The President's Priorities

Last Sunday, live, before the Super Bowl, Bill O'Reilly interviewed President Obama at the White House. The interview, in its entirety, won't be critiqued here, however, there was one thing said in the interview that raises a red flag for not just me, but for many of us. Below is the entire live interview and the transcript of the questioned response.

O'REILLY: OK. Worst part of this job? What's the worst, absolute worst part of being president of the United States?

OBAMA: Worst part of the job is, first of all, I've got a jacket on on Super Bowl Sunday.

O'REILLY: That's true.

OBAMA: If I wasn't president, that would not be happening.

O'REILLY: I have a tie. You don't have a tie.

OBAMA: The biggest problem for me is being in the bubble. It's very hard to escape. You know, you can't go to the corner...

O'REILLY: Everybody watching every move you make.

OBAMA: Every move you make. And you -- over time, you know, what happens is you feel like -- that you're not able to just have a spontaneous conversation with folks.

O'REILLY: Yes.

OBAMA: And that's a loss. That's a big loss.

After the pointless banter/filibustering, the president arrived at his response: "being in the bubble." As president, that's a gimme in today's age of 24/7 news coverage and knowing the consequences beforehand, he should have thought about that before running. And by the looks of one of his Five Guys runs, he enjoys it, so his outrage seems a little disingenuous.

Even more telling was that his response revolved around him, giving fuel to those who think he is a narcissist. This is a consistent pattern in his presidency and it is unfortunate, because the American Presidency is bigger than just one man (or woman). A successful leader, whether in or out of politics, gives credit to others for successes and works with others to come to solutions. If a leader forgets about those around him, he (or she) will eventually lose followers.

Instead of revolving around himself, President Obama would have better served himself had he focused on military decision-making, as those decisions can have a direct impact on the lives of those who volunteer to serve to protect and defend the United States.

As a result of this question and answer, Bill O'Reilly indirectly showed Americans the priorities of this president.