Meacham: Obama 'In The Wrong Business, Doesn't Particularly Like People'

November 22nd, 2011 8:14 AM

When it comes to the MSM, it's hard to get more mainstream than Jon Meacham.  Former Newsweek editor. Current Random House editor.  Picked for a Pulitzer Prize.

So when someone of Meacham's genteelly liberal ilk unloads on Barack Obama in such stark terms, it's newsworthy.  On today's Morning Joe, Meacham flatly stated his belief that President Obama "doesn't particularly like people and politicians who don't like people are kind of in the wrong business."  Video and more after the jump.



2011-11-22MSNBCMJMeachamFord.JPGAs you'll see in the screengrab and video, Harold Ford, Jr. was so shocked that, laughing nervously, he literally launched out of his chair.  Watch Meacham make his remarkable statement.

 

WILLIE GEIST: Hey Jon, historically, do we romanticize the relationship presidents and Congress have?  We talk a lot about Reagan and Tip O'Neill and all these relationships.  Is President Obama's--let's call it a lack of relationship with Congress--is it exceptional? Is it worse than normal?

JON MEACHAM: It's a little worse than normal.  Because even though he was there, my sense is he doesn't particularly like people and politicians who don't like people are kinda in the wrong business."

HAROLD FORD, JR.:Kinda.

MEACHAM: Kinda. I really believe this. So, Reagan wanted to perform for people.  So you could bring him in, and he, it would be a small audience. George H.W. Bush: all of his life was one long reunion mixer. Bill Clinton, uh, loved people. So I think this is a personality distinction.