Mr. Obama? What's It Like to Be the Last Black President

Published in Liberation
(France) on 13 March 2014
by Lorraine Millot (link to originallink to original)
Translated from by Meredith O'Connell. Edited by Bora Mici.
In order to watch Obama insulted, disgusted, furious and ... finally overcoming his repulsions to make several points, it's right here, between two ferns:

Without a doubt making up for the failed launch of his health care reform, the American president unwillingly consented, as one can see in the video, to let himself be interviewed by the unappealing comedian Zach Galifianakis. The American president let himself be bullied — "shush!" the insolent comedian instructed him at the beginning — treated like a nerd, and interrogated on the appointment of his "ambassador," basketball player Dennis Rodman, to ... "North Ikea."

Twice, the comedian toyed with racism. Irritation is visible on Obama's face, but the president puts up with it and throws several great comebacks. When Galifianakis asks him how he would react to the idea of being the last black president, he replied "Seriously? Seriously, what's it like for this to be the last time you ever talk to a president?" When the comedian pushed the topic further and asked him if he would build the presidential library in "his homeland, Kenya," Obama was offended all the same: "Zach, that's a ridiculous question," then bounced back with, "Where's your birth certificate?"

The whole affair is of questionable taste, but the White House insists it's for a good cause: If Obama lets himself be humiliated like this, it's [only] to present himself to American youth, the supposed great fans of Galifianakis' interviews, and to remind them that they have until March 31 to sign up for a health plan on www.healthcare.gov. "First of all, it’s fair to say that I wouldn't be here with you today if I didn't have something to plug" Obama himself proclaimed, in the same disagreeable tone as his interviewer.

For a more detailed analysis on this expansion of the president's domain under Obama and his predecessors, read The New York Times here. This begs a new boundary: at least the American president will not lower himself so much as to participate in the Kardashians' reality show ... dare?


Pour voir Obama insulté, dégoûté, furieux et... surmontant finalement ses répulsions pour marquer quelques points, c'est ici, entre deux fougères:
En pénitence sans doute pour le lancement raté de sa réforme de la santé, le Président américain a consenti, à son corps défendant comme on peut voir sur la vidéo, à se laisser interviewer par le peu ragoûtant comique Zach Galifianakis. Le président américain s'y fait malmener («chut!» lui impose l'insolent dès l'ouverture), traiter de polard («nerd») ou interroger sur l'envoi de son «ambassadeur», le joueur de basket Dennis Rodman, en... «Ikea du Nord». Par deux fois, l'humoriste frôle le racisme. L'agacement est visible sur les traits d'Obama mais le président encaisse et place quelques belles réparties. Quand Galifianakis lui demande ce qu'il ressent à l'idée d'être le dernier Président noir, il répond: «Sérieusement? Et qu'est-ce que ça vous fait de parler pour la dernière fois à un Président?» Quand l'humoriste pousse le bouchon encore un peu plus loin et lui demande s'il installera sa bibliothèque présidentielle dans «sa patrie, le Kenya», Obama s'offusque tout de même «Zach, c'est une question ridicule», puis rebondit: «Et votre certificat de naissance à vous, il est où?»

L'exercice est d'un goût douteux, mais c'est pour la bonne cause, plaide la Maison Blanche: si Obama se laisse ainsi humilier, c'est pour s'adresser aux jeunes Américains, supposés grands amateurs des interviews de Galifianakis, et leur rappeler qu'ils ont jusqu'au 31 mars pour contracter une assurance maladie sur le site www. healthcare.gov. «Je ne serais pas là avec vous si je n'avais pas quelque chose à placer» assène Obama lui-même, sur le même ton désagréable que son intervieweur. Pour une analyse plus circonstanciée de cette extension du domaine présidentiel, sous Obama et ses prédécesseurs, voir ici le New York Times. Qui pose une nouvelle frontière: au moins le Président américain ne s'abaissera pas jusqu'à participer au reality-show des Kardashians... Chiche?
This post appeared on the front page as a direct link to the original article with the above link .

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