN making noise. We come home, want to turn on something that isn’t so depressing to watch, yet is both entertaining and informative (like Tonight Show) that doesn’t have an agenda to promote their political views. Like I said, it tells hard working Americans’ how out of touch Republicans are about what makes us tick and what it takes to survive in a country destroyed by Bush politics

1. socialism blah blah, liberal media blah blah, messiah blah blah.

Not very creative arguments. Are these the same people trying to convince New Yorkers about the inferiority of their baseball team by wearing "Yankees Suck" t-shirts?

2. "Z," like other people have pointed out, it's Jay Leno. He hosts a lighthearted comedy show. I'm confused about this "serving citizens" business you mention at the end. Why should Jay Leno ask tough, probing questions? That's never been the format of the show; why should it change when the President comes on the program.

I might agree with you if the program in question advertised itself as a serious news program, or it was an extremely rare opportunity to interview the President (Obama is on 60 Minutes this Sunday).

I suspect you may still be in a tizzy over the Jim Cramer Daily Show episode. Just because Jon Stewart wants to do something doesn't mean that Jay Leno should.

Leno is not a journalist. If the author of this piece is a journalist, he is a sports journalist. One who covers the special olympics. Also.

John F. Kennedy's appearance on the Tonight Show with Jack Paar took place in 1960, when he was a candidate for the presidency; he never appeared on the show after his inauguration.

Hello, yes, that is my understanding as well. I do find it interesting that Robert Gibbs, White House press secretary, would put out what looks like incorrect information, and then not correct or clarify. But that is what I have been able to confrim as well: JFK appeared as a candidate. My colleagues at The Swamp blog were the ones to print the statement by Gibbs. I hope they will follow up one way or the other as well. Thanks.

"I’m not sure what it meant for TV and its intended purpose of serving citizens first rather than politicians"

Why do you think that TV has the purpose of serving anyone other than those who are paying for what you and I see when we turn it on?

How can you claim to know what the "intended purpose" of a thing you have nothing to do with is?

You are a fool of the highest caliber.

Hello, Dave. I can be sure because I have studied the history of American broadcasting and know what the Communications Act of 1934, the legislation that created the foundation for the American TV industry, says. I also know what the broadcast license that each station needs to be on the air says. Unfortunately, that higher mission is often ignored. As hard as it might be for you to believe, there was once a grander vision for American broadcasting. And the term that applies is "broadcasting in the public interest." That is what each station is supposed to have to show that it does to maintain the license that allows it to make money. And you, my friend, got this little education for free today because I thought it would be better to respond to your uninformed remarks with generosity and verified information rather than snark and putdown. Do me a favor, look up the communications act to see if I am right. Thanks. Z

It's a late night entertainment show hosted by a comedian what do you people want.

Z-

Get a grip, man! This is not Meet the Press or Face the Nation we are talking about. This is the Tonight Show with Jay Leno. People watch that show for the entertainment value, not because of the political statements guest make or don't make.

This piece has been featured at THEWEEK.com as Best Opinion - Great Article!

this is a late night talk show, whose host's job it is to let them talk about themselves and his point of view... if you want an interrogation watch a news show, or interview him yourself simon. next time just turn off the tv, if it's too hard to watch; and next time I'll just stop reading, because unless it's constructive criticism, I'll stick just my 2 year old's whining

President Obama is an incredible leader with a fantastic personality. We are lucky to have some one who is straight forward and honest and who takes a common sense approach to straightening out the mess we have gotten ourselves into.

Personally, Obama needs to stop being a celebrity and start being a president. I can understand you being excited about being the first black in office, but now you are abusing your position. Start doing your job. Where's my healthcare plan? Why are you spending taxpayer money on your publicly lavish parties instead of getting americans more jobs and helping to improve economy? People are going to start noticing that your brilliant smile is not helping homeless, sick, and jobless people and families. Grow up Mr. Obama...we need a leader, not a showboat.