As President Barack Obama made his way to the podium, you could hear Anna Kendrick’s voice singing sweetly over some light applause, “You’re gonna miss me by my walk, you’re gonna miss me by my talk. Oh. You’re gonna miss me when I’m gone.” The song trailed off as the crowd began to chuckle, unsure if the music was intentional.
“You can’t say it…but you know it’s true,” quipped President Barack Obama as he addressed the crowd at what would be his final 2016 White House Correspondents’ Dinner. Oh, it was intentional. He followed his first joke up quickly after saying what an honor it was to be at the event and that it was his last correspondents dinner and joked, “and perhaps the last correspondents dinner.” Given the temperature of the current political circus, the crowd erupted in laughter. He then complimented the crowd of their dress and joked, “The end of the Republic has never looked better.” President Obama was on a roll. He captivated the audience for 30+ minutes, hitting every joke and addressing a number of topics, while maintaining his laidback composure. A play-by-play recap of the event certainly would not do him any justice…so I’ll recommend you watch it when you have time. The President closed with a literal mic drop saying, “Obama out.” As a known basketball fan, it was clearly a nod to Kobe Bryant’s mic drop after his final game in early April. With only a few months left in his second term, his approval rating continues to rise as people are beginning to understand the gravity of what lies ahead for us as a nation.
Her majesty, First Lady Michelle Obama looked like royalty in a crystal embellished champagne Givenchy gown as she gave assuring nods to her husband while he won over the audience. There is no question in my mind that her calculated fashion choices have raised the bar in Washington, specifically at these correspondant dinners. The press corps and invited Hollywood guests stretched the black tie dress code to elegant and I’m all for it. Not to take anything away from President Obama’s phenomenally funny set and his expert comedic timing, with no props or words First Lady Michelle Obama drops mics all the time…