NBC’s Roker Asks Obama’s Sister if President Still Has Hope
In an interview with President Obama's half-sister Maya Soetoro-Ng on Tuesday's NBC Today, weatherman Al Roker wondered: “When you look back on the President's campaign of hope do you see that – is it still that same message or has it had to change, do you think?” Soetoro-Ng replied: “I think that the message is absolutely the same. The President is still hopeful.” Soetoro-Ng was on the show to promote her children's book, 'Ladder to the Moon,' a story about the influence her and Obama's mother, Stanley Ann Dunham, had on their lives. When Roker asked about that influence, Soetoro-Ng declared: “She [Dunham] emphasized the themes that are present in the book – namely that we are interconnected, that we therefore need to take care of one another, empathize with one another, find ways to serve and help one another. And I think that those themes are very much evidenced in this presidency and in all of my brother's efforts as well.” Roker later followed up: “Do you see her influences in the President's policies at this point?” Soetoro-Ng asserted: “Most assuredly. There's a balance between negotiation and action and in everything that he does to reach out, in spite of enormous challenges to keep working with people across the aisle. I think I see her every day.” As part of her response to Roker's question about Obama's “hope” message, Soetoro-Ng further argued: “There are wonderful and powerful things happening in every corner of this country and we've managed to make, I think, tremendous progress in so many ways. And I think that the hopefulness includes a touch of, you know, pragmatism, sort of hard work and service.” Near the end of the interview, Roker worried that despite Obama's announced 2012 re-election bid, “people like Oprah haven't said they're going to endorse him again.” He asked Soetoro-Ng to offer some words of encouragement to potential Obama supporters: “If people are on the fence, what do you say to them about 2012?” Soetoro-Ng proclaimed: “I say let's take a really careful look at the fact that we have had a really challenging time in recent years and that given that, my brother has been an extraordinary president. And I'm so tremendously proud of him. And he's going to be an extraordinary president for six more years.” Here is a full transcript of the April 12 segment: 9:15AM ET AL ROKER: President Obama once described his mother as 'very grounded with a certain recklessness.' Her approach to life, no doubt a formative influence. President Obama's half sister, Maya Soetoro-Ng, grew up with the man who would become president and remains close to the First Family. Well, she's now written a children's book dedicated to their mom, called 'Ladder to the Moon.' Maya, good morning.
Posted by
on April 12, 2011. Filed under News.
You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0.
You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.
NBC’s Roker Asks Obama’s Sister if President Still Has Hope
In an interview with President Obama's half-sister Maya Soetoro-Ng on Tuesday's NBC Today, weatherman Al Roker wondered: “When you look back on the President's campaign of hope do you see that – is it still that same message or has it had to change, do you think?” Soetoro-Ng replied: “I think that the message is absolutely the same. The President is still hopeful.” Soetoro-Ng was on the show to promote her children's book, 'Ladder to the Moon,' a story about the influence her and Obama's mother, Stanley Ann Dunham, had on their lives. When Roker asked about that influence, Soetoro-Ng declared: “She [Dunham] emphasized the themes that are present in the book – namely that we are interconnected, that we therefore need to take care of one another, empathize with one another, find ways to serve and help one another. And I think that those themes are very much evidenced in this presidency and in all of my brother's efforts as well.” Roker later followed up: “Do you see her influences in the President's policies at this point?” Soetoro-Ng asserted: “Most assuredly. There's a balance between negotiation and action and in everything that he does to reach out, in spite of enormous challenges to keep working with people across the aisle. I think I see her every day.” As part of her response to Roker's question about Obama's “hope” message, Soetoro-Ng further argued: “There are wonderful and powerful things happening in every corner of this country and we've managed to make, I think, tremendous progress in so many ways. And I think that the hopefulness includes a touch of, you know, pragmatism, sort of hard work and service.” Near the end of the interview, Roker worried that despite Obama's announced 2012 re-election bid, “people like Oprah haven't said they're going to endorse him again.” He asked Soetoro-Ng to offer some words of encouragement to potential Obama supporters: “If people are on the fence, what do you say to them about 2012?” Soetoro-Ng proclaimed: “I say let's take a really careful look at the fact that we have had a really challenging time in recent years and that given that, my brother has been an extraordinary president. And I'm so tremendously proud of him. And he's going to be an extraordinary president for six more years.” Here is a full transcript of the April 12 segment: 9:15AM ET AL ROKER: President Obama once described his mother as 'very grounded with a certain recklessness.' Her approach to life, no doubt a formative influence. President Obama's half sister, Maya Soetoro-Ng, grew up with the man who would become president and remains close to the First Family. Well, she's now written a children's book dedicated to their mom, called 'Ladder to the Moon.' Maya, good morning.
