In this clever video mash-up, see how Obama’s appearance on “Between Two Ferns” with Zach Galifianakis might have gone if Bill O’Reilly had been in Zach’s place…But don’t go anywhere. Things are still happening in this story!
We knew Bill O’Reilly and the Fox Friends would have their knickers bunched over President Obama’s knock-out, viral video appearance on “Between Two Ferns” with Zach Galifianakis. It was entertaining and just what was needed to make younger people aware of the Affordable Care Act. It would seem to have been a rousing success, but according to Bill O’Reilly, the author of “Killing Lincoln” and recognized Fox scholar on all things Lincoln, it was a disgrace. O’Reilly claimed that President Abraham Lincoln would never have appeared on “Between Two Ferns” with Zach Galifianakis, as Obama did earlier this month.
That is why the following interview in which Obama answers the accusation from O’Reilly is so very delightful. Appearing on ESPN’s “The Herd” with Colin Cowherd, Obama responded to O’Reilly’s contention that President Lincoln would not have lowered himself to appear on a comedic forum such as Funny or Die’s “Between Two Ferns” with Zach Galifianakis. It seems that Papa Bear O’Reilly isn’t the Lincoln expert he claims to be.
“Well, first of all, if you read back on Lincoln, he loved telling the occasional bawdy joke and you know being out among regular folks,” Obama told Cowherd. ”And one of the hardest things about being president is being in this bubble that is artificial and unless you make a conscious effort, you start sounding like some Washington stiff.”
“And so you’ve got to consciously try to get out of that if you want to remind yourself of the wonderful people that you ‘re supposed to be serving who have a sense of humor and aren’t thinking every day about position papers,” he continued.
Last week O’Reilly took Obama to task in his Talking Points Memo for appearing on “Funny or Die.”
“I don’t really have a problem with it in general, but I think the timing hurts Mr. Obama. The economy continues to be problematic and Putin is clearly testing the president. It looks like Putin believes the president is a lightweight. Will a comedy video counter that?” he asked.
“I’m all for PR and if Carney wanted to go on ‘Funny or Die,’ fine, but should the president of the United States? All I can tell is you is Abe Lincoln would not have done it. There comes a point when serious times call for serious action,” O’Reilly said.
Obama added in the ESPN interview that he makes such appearances to encourage more people to sign up for Obamacare.