Obama looks like he鈥檚 actually having fun being president
| Washington
President Obama sang in public 鈥� again. He made fun of the large, and growing, Republican presidential field. He hung out with Girl Scouts camping on the south lawn of the White House.聽
And, on a more serious note, Mr. Obama got to announce the next step toward fulfilling a long-held goal 鈥� normal relations between the United States and Cuba. As of July 20, each country will have an embassy in the other鈥檚 capital.
Much has been made of the president鈥檚 鈥�best week ever鈥� 鈥� now extending into a second week, or, in the eyes of some, 鈥� but an added bonus for Obama is that he actually seems to be having fun.
Nobody ever said being president would be easy, and there are ways in which it must be downright excruciating 鈥� the mass shootings, the constant threat of Islamic terrorism, the times when Congress stands in the way of one鈥檚 vision of progress. Presidents get visibly grayer during their tenure for a reason.
But 6-1/2 years into his presidency, Obama is on the homestretch, and key elements of his legacy seem secure. The economic recovery is taking root, the Affordable Care Act is intact, and the right to same-sex marriage is the law of the land. Increasingly, the famously cool native of Hawaii is letting himself relax a bit in public.
鈥淚s your name really Davy Crockett?鈥� Obama asked a man at an event Wednesday in Nashville, Tenn.
Yes, it was 鈥� just like the 19th-century folk hero who represented Tennessee in Congress and died at the Alamo.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 a cool name. But you don鈥檛 have that beaver cap,鈥� said Obama, suddenly a stand-up comedian.聽
鈥淚鈥檝e got one at the house,鈥� Mr. Crockett replied.
After Crockett asked a question 鈥� a serious one, about his inability to get Social Security 鈥� and Obama鈥檚 serious reply, the president got a mischievous grin on his face and of the theme song from the old 鈥淒avy Crockett鈥� TV show.
It was the second time in a week that Obama sang in public. Last Friday, under the most somber of circumstances, he led surprised mourners in singing 鈥淎mazing Grace鈥� at the end of his eulogy for the Rev. Clementa Pinckney, the pastor who died in a mass shooting last month at a black church in Charleston, S.C.
In that moment, Obama shed some of his caution in publicly embracing his role as the first black president.
Obama鈥檚 relaxed public demeanor carried into his press conference Tuesday with Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff, when he joked about her gift of a yellow and green sweat shirt with 鈥淏razil鈥� on the back.
鈥淚 can鈥檛 wear that in public because I have to root for the USA,鈥� he quipped, referring to the Olympic Games next summer in Rio de Janeiro. 鈥淏ut at home, at night, it鈥檚 very comfortable. So who knows, I might slip it on.鈥�
Obama also joked about how much he loves giving press conferences, and he waxed poetic about the sight last Friday evening of the White House bathed in rainbow light after the US Supreme Court ruling legalizing gay marriage nationwide.
鈥淭hat made it a really good week,鈥� Obama said. 鈥淭o see people gathered in an evening outside on a beautiful summer night and to feel whole and to feel accepted and to feel that they had a right to love, that was pretty cool.鈥�
But it was Obama鈥檚 trip to La Crosse, Wis., Thursday that was the most baldly political of the past few weeks. The state鈥檚 Republican governor, Scott Walker, is expected to announce his presidential campaign July 13, and Obama鈥檚 decision to stage an event in Wisconsin that was focused on overtime pay seemed aimed right at Governor Walker鈥檚 war with labor unions.
Walker greeted Obama with a smile at the La Crosse regional airport 鈥� a photo op made in heaven for the political press.
What鈥檚 more, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I) of Vermont, the favorite of the Democratic left for the party鈥檚 presidential nomination, had staged a campaign rally in the state capital, Madison, the night before and 鈥� the largest rally for any candidate yet this cycle.
Obama only alluded to Senator Sanders鈥檚 spirited challenge to Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton in his remarks, but he had a lot to say about the Republicans.
"Every single one of them is still obsessed with repealing the Affordable Care Act, despite the fact that by every measure it's working," Obama said. 鈥淚t just seems a little mean to say that you don鈥檛 want to provide coverage to 16 million people. And you鈥檝e got nothing to replace it with.鈥�
Obama also had some fun at the expense of the GOP鈥檚 14-candidate-and-counting presidential field.
鈥淲e鈥檝e got some healthy competition in the Democratic Party, but I鈥檝e lost count of how many Republicans are running for this job,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hey鈥檒l have enough for an actual 鈥楬unger Games.鈥櫬燭hat is an interesting bunch.鈥�
It was a campaign-style event, with Obama trotting out some lines clearly aimed at Walker, though not by name.
鈥淲e have to protect and not attack a worker鈥檚 right to organize,鈥� Obama said.
Obama鈥檚 done running for office, but the 2016 elections matter vitally to his legacy. He鈥檒l be out there campaigning as much as Democrats want him to, and it鈥檚 a safe bet that he hopes to have some fun 鈥� and maybe get in a little singing.
