Celebrity in chief

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  CELEBRITY IN CHIEF

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  AMAZON

   

  BARNES & NOBLE

   

  Routledge Publishers

   

• ABOUT

  It didn’t take long for Barack Obama to make his mark as the biggest political star to ever occupy the White House. Over the course of his two terms in office, Obama has injected the American presidency deeper into popular culture than any of his predecessors. He and his wife Michelle have become iconic figures, celebrities of the first order.

   

  This book, by award-winning White House correspondent and presidential historian Kenneth T. Walsh, discusses how the Obamas reached this point. More important, it takes a detailed and comprehensive look at the history of America’s presidents as “celebrities in chief” since the beginning of the Republic. Walsh makes the point that modern presidents need to be celebrities and build on their fame in order to propel their agendas and rally public support for themselves as national leaders so that they can get things done.

   

  Combining incisive historical analysis with a journalist’s eye for detail, this book looks back to such presidents as George Washington and Abraham Lincoln as the forerunners of contemporary celebrity presidents. It examines modern presidents including Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, Ronald Reagan, John F. Kennedy, Franklin Roosevelt, and Theodore Roosevelt, each of whom qualified as a celebrity in his own time and place. The book also looks at presidents who fell short in their star appeal, such as George W. Bush, George H. W. Bush, Richard Nixon, and Lyndon Johnson, and explains why their star power was lacking.

   

  Among the special features of the book are detailed profiles of the presidents and how they measured up or failed as celebrities; an historical analysis of America’s popular culture and how presidents have played a part in it, from sports and television to movies and the news media; the role of first ladies; and a portfolio of fascinating photos illustrating the intersection of the presidency with popular culture.

   

• Julian E. Zelizer

  “Ken Walsh brings his keen eye to one of the defining aspects of the modern presidency. In this entertaining and informative book, Walsh provides a fascinating look at the ways in which celebrity culture has shaped presidential politics in recent decades. The book is sure to contribute to debates about the future of the White House and the health of American democracy.”

   

  —Julian E. Zelizer, author of The Fierce Urgency of Now: Lyndon Johnson, Congress,

  and the Battle for the Great Society

• Washington Examiner

  The Washington Examiner's "Washington Secrets"

  Paul Bedard

   

  Obama sees self as national 'role model,' but Clintons will outshine his celebrity

  March 11, 2015

   

  A new book about presidents becoming celebrities reveals that President Obama believes himself to be a "role model" who can use his celebrity status to push his agenda, notably his switch to supporting same sex marriage.

  In Celebrity In Chief, by longtime U.S. News White House correspondent Kenneth T. Walsh, a key aide said that the White House believes that Obama's support for gay marriage and where he aired it will end up being the turning point on the issue.

  "His interview with TV reporter Robin Roberts about his evolution on gay marriage was likely instrumental in changing people's minds," wrote Walsh, who then quoted a top Obama aide: "Maybe 20 years from now it will be seen as a seminal moment."

  Walsh, who has personally covered every president since Ronald Reagan, said that Obama has an outsized image of himself. "Obama sees himself as a role model," writes Walsh, adding:  "He believes that it's helpful for him to talk about his unique background to educate the country about different issues, such as race and staying in school. So from time to time he will 'reveal himself' for a higher purpose."

  While Walsh dubbed Obama "the biggest superstar to ever occupy the White House," he suggested that the president could be lost in the dust if Hillary Clinton succeeds him.

  Well, her and Bubba. "Bill Clinton could overshadow her or at least compete with her for attention," Walsh warns. "The former president is a superstar in his own right, one of the best-known people in the world and one of the most popular Democrats in the country. If she runs, it would be the first time that a celebrity couple without peer has sought the White House."

   

  Paul Bedard, the Washington Examiner's "Washington Secrets" columnist

   

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