Great, now who’s going to play Obama?

Hunter Schwarz
5 min readAug 9, 2016

What The White House is Talking About:

Nothing.

What the White House Press Corps is Talking About:

Which NBA star Barack Obama might golf with today.

Stephen Curry, Revenge?:

Yesterday on Martha’s Vineyard, the president played with NBA star Steph Curry — it was a rematch after Obama beat Curry last year. Curry said on Jimmy Kimmel last year after their game that Obama likes to talk trash while playing. “He tries to get in your head and take your mind off your swing,” Curry revealed to Kimmel. Sounds about right. No word on who won yesterday’s five-hour game, Obama’s 301st round of golf while President.

Dress Like the First Lady:

I was on vacation, so I’m a little behind on my Michelle Obama dressing tips, but I couldn’t help but notice she was wearing some sweet Fendi sandals the other day when she left for Martha’s Vineyard. They’re $900 at Neiman Marcus, btw.

Getty Images: Pool

Vogue said Obama’s dress is Tory Burch, but I can’t find it. Email me if you can: kate@ijr.com.

Great, Now Who’s Going to Play Obama?:

Saturday Night Live confirmed Jay Pharoah isn’t coming back to the show next year. I personally didn’t think he was all that funny, but he did do a solid Obama. His what-are-you-kidding-me? face was damn near perfect.

The Only Man Who Can Get Away with Spandex at the White House:

Avid bicyclist — and Obama chief of staff — Denis McDonough told Bicycling.com it feels “big time” weird to go to work wearing bike shorts. But, he does it. McDonough jogs to work most days, though sometimes he rides his bike. Also, what’s that photo? The two shirts? The taped knee? The bike itself? What’s happening?

How Amazing Was Maegan?!:

Guys, big round of applause for Maegan Vazquez for filling in here while I was away. Please follow her on Twitter @maeganvaz and read all of her stuff on IJR.com. I, meanwhile, was getting way too much sun off the coast of Georgia, where I saw 7 Trump signs in yards, but zero Clinton. I did a lot of horseback riding on the beach and my riding partner told me she is voting for Trump and her husband, a police officer in Brunswick, Georgia, is as well. She said she doesn’t like him, but she really doesn’t like Clinton, so she’s pretty America. Also, thanks to @mywritingrealm for answering my Twitter query: a Cat Head biscuit is just a giant biscuit the size of a cat’s head. Phew, because I ate like 5 of them.

Is It Me…:

I can’t look at Evan McMullin and not see the character “Megamind” from the 2010 DreamWorks movie. I’m sorry.

What The Beltway is Talking About:

The letter from 50 national security officials.

What America is Talking About:

All those welts on Olympians’ backs. Also, Michael Phelps’ face last night:

Nat Sec Repubs Who Aren’t Voting Trump:

The letter, signed by 50 former national security officials who served under Republican presidents dating back to Nixon, stated “none of us will vote for Donald Trump” because he is “not qualified,” lacks “basic knowledge about and belief in the U.S. Constitution,” and would be “the most reckless president in American history.”

Among those who signed are two former secretaries of the Department of Homeland of Security, Tom Ridge and Michael Chertoff, and former CIA and NSA director Michael Hayden.

In a statement, Trump called the letter “politically motivated” and the officials who signed it members of the “failed Washington elite looking to hold onto their power.”

Orlando Shooter’s Father at Clinton Rally:

Seddique Mateen, the father of the Orlando shooter, was behind Clinton at herMonday rally in Kissimmee.

Mateen told the WPTV he had “been cooperating with the federal government,” he loves the United States, and he wishes his son had “joined the Army and fought ISIS.” He said Clinton would be “good for the United States,” while Trump has “no solutions.”

McMullinmentum:

In Utah, 38% of likely voters said they plan to vote for someone other than Clinton or Trump, so it’s just the kind of place Evan McMullin would want to campaign in. I spoke with conservatives and political observers there yesterday, and no one knew who he was, but as conservative activist Gayle Ruzicka told me, “Right now, it sounds like the best thing we have going.”

As both Utah Lt. Gov. Spencer Cox and a source close to Romney told me, they are each unfamiliar with McMullin but look forward to hearing what he has to say.

But Jason Perry, director of the University of Utah’s Hinckley Institute of Politics, called McMullin “without question a long shot.” “To mount a campaign, you need a name,” he said. “There’s almost no time.”

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Hunter Schwarz

National political reporter, Independent Journal Review. Co-author of The Political Edit.