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Music

Yeah Baby! Watch Barack Obama, Jimmy Fallon, and The Roots Sex Up International Politics

Prepare to be reluctantly aroused by the words: "Aww yeah, President Obama stimulated long term growth."
Emma Garland
London, GB

For some crazy reason (because it's full of old men shouting and thus frustrating to the point of aneurysm), people like to talk about the importance of making politics "sexy". Want to get young people involved with their local council? Make it sexy. Want to make sure everyone is aware of what a bad idea Brexit is so baby boomer's don't give us all one final triumphant shafting before they die? Rip off The 1975's aesthetic and sex that campaign right up.

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But, now that we're in our Nth year of attempting to make foreign policy buff, it becomes more and more apparent that nobody knows what the fuck they're doing except Barack Obama and Jimmy Fallon. To make politics sexy, all you need is someone talking about their accomplishments while The Roots play smooth jazz and Jimmy Fallon brings it home every now and again with something arousing like: "Aww yeah, President Obama stimulated long term growth in both the public and the private sector."

Ok, so, I guess it helps a bit that, of everyone in politics, Barack Obama is probably the most naturally flirty. Like, if they did this with Jeb Bush, a joke about him being blocked by congress and finding "a way in through the back door" would probably make you feel somehow violated. Instead, Barack Obama seduces you with lines about the Iran nuclear deal, diplomatic ties with Cuba, and being "down with TPP" before leaving you in the morning because "daddy's got a Hawaiian vacation booked". Yeah baby!

If anything, this skit is so sexy it's almost depressing. The fact that it works so well is a eulogy for the last eight years of American politics, fronted by someone who can out-lolz Jerry Seinfeld and doesn't cause you to live in fear that the whole world might explode at any moment.

Obama and Fallon also slow jammed the news together four years ago, in 2012, when everything was beautiful and the presidential election wasn't reduced to Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton beefing on Twitter. Watch the latest edition below:

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