Obama Declines To Dance For Ellen DeGeneres’ Show; Republic Still Standing

Updated with video: If you had money on Barack Obama becoming the first sitting president to dance on Ellen DeGeneres’ show when he taped his appearance today, we have bad news.

“I was watching some of the dance moves backstage,” Obama said when he finally walked onstage, at the Warner Bros lot this afternoon, referencing her audience warm-up entertainment. “You guys were doing pretty good.”

No dance, Obama decided. “They set the bar too high,” he said, according to the pool report.

“How do you feel now?” DeGeneres asked, recovering from our disappointment.

“Older,” POTUS said confidently, knowing no one could prove otherwise.

Which means, tragically, we will not see Part 2 of this when Obama’s appearance on the show airs tomorrow:

… and this might be all we’re going to get, Ellen and dance-wise, from Dems this election cycle:

and …

“This is the first time in 13 years I’ve been able to say this: The president of the United States is here,” DeGeneres had said happily, taking the stage before introducing Obama. “It’s obviously a big deal when president comes,” she said. ” It’s like what happens when Mariah Carey comes.”

Barack Obama la feb 11 2016
Barack Obama la feb 11 2016

DeGeneres joked about “Obamageddon” (thanks for the shout-out) and noted some non-fans of POTUS motorcade traffic jams having wondered whether a talk show should be able to snarl traffic (such critics clearly are new to the area).
“To those people I say: ‘Yes we can!'” ELlen beamed.

Obama insisted he feels “really energetic.”

“In some ways, the fear drops away. You know America is going to do well,” he said of the closing days of his time in the White House. As for the current White House race (Dem hopefuls Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders squared off tonight on PBS, with a simulcast on CNN) “I don’t miss it,” Obama said. “Running for president is hard. You’re under an incredible amount of scrutiny.”

His first few days in office were particularly rough, the president remembered, what with him having inherited an economy that was flatlining. You’re having to make big bets with incomplete information,” he said of that time.

POTUS also complained that politics these days often “demonizes” the other side, repeating one of the message of yesterday’s “I Miss You Guys” speech he delivered to the Illinois General Assembly.

DeGeneres asked on what topics does he disagree with the First Lady.

“After about 15 years, I figured out she’s always right,” Obama said, which is the correct answer. DeGeneres, however, complained about Michelle Obama “cheating” in a studio push-up contest when she visited the show; the producers rolled that tape.

Asked what he will miss most about being POTUS, “Air Force One is pretty nice,” he said. And free mani-pedis, if the pool report is to be believed. “I have pretty nice feet,” he said, according to the pool report, adding that he said he doesn’t have “carbuncles” on them.

Too much information.

“The bad part is you’re in a bubble,” Obama said of his past seven-plus years. “The thing I miss most, being president: just taking a walk on a nice day.”

Returning from commercial break, Ellen thanked Obama for what he’s done for the gay community:

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