Okay, so this study break might not provide a real respite for IR/Poli Sci/Econ concentrators, but for the rest of us it’ll do just fine. It slipped by without much hubbub, but the 2012 White House Correspondents’ Dinner last Saturday was a slick affair. Sure, host Jimmy Kimmel can never live up to the standard set by Colbert’s scorching roast of Dubya back in 2006, but it doesn’t matter. Obama held his own for a solid 17 minutes, getting in some real zingers. And you know what? I actually believe that the guy knows who Young Jeezy is. Get on his level, Mittens W. Romneyton III.

A very different ode to St. Patrick’s Day. We love you, Mr. President.

Yea! for Occupy Joe Biden. The Herald is still upset we couldn’t get press passes.

Yea! for Governor Chafee’s appointment to Obama’s re-election campaign. With him and Eva Longoria, how can he lose?

Yea! for the news that Providence will host X Factor auditions this spring. Get your sing on.

 
It’s been a good week, Providence.

Who would have thought that Obama had this much soul? Reppin’ his old stomping grounds, it turns out that “Sweet Home Chicago” can turn into a pretty snazzy campaign moment. It should be fun to see how this one gets spun into an attack ad…

Don’t get too excited. Former Providence mayor Joseph Paolino, Jr. announced that the First Lady will be gracing the East Side of Providence this weekend. She will be at a fundraiser September 30 at Paolino’s home to raise money for her hubby’s reelection campaign. But don’t start picking out your business clothes just yet — breathing Mrs. Obama’s air will cost you a pretty penny. Tickets start at $1,000 and could go up to $30,500.

So you need to ask yourself: do you really want to spend a year’s tuition on a few hours with Mrs. O?

If today’s Brown-and-Waterman anti-gay marriage protest didn’t sate your appetite for dumb and offensive protests, why not stop by the Hitler-Obama booth on Thayer near Waterman? They also have pamphlets and look more eager to chat than the last group did.

Well, yesterday’s election was by most accounts a disappointing but expectedly so outcome for Obama and the Democrats as, for the third election in a row, the electorate favored the part out of power.

Look at him, signing stuff.... Olivier Douliery / Abaca Press

So, while this time-waster admittedly might have been more effective before the election, we nonetheless present What the fuck has Obama done so far?. He hasn’t found a cure for the common cold, but according to this site, he’s done a hell of a lot.

Leave it to Rhode Island. The smallest state made big headlines today after gubernatorial hopeful, Democrat Frank Caprio, told President Obama he could “shove it.” The president declined to endorse a candidate in the state’s race, currently dominated by frontrunners Caprio and independent candidate Lincoln Chafee. Caprio’s comment is now the remark being heard around the world, and you bet he’s standing by it.

The self-professed “Clinton Democrat” isn’t sweating it too much though — he has the former White House inhabitant making another stump trip to Rhode Island this weekend. The two go way back; the Providence Phoenix dubs Caprio’s professional admiration a “Clinton fixation.”

Caprio and Clinton have a private moment during Clinton's July visit to the Ocean State — Providence Journal photo

Clinton’s July visit to the Ocean State came just days before his daughter Chelsea’s summer wedding, so it’s possible the Rhody politicians were just angling for an invite to the elite, top secret event. With the nuptials behind him, his upcoming visit to Rhode Island, which Caprio dubs “Clinton Country,” is all business.

State Treasurer and Democratic gubernatorial candidate Frank Caprio told President Obama to “shove it” after hearing that Obama was coming to Rhode Island without an endorsement for him. The Associated Press notes that Obama might be staying out of the R.I. endorsement business because of key support in his 2008 election from independent Lincoln Chafee ’75 P’14, a former GOP senator. Caprio probably can’t be too happy either that a new Rasmussen poll shows Chafee up seven points, giving Nate Silver’s computer reason to change its mind and declare Chafee a light favorite. Or maybe the prez is still salty that hoops buddy and R.I. Attorney General Patrick Lynch ’87 is not on the ballot.

When candidate Obama was in Li'l Rhody in 2008, only half of the Democratic Party was against him. Rahul Keerthi / Herald File Photo

Original image courtesy of Marc Nozell

Obama wants you…
to get off your ass and vote in the midterm elections!

In a conference call with student journalists (that must have been fun for him), Obama asked young people to be engaged in the midterms (not the exams) and warned of potential policy reversals if young voters stay home. With many analysts predicting Democrats may be in trouble come November, the GQPOTUS has been traveling the country to rouse support for the party. Now he’s turning back to his bread and butter, the demographic that won him the election — us.

So do as your GQPOTUS says. Request your absentee ballots before it’s too late.

Of course all his promotion ignores the possibility you’ll vote for someone other than a Democrat…. But any engagement is good engagement, right?