Michelle Obama's Oscars Appearance Was Genius

Much to the consternation of conservatives, First Lady Michelle Obama appeared on the Oscars last night. This prompted much eye-rolling on the right:

Conservatives cringed across social media late Sunday night as the Academy Awards proved immune to avoiding perceived liberal messaging, with First Lady Michelle Obama announcing Argo as the year’s Best Picture winner.

“It is not enough that President Obama pops up at every sporting event in the nation,” Jennifer Rubin wrote on TheWashingtonPost.com. “Now the first lady feels entitled, with military personnel as props, to intrude on other forms of entertaining (this time for the benefit of the Hollywood glitterati who so lavishly paid for her husband’s election).”

Obama announced the winner via satellite from the White House flanked by active duty American service members.

The thing is, this was a brilliant maneuver by the Obama administration. As are President Obama’s annual pre-Super Bowl interviews. As are all of Obama’s “soft media” interviews on Jay Leno and in magazines like People.

While Republicans are busy mocking Obama for conduct unbecoming a President, for dodging “hard media” interviews and tougher questions, Obama is busy winning elections and advancing his agenda. And he’s doing it because he knows far more Americans watch the Oscars and the Super Bowl and Jay Leno than read political magazines, and watch political shows.

Obama is going where the people are. Conservatives shouldn’t mock them for that. Conservatives should figure out a way to emulate it.

When conservatives engage liberals on the battleground of public policy, conservatives win. But right now conservatives and liberals aren’t fighting on the same battle field. The left is reaching people, and the right is not.