These days, politics requires comedic timing

by Julie Hinds

Cue the fist bump. Prepare the post-Camelot pearls and sleeveless dress. Michelle Obama is ready for her close-up.

The wife of the Democratic presidential candidate will be a guest host on "The View" on Wednesday, a chore her GOP counterpart, Cindy McCain, tackled in April.

Obama, who's bound to address the recent buzz that she's become a Republican target, is a natural for television. Her on-air style has a relaxed confidence. Her candor keeps things interesting. It's easy to imagine her having her own syndicated daytime program or anchoring the fourth hour of "Today."

But that's a basic requirement for any future White House resident, isn't it? Obama's stint on "The View" is another example of how blurred the boundaries have become between entertainment and politics in current presidential campaigning.

Under the old rules, candidates had to be willing to sit down with the likes of Leno or Letterman in order to seem like good sports and reach a wider audience. That basically meant being able to do 10 minutes of late-night banter without putting viewers to sleep.

The new rules are much more demanding. Now, in the quest to reach the Oval Office, candidates - and their spouses - must combine the skills of a Jon Stewart and a John F. Kennedy. Voters aren't just looking for a leader. They also want someone who can double as Talk-Show-Host-In-Chief.

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