MetaChat - Are y'all planning on watching The Obama Show tonight?

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29 October 2008

Are y'all planning on watching The Obama Show tonight? →[More:] Any thoughts about this? Is it a good idea? What do you think he's going to say? What effect do you think it will have? I'm a little bit worried that it'll somehow turn people off.

Also, what are you having for an Obama Show snack?

post by: mudpuppie at: 14:23 | 49 comments

I'll catch it online afterwards, no doubt!

posted by ThePinkSuperhero 29 October | 14:32

I know over at statements, they were hoping for a reading of Goodnight, Moon.

posted by sperose 29 October | 14:35

I'll have to watch it online too, we ain't got no channel whut shows the O-Show in England.

I'll have a snack, though. Howsa 'bout cheese 'n' onion crisps? I haven't had junk food in weeks.

posted by Specklet 29 October | 14:35

I'm a little bit worried that it'll somehow turn people off.

Me too. It seems a bit weird and excessive. When the campaign called to ask for another donation last night, I told them "no, you seem to have plenty".

But, hell yeah, I'll be watching. And I trust the campaign knows what they're doing re potentially turning people off.

posted by danostuporstar 29 October | 14:38

It'll almost certainly be an expanded version of his "closing argument," heavily peppered with personal background stuff. And yeah, I'm watching.

posted by middleclasstool 29 October | 14:39

Well, it's preempting a World Series game. That might turn some people off. Then again, I can hardly imagine who's still undecided, and I suspect it's a vanishingly small and increasingly-mathematically-irrelevant group.

posted by box 29 October | 14:43

No, I don't think so. He's got our family's one vote.

posted by gaspode 29 October | 14:48

i'll have the check it online afterwards. i'll be in a tv-less zone during his primte time debut.

and he'll be on the daily show tonight (i believe).

posted by stynxno 29 October | 14:50

Oh right, the whole Obama show on primetime- I thought you meant Obama on the Daily Show, heh. Yea, I don't think I'll be watching the full 30 minute infomercial. I'm totally wiped out on politics. I'm ready to vote!!! I even have special "Vote" underwear to wear (my Mommy sent them to me, yaaay Mom).

posted by ThePinkSuperhero 29 October | 14:56

I'll be watching at my local watering hole with an extra dry martini. They don't have food at this bar so probably no snacks for me.

posted by special-k 29 October | 14:59

Someday when TPS runs for office and gives her speech on primetime tv, I promise to eat a giant bag of Doritos.

posted by special-k 29 October | 15:00

Anyone know where I can watch this (tv or internet) in the UK?

posted by triggerfinger 29 October | 15:01

No thanks, I gave at the voting booth.

posted by Atom Eyes 29 October | 15:04

Someday when TPS runs for office and gives her speech on primetime tv, I promise to eat a giant bag of Doritos.

Yaaaaaaay!!!!

posted by ThePinkSuperhero 29 October | 15:06

Box, it's delaying the game by 15 minutes. Oh, the humanity....

posted by theora55 29 October | 15:09

It's a makeup game anyway.

posted by middleclasstool 29 October | 15:13

We're watching, for sure. . .we are so addicted to all of this, we can't turn away.

Plus, the game is on at 5:30 our time, so no conflict unless it goes a lot of extra innings.

(jrossi4r, doncha wanna see ONE more game? I know you do.)

posted by danf 29 October | 15:14

I'll probably watch it but I'm not who it's aimed at.

posted by octothorpe 29 October | 15:25

I'll be watching. Though, personally, to prevent from turning off voters, I hope the Barack portion is only five minutes long ending with him saying "I don't want to waste your time with more pontificating, so here's one of the best television shows ever, aired without commercials." Then Seinfeld's "The Contest" plays for the remaining time.

My guess though is that it'll be a biography at the beginning, like the convention, ending with him laying out his plans. My guess is it'll be set up to come across like an early state of the union.

posted by drezdn 29 October | 15:29

OMG, OMG you said his name!

*swoons*

Are Oreos the wrong suggestion for snacks?

posted by Brandon Blatcher 29 October | 15:34

I'm thinking he'll follow the Perot model. Maybe a Powerpoint instead of paper charts. Maybe.

posted by box 29 October | 15:37

I've already voted. Like Box, my first thought was that it would be a little too Ross Perot, and come off as Rich Man Condescending. But anyway, I'll be folding laundry and watching "Seven Samurai" tonight.

posted by muddgirl 29 October | 15:51

(disclaimer: I don't think Obama is a Rich Man Condescending. Ross Perot definitely was, though)

posted by muddgirl 29 October | 15:59

I can't, but would it be too much to hope that 5 minutes of it be the camera hanging over his shoulder as he slowly flips through Where The Wild Things Are, camera zooming in and panning around? I think that's the only thing that can heal America at this point.

posted by cmonkey 29 October | 16:07

I believe if I got my wish from the "Dreamed Up Performances" thread (not that I'm dwelling on it at all) it would do a lot to heal America. I'm sure that, deep down, Barack understands that and will do the right thing this evening.

posted by Wolfdog 29 October | 16:17

Anyone know where I can watch this (tv or internet) in the UK?

I'm willing to bet it'll be on his own site. If not, msnbc does web simulcasts.

posted by kellydamnit 29 October | 16:22

I'm planning to leave work promptly, for a change, so I can get all hunkered down in front of the toob with something yummy to eat and a beer or 2.

posted by theora55 29 October | 16:40

Wolfdog, what's the the "Dreamed Up Performances" thread?

posted by theora55 29 October | 16:42

It's this.

posted by Wolfdog 29 October | 16:52

Considering that I watched his candidacy announcement and acceptance speech last night, I'll probably watch this. Malia Obama, on the other hand, will not be watching.

"And she says, 'You're going to be on all the TV?' She said, 'Are you going to interrupt my TV'...He said, 'No, we didn't buy time on Disney and Nick.' And she said, 'Oh, good.' And she got up and walked away."

I know over at statements, they were hoping for a reading of Goodnight, Moon.

Maybe he'll do it Wire-style. He's a fan.

posted by kirkaracha 29 October | 16:53

Maybe he'll do it Wire-style.

He'll say "I'm just a humble motherfucker with a big-ass dick?"

posted by middleclasstool 29 October | 16:58

Maybe he'll do it Wire-style.

He'll say "I'm just a humble motherfucker with a big-ass dick?"

Now, that I'd watch.

I'm torn. He's fun to watch, but I'm getting Obama'd out. OTOH, this is history, and everyone's going to be asking "where were you when..." and I'll have "well, with my knitting group at church. So I don't know.

posted by lysdexic 29 October | 17:01

He'll say "I'm just a humble motherfucker with a big-ass dick?"

Well, back in the 70's the National Lampoon posited the Big Wang Theory in presidential politics (the quote I remember is "Even Shirley Chisolm has a bigger bird than Jerry Ford").

I can never find any of the classic NL stuff online, sadly.

posted by danf 29 October | 17:12

Are Oreos the wrong suggestion for snacks?

Yes. Thank goodness you wrapped a self-conscious reality check around that racist crack. If you'd just said, "I'm having Oreos" you would have sounded like a real jackass.

posted by scarabic 29 October | 17:25

Will it be streaming online anywhere? If not, I'll have to go out. Again. But yeah, I want to watch it. I don't think I'll feel completely informed if I don't, and I'm in this for another full weekend of campaign activity during which I'm sure it'll come up.

posted by Miko 29 October | 17:32

Dunno. I saw his motorcade twice today though and yelled loudly at it. :)

posted by chewatadistance 29 October | 17:50

I can never find any of the classic NL stuff online, sadly

Oh, yes. I remember them well. Some nasty stuff in there, as I recall.

posted by DarkForest 29 October | 17:52

But there is content that I remember that I can't find. .the covers are priceless. . .esp 1/73.

posted by danf 29 October | 17:59

jrossi4r, doncha wanna see ONE more game? I know you do.

Nope! About 3 innings would do just fine. Honestly, I'd really like them to win at home. There is not one city in America that would freak out harder over a championship than Philly. We've been under Billy Penn's curse for far too long.

And I don't plan on watching the Obamamercial, but I can't wait to see him on The Daily Show.

posted by jrossi4r 29 October | 18:39

There is not one city in America that would freak out harder over a championship than Philly.

I think Milwaukee would freak out pretty hard if we won either a WS or a NBA championship. We haven't had either since '71(?), though we did get a contact high when Green Bay won the Super Bowl.

If only it were possible to get a city excited about the Calder Cup.

posted by drezdn 29 October | 18:58

Anyone know where I can watch this (tv or internet) in the UK?

Try here - they just started repeating it form the beginning.

posted by cillit bang 29 October | 19:33

Watched it, and didn't regret watching it or get bored during it.

posted by drezdn 29 October | 19:40

YouTube high-res version.

posted by eamondaly 29 October | 20:32

I was confused; didn't know what The Obama Show was. Thanks for the link, eamon.

posted by deborah 29 October | 21:23

I know it was total a marketing ploy, but it made me cry. I so love that man.

posted by mudpuppie 29 October | 21:33

I was in Sunrise for the live bits!

I had terrible seats. And the parking situation was terrible. And I found out my mum is voting yes on Amendment 2 because homosexuality is "unnatural" and she used to (back in Taiwan) be able to go around arm in arm with her girl friends and nobody would say anything, but if you do that today (in the U.S.) people will call you gay and then maybe you'll start thinking it's true and then you'll decide you really are gay and then you'll contribute to the decline of society.

But Biden was fantastic. And this section of fangirls screamed "we love you!" during a pause and Obama did the "Love you too!" thing again, and that was cute.

posted by casarkos 29 October | 21:48

I just finished watching the whole thing. *passes tissue box to mudpuppie*

posted by deborah 29 October | 21:50

PMS and elections really have no business being in the same room together. That's all I have to say.

posted by mudpuppie 29 October | 22:43

i'm afraid harping on the Obama lead in the polls might get the many Republicans who say they won't vote this time to vote. Spite is enough of motivator for people use to voting. Also, simply loading up buses at churches on Election Day (unless you're voting at a church) can be one heck of a zombie vote, under strict orders from the preacher. Then there's the fraud and tampering. Already people have been actively misinformation on where, when and if they can vote.
But there's a chance of a reverse Bradley effect in the places awash with McCain/Palin signs, except they won't bother if they think it's unnecessary.
Voter apathy is both the unstoppable force and the immovable object. Young new voters might make a difference this time, but there are at least as many people who might have voted some when younger who stopped bothering as there are those who will go to parties and hang out at rallies and never vote at all.

posted by ethylene 29 October | 23:09

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