Betty White: Would she improve the Democratic convention?
Betty White should make a cameo at the Democratic convention, an online petition pleads. After all, Betty White and President Obama already appear to be pals.
Actress Betty White reacts to applause during a ceremony where she was named an Honorary Forest Ranger by the US Forest Service at the Kennedy Center in Washington on Nov. 9, 2010. White has stated in numerous interviews that her first ambition as a young girl was 'to become a forest ranger, but they didn't allow women to do that back then.'
Cliff Owen/AP/File
Charlotte, N.C.
Would Betty White make the Democratic National Convention better? Lots of people think so. Or at least, lots of people who鈥檝e signed Peter Slutsky鈥檚 to add Ms. White to the DNC proceedings think so.
Mr. Slutsky says that Clint Eastwood鈥檚 rambling, heavily-panned appearance at the Republican National Convention gave a 鈥渂ad name鈥� to older Americans, and that the former star of 鈥淕olden Girls鈥� could restore their honor.
鈥淕overnor Romney can have Clint Eastwood and his improvisational skills because President Obama has the only and only Betty White!鈥� writes Slutsky.
At the moment the petition has over 8,000 supporters. Over at Facebook, White is doing even better. A has over 28,000 鈥渓ikes.鈥�
First off, we鈥檇 like to say that it might be time to stop the Eastwood-hating. That was a week ago, which is an era in political time, and in any case there are people who argue that the whole thing was a lot better than the MSM supposes.
罢丑别谤别鈥檚 at the conservative site Hot Air!, for instance, which argues that Eastwood 鈥渨as not 鈥榬ambling.鈥� He improvised within a structure, making a clear and concise case for dumping Obama.鈥�
Still, wouldn鈥檛 it be great to see Betty White, say, introduce Michelle Obama? Though they鈥檇 have to move fast to do that because Mrs. Obama is speaking Tuesday. Maybe she could introduce Vice President Joe Biden on Thursday. That might be even better 鈥� can鈥檛 you just imagine the on-stage electricity they could generate? She could play off his recent controversial remark about 鈥減ut y鈥檃ll back in chains.鈥� No, we won鈥檛 elaborate.
Ms. White is up to the job 鈥� she鈥檚 still working in the sitcom 鈥淗ot in Cleveland,鈥� after all 鈥� and it looks like she鈥檚 a Democrat. She visited Obama in the Oval Office in June. Obama had taped a video that appeared earlier in the year at White鈥檚 90th聽birthday party. He insisted that she produce her long-form birth certificate to prove her age. Meta!
Other ways White could improve the convention: She could bring an empty chair on stage and pretend to harangue Clint Eastwood. She could put on a headset and get a video crew and roam the halls beaming back spot delegate reports. She could stage a coup at Jon Stewart鈥檚 鈥淒aily Show鈥� stage in Charlotte and take over his show.
Got your own ideas? Discuss among yourselves in comments.