US president Barack Obama said the United States needed to return to the “values that built America” as he became the first sitting US head of state to promote his economic reforms on the late-night chat show circuit.
As part of a media blitz which also includes an ESPN chat about basketball and a CBS
60 Minutesinterview, the president appeared alongside country star Garth Brooks on
The Tonight Show With Jay Leno.
Mr Obama called for a return to "an attitude where people know enough is enough" and also compared his first 59 days in office to being on American Idol.
"I do think in Washington it's a little bit like
American Idol, except everybody is Simon Cowell," the president, whose critics mock his celebrity status, said.
Mr Obama also said America was "going through a difficult time" but added: "I welcome the challenge."
"The immediate bonuses that went to AIG are a problem," he said.
"But the larger problem is we've got to get back to an attitude where people know enough is enough, and people have a sense of responsibility and they understand that their actions are going to have an impact on everybody.
"And if we can get back to those values that built America, then I think we're going to be OK."
The
Tonight Showappearance could be seen as a soft interview option, akin to Tony Blair's decision to go on
This Morningwith Richard and Judy.
But experts said it was a shrewd idea. They argue Mr Obama has gravitas in abundance and will not be damaged by an appearance on a chat show.
Moreover the platform may reach some who have been turned off by the president's sombre warnings of economic doom and gloom unless drastic action is taken.
Leno's show is watched by around five million viewers daily.
It means that in the space of a few days, Mr Obama will have addressed sports fans, entertainment aficionados and politicos alike via the medium of TV.
On Wednesday he appeared on sports network ESPN, making his pick for the men's college basketball championships.
And later this week he will be interviewed for CBS's
60 Minutes. This will be followed by his second prime-time press conference.
Commenting on the latest round on TV interviews, Bill Galston, former policy adviser to Bill Clinton, said: "Why he is doing it is very simple: to build support for his very ambitious budget."
Mr Galston, a Brookings Institution fellow, added that seeming to be "down with folks" was not a dangerous ploy in America, which is less status conscious than in the UK.
He said: "People expect the president to uphold the dignity of the office. But if he is also photographed doing what millions of other men are doing — trying to work out who will win the NCAA men's basketball championship — it won't hurt."
Asked if he thought there was a chance the president risked losing a degree of gravitas through the Tonight Show appearance, Mr Galston said: "Obama has a natural dignity. He isn't someone that looks foolish very often."
Although he is the first to appear while in office, other presidents-to-be have gone down the chat show or light entertainment route to improve their popularity.
As presidential candidates Mr Clinton donned shades and played his saxophone on the
Arsenio Hall Show, while John F Kennedy appeared on the
Tonight Show. Richard Nixon deadpanned "sock it to me" on
Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In, adding an intoned question mark to the catchphrase.
PA