In his latest act of cornball White House yuk-yuk, President Barack Obama performed an impersonation of his fictional House of Cards counterpart, Frank Underwood, ostensibly to mark April Fools’ Day, which was Wednesday.
The impression was delivered beneath a portrait of a visibly embarrassed Abraham Lincoln. It was published on Thursday.
“Hello everybody,” Obama said. “This is not Frank Underwood, this is Barack Obama. Happy April Fools’ Day. Frank learned it from me.”
The president, who addressed himself directly to the camera, in a manner reminiscent of one of the Netflix series’ frequent asides, can be heard to attempt Underwood’s South Carolina accent. The impersonation could not be said to be plausible, which, given Underwood’s penchant for ruthlessness extending to murder in service of boundless ambition, may be good. The Underwood character is played by the actor Kevin Spacey.
The video clip was spliced into the White House press office’s weekly propaganda reel of goings-on at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. From there it was disseminated to the general public. It was unclear whether anyone on Obama’s press team or in his family voiced reservations about the quality of the impression, or saw it at all.
The intensity of Obama’s distinctly dad humor has in the past palpably shamed his teenage daughters, who were widely noted for their steely resolve in remaining at his side during a litany of painful clangers at a November 2013 ceremony to pardon the turkeys Popcorn and Caramel.
The impression recalled a February incident in which Obama, once again left alone in the White House, indulged in some quality time with a selfie stick.
Judgments of the quality of the president’s impersonation ultimately must be measured against the best efforts of others at the pinnacle of American power, which may play to his favor. Did Hillary Clinton do Vladimir Putin any better? What about Bill Clinton doing Bono?
Please. This is how it’s done:
