President Barack Obama made a strong case for American economic recovery on Thursday, and he made that case on The View. Touting increases in private sector jobs, restructuring and recovery in the auto industry, and saving thousands of jobs that could have been lost, President Obama said — with an eye towards the future — “Don’t bet against American workers. And don’t bet against American ingenuity.”
The View made history on Thursday as the first daytime talk show to welcome a sitting President to its studio. And the co-hosts made the most of it, including Barbara Walters — who made an early return to the show after her heart surgery. (Barbara will return full-time in September.) “I was trying to find a show that Michelle actually watched,” the President said as he sat down with the ladies. (Click here to see the video clip of that moment.)
In talking about the economy, co-host Elisabeth Hasselbeck challenged President Obama on his claims of “saving” jobs, calling it “boasting” — and that it obscures the fact that unemployment had reached double digits. Obama responded by saying we’ve gained private sector jobs for five consecutive months, and that citing saved jobs “makes a difference if your job was the one that was saved.”
The conversation wasn’t only about the economy, though. Barbara inquired about Afghanistan — to which Obama stressed the importance of stabilizing Afghanistan to fighting terrorism in the Middle East — and Sherri asked about the Shirley Sherrod controversy. The President cited a controversy-happy 24/7 media culture for blowing the Sherrod situation out of proportion, though he admitted his administration overreacted as well. Whoopi asked about the state of race relations in America. “What are we?” she asked. “We are Americans,” he responded.
The co-hosts also got into some lighter topics with the President. Joy gave him a short pop-culture quiz, where we found out that he doesn’t know who Jersey Shore’s Snooki is, but he does know that Lindsay Lohan is in jail. (Click here for the video of that moment.)
He was also asked about the upcoming Chelsea Clinton wedding. Was he invited? “Hillary and Bill properly want to keep this for Chelsea,” Obama answered, citing the increased security concerns and attention. “You don’t want two presidents at a wedding.”
So how does Obama view his first year and a half as President? “It’s as challenging and satisfying as anything in my life,” he said. What does he think his legacy will be? Check out this video clip and see.
What have been the highs and lows of life in the White House? Click here for a clip of President Obama talking about the “roses” and “thorns” in his life right now.
Photo Credit: ABC
