WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The White House press room, crammed with journalists and short on desks, got a rare visit from a very newsworthy guest on Thursday -- President Barack Obama.
The president, who moved into the executive mansion after his inauguration on Tuesday, sauntered down to the reporters' quarters to say hello and comment on Press Secretary Robert Gibbs' first performance at the White House podium earlier in the day.
"I'm very proud of him," Obama said. "He got a fist bump from me."
The Chicago Tribune reports on this subject and changing culture within the White House with the heading:
Obama's ways cool to some, new to others
"Black culture has become part of American culture for black and white youths, and culture is the foundation for the formation of identity," Byrd said. "In their eyes, Obama is a real cool guy, like Will Smith. He's like the hip black friend you have, so it was never a stretch for them to visualize him as president." They say that our Political leaders are a reflection of our culture and I believe this to be true. Obama is a reflection of the younger generation, because if you have not been to a mall or department store lately you can see how Black culture has become apart of the American Fabric. In fact the highest paid Sports stars and entertainers are all black: Tiger Woods, Will Smith, Oprah Winfrey. Whether you like it or not, in the next four years the White House will change both culturally and ideologically.Younger generation gets gestures; older voters try to relate
The story is very interesting talking about the Hip-Hop culture and Obama's ease at crossing cultural lines.
For some older Americans, Obama's ease and embrace of black culture might take some getting used to. After all, it's safe to say that no president in history could have moved as smoothly as Obama did on Inauguration Day between contrasting environments. Hours after taking the oath of office in a solemn ceremony on the steps of the Capitol, the president was busting a move at the Youth Ball and slow dancing as Beyonce sang at the Neighborhood Ball. In between, he managed to perfect the traditional presidential waltz with the first lady at more stately affairs such as the Commander in Chief Ball.
His ease on the dance floor prompted an observation from actorJamie Foxx. "You could tell that's a black president by the way he was moving!" Foxx cracked to the media.
There is no doubt, observers said, that the president—the son of a white woman from Kansas and black man from Kenya—is at ease with the vernacular and cultural mannerisms commonly associated with African-Americans. Obama, a Harvard-educated lawyer, is as comfortable conversing with hip-hop artists as addressing the world as the American president.
Recently during a visit to Ben's Chili Bowl in Washington, Obama paid his bill and answered "We straight" when the waitress asked if he wanted change back. And in introducing First Lady Michelle Obama at several balls, he referred to her as "the one who brung me."
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