17 Mar 2009 Bad Idea: Obama to Appear on Jay Leno

Bad idea.

He’s the president, not a comedian. If he doesn’t infuse the office with gravitas, who else will?

Thirty years ago Jimmy Carter famously carried his own luggage in an effort to look like one of us. A few years later, people were saying his successor restored dignity to the office.

People don’t want their president to be “one of us” — they want to think their president is just a little bit better than they are (even when it’s an illusion).

With no disrespect intended to Jay Leno, the President — any President — lowers himself if he appears on that show, or anything similar, while in office.

There will be plenty of time for that sort of thing in retirement.