The White House Responds to Petition Demanding Obama Sit Down with Bill Maher

[tomm2thumbs]

Source: Mediaite

A few weeks ago, Bill Maher started a White House petition to get his fans to demand President Obama appear on his show while he’s still president. Maher argued that it’s a little odd Obama has ignored his requests for seven years when he has agreed to do pretty much every single other show in existence.

The threshold to get a White House response is 100,000 signatures. Maher’s petition got over 300,000.

Read more: http://www.mediaite.com/online/the-white-house-responds-to-petition-demanding-obama-sit-down-with-bill-maher/

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Here's the text:

Thanks to every one of you who signed the We the People petition asking the President to appear on Real Time with Bill Maher. With more than 320,000 signatures, Bill has once again demonstrated he knows how to inspire and motivate his viewers!

Plenty of us around here watch Real Time because we admire Bill’s passion for spreading the science on climate change, asking tough questions about money in politics, and trying to burst “the bubble” where some of our politicians — and too many of our nation’s critical political debates — exist.

The President’s communications team thinks strategically about scheduling presidential interviews, and we have made a concerted effort over the last couple of years to broaden the array of venues where the President appears — from talking to young people about health care on “Between Two Ferns” and a post-State of the Union conversation with YouTube stars, to a CNN Town Hall on gun violence and an interview with Mic.com on the Iran deal. Consistent with this approach, we’ll keep in mind Bill’s open invitation for a presidential appearance and give it the respectful consideration that Bill and his large audience deserve.

Thanks again for raising your voices (we know Bill always raises his). We hope you’ll continue to use the platform to call on the Administration to address the policies and priorities you care about.

— The We the People Team

P.S. Before we forget, happy belated 60th birthday, Bill! You haven’t lost a step, and the gray hair makes you look, dare we say it, presidential. We hope our card didn’t get lost in the mail.

[navarth]

1. 'We'll keep it in mind'

I guess that's better than an outright "No."

That would be really something. I wonder how real Bill would be allowed to keep it. Would he spark up like he did last show and pass it? SO many possibilities.

[L. Coyote]

13. "We hope our card didn’t get lost in the mail." LOL.

That's one piece of mail that will never be found!

[SCantiGOP]

32. Great response, wasn't it

I know it was a team of writers that put this together, but I don't think W, or any of the asshats on the current GOP stage, would allow this type of humor to come out of their administration. Especially concerning a pot-smoking atheist like Maher.

[navarth]

39. Oh yeah, I think that's absolutely right. nt

[Cosmocat]

34. Its reached a point

where I would hope he does him the honor of being his last public appearance as POTUS.

[L. Coyote]

49. Obama should do a walk on, say "Hi, belated Happy Birthday Bill," and split.

[passiveporcupine]

51. That would be cool

I don't think he can legitimately be on a program where profanity and nasty jokes are on display so openly...it wouldn't be a good fit for influencing youth in America. What other adult show that uses such open profanity has he been on?

I love the Bill Maher show, but Bill...you are smart enough to know this won't happen.

[Stellar]

2. Cool! nt

[Archae]

3. If Obama is smart, he'll never appear on "Real Time."

Because Maher is a total asshole.

[cpwm17]

20. Yep: and I think President Obama is smart. n/t

[Bohemianwriter]

22. There was no complaints...

when Maher gave 1 million to the Obama campaign, was it?

Obama has probably met all the other of his major donors, why shouldn't he meet with one of the largest ones?

[Tempest]

29. You're crazy

There's no legal way Maher could give $1 million to the Obama campaign.

That's a blatant violation of campaign funding limits.

[Bohemianwriter]

33. Maher donated to his super PAC.

The difference in this campaign is that Bernie doesn't have any super PACs.

If he did, I am sure Maher would have donated to Bernie as well....

[milestogo]

37. A misogynistic, racist, narcissistic asshole.

[Smarmie Doofus]

4. I'm getting old. Is that a Yes or a No? nt

[LiberalElite]

9. I think it means "they'll look into it" nt

[Smarmie Doofus]

10. Thanks. So THAT'S where she gets it from. nt

[LiberalElite]

11. Yep. They get it from each other nt

[gregcrawford]

42. A definitive "maybe?"

[Smarmie Doofus]

46. Sounds better than, "Obama to Maher: DROP DEAD"

I really don't get why he won't just go on. He ( Obama) is not running for anything and Maher has been... well.... I'd say more supportive over the last 8 years than not.

Of course, he's ( Maher) not going to kiss ass.

[TeamPooka]

48. That's a "no." That's how we say it in Hollywood. nt

[Funtatlaguy]

5. Sure do hope this happens.

Maher has been a big supporter of this administration.
He deserves this interview just as much as other political shows and I think he would be very respectful of the Preident.

[Cosmocat]

35. I think it is has reached a point

where he should give Bill the honor of doing the last interview his does as POTUS.

[ejbr]

36. I would imagine

the respect angle is the concern. Is Bill so irreverent that he would use an expletive? And some of his humor is profane. I love expletives and profane humor, but the president's handlers....

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

6. I have to say the White House Petition site has really turned out to be a bust.

Instead of being a place where voters can go and say, 'Hey, we really care about X, would you do something about it?' and actually getting some substantive response, it's basically a place where people can go and waste time, because the WH isn't going to do anything more than write a happy little 'No, now bugger off.'

If anything, it seems designed to actually cut down on actual mail or email going to the President, by sidetracking people into thinking if they go there instead, they might get some sort of action.

[GummyBearz]

27. I agree

I thought the idea was amazing at first. If you get enough people to sign a petition, the president himself will actually read it and do something about it... awesome! The legalize marijuana petition was where I figured out these things weren't even being taken seriously at all. Now, what was a great idea for having the peoples voices heard, is just a play ground for kids on the internet to ask for a 'death star' to be built...

[Blue_Tires]

53. Well, to be fair there have been a lot of joke/bullshit petitions

And the only party which benefits from this is Maher... This isn't going to change anything for the greater good...

[tomm2thumbs]

7. Hope they can work out something

Hope!

[santafe52]

8. He'll appear

but not until the waning weeks of his administration.

Maher is a little controversial with his atheism and profanity, etc.-----just a couple of the things that make me love him!

The Republicans will howl in disgust when Barack does Maher's show. Can't wait!

[longship]

16. Then, there's his lunatic anti-vaccination position.

Which erodes all of his putative good works.

[Paladin]

26. Do you love Maher's repeated anti-Muslim diatribes?

Maher is unworthy of Obama's attention.

[elljay]

41. Anti- Islam not Anti-Muslim

He is anti all religions and has made the point that Islam has more than its share of discriminatory rules that should not be condoned by progressives (including discrimination against non-Muslims, second class status of women, forced conversion and persecution of certain faiths). I am not aware of Bill being opposed to Muslim people, just the beliefs that many hold.

[Paladin]

44. That distinction is lost on way too many in this country.

I hung with Maher for a while, until I realized that his anti-Muslim/Islam rants were becoming a regular fixture of his show. If Maher wants to use Dennis Miller as a role model and devolve into a right-wing talking head, that's his right. That doesn't mean I have to watch him, and I don't think he merits a presidential visit, either.

[Funtatlaguy]

40. I agree.

After the election..late Nivember or early December.

[SCVDem]

12. Bill handles his opening interviews

with much respect. He just asks different questions than most.

The President knows damn well that marijuana will be a topic and doesn't want to damage his endorsement value before the election.

Look for him after November.

I signed this petition.

[valerief]

14. Was that a pleasant fuck off?

[Bluenorthwest]

15. If I was Barack Obama....I'd want to do Real Time the week after I left office.

Maybe during my last week in office. That's what I'd want to do.

[valerief]

18. Why the week after? nt

[hollowdweller]

17. They hate him because he's pals with Dr West.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

19. When the response team saying that the president schedules these events strategically, I read

that to mean that he knows how his appearances on TV events may come across to voters.

In an election year as important as this one, it may be important for him not to go on a show like Maher's until after the election, or at the very least, until our nominee and the Rethug nominee has been decided.

Strategically it's smart on the president's part---as per usual.

[William Seger]

52. I think he should go on any shows he can any time after the conventions

... to lay out the real issues and do a GOTV pitch.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

57. That's a good idea. Turnout among Democrats is drastically low. That's very disturbing.

He's going to have to get out there and do some work.

[iandhr]

21. Maybe this means he will do it after the election and he will appear as a surprise guest.

[haydukelives]

23. um, I think that is a no.

[Plucketeer]

24. Right after the elections in November. NT

[Babel_17]

25. In defense of the administration, the decorum of Bill's show raises questions

In defense of the administration, the decorum of Bill's show raises questions as to how appropriate a venue it is for POTUS.

His staff could ask for guarantees, but isn't that censoring the press? Bill can have his kind of show, or he can have the kind of show where decorum is implicitly guaranteed.

Colbert built a reputation for not crossing a certain line with his more serious guests, and he was also bound by Comedy Central standards regarding language.

I haven't watched much of Maher in the last few years, but IIRC he likes to push the envelope. Our President has no special need to reach Maher's audience, it's not unique, and Maher, while talented, doesn't have a venue that provides the President with a special way of addressing the issues, or the public.

It would be titillating and refreshing to see President Obama have a venue to tear into his opponents, Maher would certainly provide the needed questions, but I'm not really seeing much political utility in going that route.

If President Obama was in a stalemate with congress, and critical negotiations were in a logjam, then maybe. But he's not, and he has instead to consider that his administration needs to promote its legacy, and not needlessly stir up animosity with Congress for the sake of some laughs.

[valerief]

28. Decorum? Either Maher would have the President as the first guest or if

the President agreed, the whole hour would be devoted to him. He wouldn't be part of the panel, trying to talk over the screeching Republicans.

[Babel_17]

31. But would Maher willingly try to censor himself? Would he succeed at it?

He blurts out some over the top stuff. And that's fine for his show, but not for President Obama.

At what point does it come down to it being mostly about just doing Bill Maher a huge favor?

What makes his show worthwhile isn't really his skill at doing interviews. His cutting away the BS attitude helps his show, but presumably he couldn't do that with Obama.

So what's the point of it for President Obama? He'll have introduced the troubling issue of an interviewer having to swear pledges beforehand, to go out and do an interview on a channel most Americans can't even afford these days.

Do CBS, ABC, and NBC, not have excellent interviewers, and questions to ask? I don't see much to gain with a Maher interview, and a real chance for it going down as an embarrassment.

[valerief]

58. Maher would be far more gracious than any Republican in Congress.

I know, I know, that's not saying much.

[still_one]

30. Well if Maher had "Doctor goat milk cures aids" on his show, I don't know why President Obama

wouldn't jump at the chance:

http://www.salon.com/2016/02/03/bill_maher_gets_cozy_with_the_goat_milk_cures_hiv_quack_if_truth_is_dead_and_the_internet_killed_it_maher_is_part_of_the_problem/


Maher believes he is more important than he is

[Fast Walker 52]

38. he's had plenty of elite, serious people on too-- every week basically

and Bill's point is that Obama has gone on lesser and sillier venues. So it seems like there is some specific reason like Obama is avoiding him.

[Starry Messenger]

43. Maher is a bigot.

Glad the President has never gone on his show.

[Smarmie Doofus]

47. Examples abound.

Or DO they?

[bonniebgood]

45. This is why some including me don't consider The President to be progressive. The President

has proven that He would not appear on a progressive show, rachael, ed, OR thom for a million BUCKS. They take the progressive votes for granted but shows up at fox and bill o'really for those votes?

[closeupready]

50. Yawn - Bill Maher.

[LiberalLovinLug]

54. Since Jon Stewart left..

Bill Maher is the only comic left with the kind of bite I crave when eviscerating Republicans... even when they are sitting there on the panel! He is nasty but funny as hell. I do kind of understand why any sitting President would shun the show though. Because Bill will at times throw out an off-color joke, or say one of those uncomfortable truths that nobody else will....and immediately the camera focuses in on the panel to get reactions of those that just cannot help laughing. In a way they are now seen as can't-help-myself-but-laugh and so by extension are endorsing the crude joke Bill just made.

He'll also ask direct questions and make politicians look like fools when they side-step. I can only imagine when Bill would get into marijuana law enforcement. How it is still a schedule 1 drug, and then bring up how Obama himself smoked dope once etc..

I do not agree on his over-the-top anti-Muslim rants though. He seems to be close to Trump in his positions on this. But these kinds of ad hock positions only make me like the guy more because it shows he is honest about his opinions even if they don't always jive with his liberal audience.

I would welcome, even if too late, watching President Obama have to deal with someone who would actually not respect the kind of political security blanket he would be assured of on the main entertainment talk shows.

[brett_jv]

59. The word you're looking for is 'jibe', not 'jive' ...

Sorry to be the grammar police, but I loved everything else you had to say & whole-heartedly agreed ...

... then you hit on my pet peeve and said 'jive' instead of 'jibe' ... so I had no alternative but to mention it

[hoosierspud]

55. WTF!

Obama appeared on Maron's podcast. The usually profane Maron was very respectful in light of interviewing a president in his garage. I think Obama should go on Real Time.

[Lodestar]

56. Oh....has hell frozen over? What with global warming and all......