News analysis by Okee Sydney-Obiukwu, Editor-in-Chief
Before they came to the White House, a great deal of what we read about the conduct of blacks in America and worldwide, were troubling stories of banditry, poor intellectual achievement and lack of finesse. Today all that has changed thanks to one exemplary African couple-the Obamas.
The Obamas, as the first of the first families on earth, has carried themselves in such a dignified, enviable manner that, they have taken off the shine from once talk-of-the-town peers like the Clintons and Reagan’s; in fact, only comparable to the Kennedys, in terms of public appeal but certainly higher on moral score sheet.
One sphere of life where President Obama has sparkled the brightest, is in showcasing himself as a model father and confidant of his cute and well mannered daughters-Malia and Sasha.
Adorable Malia and Sasha, are 18 and 15 now, in their prime dating age. And guys actually do go out with them, Obama said. “That happened, you know?” he told a North Carolina radio station on Friday. “The truth is, I’m pretty relaxed about it for two reasons.
“One is [their mom] Michelle. She’s taught—she’s such a great example of how she carries herself, her self-esteem, not depending on boys to validate how you look or you know, not letting yourself be judged by anything other than your character and intelligence,” he said. “And hopefully I’ve been a good example in terms of how I’ve shown respect to my wife.
“So I don’t worry about it because they’re really solid, smart girls—young ladies now.” And anyway, Obama has a fail-safe: “The other reason is because they’ve had Secret Service. There’s only so much these guys can do,” the confident dad enthused.
When talking about possibilities for his post-presidency life, Obama, a former law professor, says he doesn’t have the temperament to be a Supreme Court justice but thinks he’d ‘suited’ to be commissioner of the NBA and would ‘absolutely’ love to own his own team.
As for wife Michelle, Obama said he wouldn’t be opposed to her having her own talk time show.
‘If that’s what she wants to do, I’m okay with her making a whole lot of money. There’s nothing wrong with that,’ he said.
The president also talked about the way he unwinds after a day of work, confirming that he has a virtual driving range in the White House that allows him to practice his game by hitting whiffle balls against a projector screen
He confessed that his ‘guilty pleasure’ TV show is the Golf Channel’s competition show The Big Break, but says he also enjoys the more high-brow Game of Thrones.
When asked which character he would match to Donald Trump on the show, Obama said: ‘I don’t think any of them rise to that level’.
But he admits that he would have enjoyed campaigning against the Republican real estate mogul.
As he ends his penultimate year in the White House, Obama confesses he’s going to miss Air Force One, which he calls ‘an amazing plane with an amazing crew’.
‘They clear out airspace so you don’t have to wait. And you land anytime, you leave anytime. But it may be Marine One, because even post presidency, I may be able to round up a private plane sometime, but it’s tough not to have your helicopter waiting for you.