Networks Promote White House PR Video of Obama and Biden Jogging for Let's Move
On Friday, the NBC, ABC, and CBS morning shows all happily touted a White-House-produced video
of President Obama and Vice President Biden jogging through the
executive mansion to promote the fourth anniversary of First Lady
Michelle Obama's Let's Move campaign. This was the same week that the
networks refused to cover an
Obama administration report showing two-thirds of small business
employees would see a spike in health care premiums under ObamaCare. [Listen to the audio]
Introducing the video on NBC's Today, co-host Tamron Hall explained: "When the First Lady was on with Jimmy Fallon on The Tonight Show,
she actually made the pledge that if everyone uploaded videos and
pictures of themselves moving around, that perhaps she could have some
influence and get the President and the Vice President to show us how
they get moving. Well, overnight, developing news, take a look."
After
a clip played of the presidential jog, Hall gushed: "...this is what
happens when you have a person in the White House that has influence
over the President. The First Lady's promise kept and there you have it.
In their dress shirts, in their dress shoes and their slacks moving."
Moments later, co-host Savannah Guthrie joked: "I love how they're
running in suits. Maybe they're made of Lycra?" Fill-in co-host Carson
Daly observed: "Biden looked a little winded quickly. Did you see that?"
Weatherman Al Roker remarked: "Well, maybe he'll do a little more
running in 2016."
ABC's Good Morning America made the White House video their
"Play of the Day" on Friday, with news reader Josh Elliott declaring:
"It's POTUS and VPOTUS working out, like, literally. Take a look. The
President's chance to show us how he moves..." After the clip, Elliott
imagined the First Lady directing the skit: "I want Michelle Obama to be
right off camera saying, 'No, take it again. We're doing it again.'"
Correspondent Sara Haines added: "A drill sergeant."
On CBS This Morning,
fill-in co-host Anthony Mason proclaimed: "This morning, First Lady
Michelle Obama is getting some high-profile help for her Let's Move
health campaign." As the clip played, Mason narrated: "President Obama
and Vice President Biden then jog through the halls of the White House,
even heading outside. They do appear a bit winded when they re-enter the
Oval Office."
Fellow co-host Norah O'Donnell applauded the contrived video: "And look
at those two hams, you know? I mean, hamming it up for the cameras."
And the media are eager to cheer them on.
The Let's Move promotion was officially released on social media Friday morning, but was previewed on Thursday's Tonight Show by host Jimmy Fallon, who encouraged viewers to "go to www.letsmove.gov" to watch the full video.
— Kyle Drennen is Senior News Analyst at the Media Research Center. Follow Kyle Drennen on Twitter.
