The Obamas as Role Models and Inspirations

You can see me on tonight's edition of BBC London news chatting about how Barack and Michelle can serve as inspiration to young people. I'm there alongside Tim Campbell, an inspirational entrepreneur and former winner if the UK version of The Apprentice (nice guy). My bit starts about 20 minutes and 35 seconds in.

Again, that link is here.

I can't really stand watching myself - and I know if my Mom were watching she'd notice how desperately I am in need of makeup. Sorry Mom!

Me on the telly today...

Just to shamelessly self-promote, slightly – I’m doing lots of media appearances this week for Democrats Abroad while the President is in town.

Here's an outline of my schedule:

Tuesday, May 24


14:00PM - BBC World TV: a stand up interview near Buckingham Palace

14:15PM SKY news: (another) stand up interview near Buckingham Palace

6:30PM - BBC London News (TV) - Portland Place

Wednesday, May 25

7:00 - BBC World Service - radio interview outside Buckingham Palace

17:30 - BBC Five Live - interview from Millbank studios

Feel free to invent creative drinking games or suggest obscure words for me to insert into comments.

And, by the way - to all my newish blog readers: if you live in the UK and support the President, you should definitely join Democrats Abroad. We do great stuff here.

Sometimes I forget... I have fans!

So, apologies for the silence on this blog - I assure you that I have been very far from silent in real life over the past month and a bit. Just differently loud.

But at tonight's Democrats Abroad Speakeasy (first Wednesday of every month here in London - all are welcome!) I had to face down multiple complaints about the lack of posting on this blog.

Flattered that you care - thanks guys! I'm back on the blogging beat - and to make it up to you, I'll promise to post at least once a day for the rest of the month.

That's right! Obama London is giving a special offer - Every Day in May! For the bargain price of... nothing! Enjoy.

I'm never sure how much personal information to include on this blog, as it was never intended to be about me or my life, but you should know that in the past month I have:

• Been re-elected Vice Chair of Democrats Abroad UK (thank you all - I'm truly honoured to serve, and I really love this organisation)
• Gone with my husband on a much needed 2 week vacation - hiking in the Peak District and Snowdonia.
• Continued to learn the guitar (if you're really good someday I'll post video of my efforts at "The Times They Are A Changin").
• Planned some big and interesting digital campaigns for clients.
• AND - appeared yesterday on the BBC World Service to discuss the death of Osama Bin Laden and Obama's political situation.

On that last point, you can listen to me here - it was the Tuesday morning program (03/05/11), and my segment was about 46 minutes in.

I thought the first question that I was asked by the interviewer was laugh out loud ridiculous, basically: "So is Obama just going to change the subject to national security throughout the campaign?"

Ummm... so we should have NOT taken out Osama Bin Laden because... we don't want to change the subject from the economy?

As Obama said way back in the 2008 campaign, when John McCain wanted both candidates to SUSPEND THEIR CAMPAIGNS to DEAL WITH the economic CRISIS (scare caps sarcastic, please note)- "You know, Presidents have to be able to do more than one thing at a time."

 Keep doin what you're doing, Barack. Proud of you.

Karin Robinson: Media Hound

I was interviewed several times yesterday for various different radio broadcasts about the Massachusetts Senate result. Fortumately, the BBC lets you listen to broadcasts online for up to a week after they air, so here's me on, respectively:

• The BBC World Service's News Hour. My bit is 10 minutes inf. For this segment, they asked me to sit down and speak into a microphone for about a minute in the studio - no questions being asked just, "tell us about the election, and talk about what went wrong". Then the edited it together. They'd already interviewed the Republican before handhand - his position was as best I could tell, that Scott Brown won because we stopped torturing prisoners. Or something.
• The BBC World Service's World Update. My bit starts 30 minutes in. This was a 7 minute live segment with me opposite Republican Guy (Charlie Wolf, for the record...).
• BBC Radio Oxford Bill Heine's show. My bit should be about 55 minutes in. Did this one by telephone from my desk at the office.

Me, Media Darling

So the BBC News 24 piece today appeared a little after 5:15, with me, Margo and Daniel Rivkin (giving the general party perspective). As soon as we got off the set we were stopped by a producer from BBC World, which broadcasts globally, asking us to come back and do the same thing tonight at 9:00 PM. So basically, most of my Saturday consisted of travelling to BBC Television Centre, travelling to Islington (to meet my husband for dinner) and then travelling back again.

It was fun, though, and I felt I achieved my main goals which were 1) Not say anything completely stupid and 2) bring the discussion around to the importance of getting every American to vote in November.

Which reminds me, it's time for your regular nagging session: if you haven't already done so, go to www.votefromabroad.org. I shall be very put out with you if you are merely reading this and nodding your head without actually being prepared to vote. Already registered? Hurray for you! Now go find another American and register them. No rest for the righteous.

I'd be glad to answer any questions about the TV experience (yes, we got make up. Yes, we saw famous people - Andrew Lloyd Webber in the hallway for one. He's short.), just post them in comments.

More on the Rules and Bylaws Committee tomorrow, but it looks like we've got a reasonable compromise in the works in Florida, involving seating the full delegation at half votes. Michigan remains something of a pickle.

BBC News 24 Today at 4:30

I'll be on the BBC News 24 this afternoon discussing the state of the Democratic primary alongside Margo Miller from the Hillary campaign. If you happen to be near a television at that time, do tune in. If you like what you see, drop me a line and let's discuss it.

If I embarrass myself, let us never speak of this again. Cheers!

UPDATE: Now at 5.00 o'clock.