Obama promotes himself through other president biographies

I thought ATS members might get a kick out of this. On the official Presidents biography site, all the presidents from Calvin Coolidge on up (excluding Gerald Ford) have an Obama promotion at the end. It's in the "Did you Know" paragraph.
The talking points pretty much read like "this former president did something cool, but Obama is either keeping it cool or doing something cooler." It reminds me of a child trying to grab attention from another child.

For example:

Did you know?
President Lyndon Johnson signed Medicare signed into law in 1965—providing millions of elderly healthcare stability. President Obama’s historic health care reform law, the Affordable Care Act, strengthens Medicare, offers eligible seniors a range of preventive services with no cost-sharing, and provides discounts on drugs when in the coverage gap known as the “donut hole.”

Gerald Ford doesn't have anything (that I saw). I guess Obama hasn't done anything as cool as him.

Each biography claims it's copyright 2009, so these factoids could've been added at that time. However it is possible that they updated the site, but never changed the copyright if the copyright is text and not a date stamp.

I think all of this is silly. It seems like Obama (or his staff) are trying to make him a legend or make him seem like he is better than any 20th century president before him.
I believe that these factoids should've been placed on his own biography or on his own web page.
What do you think?
White House president biographies main page

Edit: Mods, I didn't mean to put this in the off topic category. Please move if it's supposed to be on topic.

How do you know that the presidents before Obama didn't have inserts
such as these?
You make it seem like Obama is on every page.
It makes sense to add info that is pertinent.


Also the example you used is pretty baised considering the controversy of his healthcare reform.

What about this one?

Did you know?

President Barack Obama awarded George H.W. Bush the 2010 Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor, for his commitment to service and ability to inspire volunteerism throughout the country, encouraging citizens to be “a thousand points of light.” The administration continues to promote service and civic engagement, honoring heroes of local communities as “Champions of Change” and fostering civic participation.

Not such a bad thing if you ask me.

reply to post by GmoS719


I don't know if any other president has done the same thing. Do you or anyone else know?
I have never looked at the bibliographies before until today, when a friend posted this on fb.

I used the medicare/healthcare one because everyone knows about it. I could've used the one where Calvin Coolidge made the first public radio address, but Obama made the first internet address. I could've chose the other ones too. Didn't feel like it. I didn't think anyone would get too angry about that.

You're right, Obama has done some great things and helped continue good programs, however I don't think it's appropriate to put a plug in for your presidency in a biography detailing past presidents achievements.

Keep in mind, the average citizen probably won't look at president bibliographies. More than likely college students, reporters, historians, teachers, and anyone else with an interest or need to find out presidential history will.
Do you feel it's appropriate for the current president to plug his administration while a someone (like a teacher) is trying to research about a past president? What purpose do you feel this will serve?

Wouldn't Obama's achievements be more appropriately placed on his own web site, on the main White House site (since he's the president) or on his own bibliography or is it okay for him to place himself in another man's history?

Originally posted by collietta
reply to post by GmoS719

I don't know if any other president has done the same thing. Do you or anyone else know?

I have no idea, but I doubt that it started with President Obama.

You're right, Obama has done some great things and helped continue good programs, however I don't think it's appropriate to put a plug in for your presidency in a biography detailing past presidents achievements.

How is it not appropriate? He IS the president. This is a site about presidents right? Seems right to me.

Do you feel it's appropriate for the current president to plug his administration while a someone (like a teacher) is trying to research about a past president? What purpose do you feel this will serve?

Like I said, the information "plugged" in the end is pertinent. And it gives a relation between the presidents of our past & our current president. You can't get MORE appropriate.

Wouldn't Obama's achievements be more appropriately placed on his own web site, on the main White House site (since he's the president) or on his own bibliography or is it okay for him to place himself in another man's history?

Obama's website IS WhiteHouse.gov.
You can try to spin it to make it seem like it's promotion. It's not. A campaign ad for Obama on ATS is promotion. Get it right.

reply to post by GmoS719


I see we see this two different ways.

Since you believe other presidents have done it before, can you tell me why this information has been tacked on to other histories, and not on his own bibliography and his own main page, at whitehouse.gov?

I would be more understanding if it was on his own biography, or whitehouse page, if the paragraph was about how Obama did such-and-such and adding in the history of that thing.

But this feels more like product placement. How does it feel to you?