Obama’s White House Reality Show

Obama’s White House Reality Show

The Nation‘s Ari Melber on how the media has fused real-time lifestyle coverage with the star power of a true celebrity politician.

Facebook
Twitter
Email
Flipboard
Pocket

The Nation‘s net movement correspondent Ari Melber talks about Obama’s “reality show” presidency with Eleanor Clift on MSNBC. The use of social media technology like Flickr and YouTube for transparency and for building a personal relationship with Americans is new, while the desire for details about the president’s home life is certainly not. Melber discusses the public interest in the private life of the Obama family, from the family dog to Michelle’s organic garden, and wonders if overexposure will backfire on the popular president.

Sarah Jaffe

Check out more great Nation videos on our YouTube channel.

Can we count on you?

In the coming election, the fate of our democracy and fundamental civil rights are on the ballot. The conservative architects of Project 2025 are scheming to institutionalize Donald Trump’s authoritarian vision across all levels of government if he should win.

We’ve already seen events that fill us with both dread and cautious optimism—throughout it all, The Nation has been a bulwark against misinformation and an advocate for bold, principled perspectives. Our dedicated writers have sat down with Kamala Harris and Bernie Sanders for interviews, unpacked the shallow right-wing populist appeals of J.D. Vance, and debated the pathway for a Democratic victory in November.

Stories like these and the one you just read are vital at this critical juncture in our country’s history. Now more than ever, we need clear-eyed and deeply reported independent journalism to make sense of the headlines and sort fact from fiction. Donate today and join our 160-year legacy of speaking truth to power and uplifting the voices of grassroots advocates.

Throughout 2024 and what is likely the defining election of our lifetimes, we need your support to continue publishing the insightful journalism you rely on.

Thank you,
The Editors of The Nation

Ad Policy
x