Informed Comment Homepage

Thoughts on the Middle East, History and Religion

Header Right

  • Featured
  • US politics
  • Middle East
  • Environment
  • US Foreign Policy
  • Energy
  • Economy
  • Politics
  • About
  • Archives
  • Submissions

© 2025 Informed Comment

  • Skip to content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Uncategorized

Obama fails to Galvanize the Youth on Daily Show

Juan Cole 10/28/2010

Tweet
Share
Reddit
Email

President Obama came on Jon Stewart’s Daily show on Wednesday.

This was the president’s chance to rally the youth, who typically don’t vote in midterms. Obama defended his legislative record in wonky terms. But he did not have good comebacks to Stewart’s critiques from the left.

Obama’s hair should have been on fire. He should have pointed out all the horrible things the tea party plans to do to young people. He had a chance to mobilize them around youth issues.

Instead he played it safe. I didn’t take away a single talking point that seemed to me likely to galvanize people like the students I teach.

When Bill Clinton went wonky you could still sense his passion. I got no sense of urgency or passion. I am sure he feels it. But now that he isn’t running for office himself, he just doesn’t seem able to put it on display.

A wasted opportunity. At least he will be there to veto the crazy tea party legislative agenda.

Here is pt. one:

The Daily Show With Jon
Stewart
Mon – Thurs 11p /
10c
Barack
Obama Pt. 1
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full
Episodes
Political
Humor
Rally
to Restore
Sanity

Filed Under: Uncategorized

About the Author

Juan Cole is the founder and chief editor of Informed Comment. He is Richard P. Mitchell Professor of History at the University of Michigan He is author of, among many other books, Muhammad: Prophet of Peace amid the Clash of Empires and The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam. Follow him on Twitter at @jricole or the Informed Comment Facebook Page

Primary Sidebar

Support Independent Journalism

Click here to donate via PayPal.

Personal checks should be made out to Juan Cole and sent to me at:

Juan Cole
P. O. Box 4218,
Ann Arbor, MI 48104-2548
USA
(Remember, make the checks out to “Juan Cole” or they can’t be cashed)

STAY INFORMED

Join our newsletter to have sharp analysis delivered to your inbox every day.
Warning! Social media will not reliably deliver Informed Comment to you. They are shadowbanning news sites, especially if "controversial."
To see new IC posts, please sign up for our email Newsletter.

Social Media

Bluesky | Instagram

Popular

  • Israel's Netanyahu banks on TACO Trump as he Launches War on Iran to disrupt Negotiations
  • A Pariah State? Western Nations Sanction Israeli Cabinet Members
  • Israel: Will Ultra-Orthodox Jews' Opposition to Conscription Bring down Netanyahu's Gov't
  • Women's Cancer Rates are Rising in the Oil Gulf: is Global Heating causing it?
  • Threat to Rule of Law: Sen. Padilla thrown to Ground, Cuffed at Noem DHS Press Conference

Gaza Yet Stands


Juan Cole's New Ebook at Amazon. Click Here to Buy
__________________________

Muhammad: Prophet of Peace amid the Clash of Empires



Click here to Buy Muhammad: Prophet of Peace amid the Clash of Empires.

The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam


Click here to Buy The Rubaiyat.
Sign up for our newsletter

Informed Comment © 2025 All Rights Reserved