From Telegraph.co.uk:

During the unprecedented appearance he was hoping to appeal to so-called “soccer moms” who are being heavily courted by the Republican and answered questions on family life and even the misfortunes of the actress Lindsay Lohan.

Critics have accused Mr Obama of demeaning the office of President by appearing on the sofa of ABC’s “The View” alongside the veteran interviewer, Barbara Walters, and Whoopi Goldberg

During the programme, the US President recalled a family game he plays called “roses and thorns” where the Obamas recount something good and something bad that happened during the day. He was then asked for the high and low points of his previous month.

He recounted a recent weekend holiday he took in Maine with his wife, Michelle and two daughters. “The girls are getting old enough now where they’re not quite teenagers yet, so they still like you. They are full of opinions and ideas and observations and it’s just a great age,” he said.

When it came to picking a “thorny” low point, “Where do I begin?” he joked.

“Obviously the country has gone through a tough stretch. Since I took office when I was sworn in the last 20 months have been a non-stop effort to restart the economy, to stabilise the financial system, to make sure we are creating jobs and not losing them,” Mr Obama said.

However, he added: “As much as you’ve been saying it’s tough for me, the truth is, it’s not tough for me.” The president joked that he decided to appear on the programme because it was one of the few shows watched by his wife.

He faced a series of questions about celebrities to gauge how in touch he is with everyday American life. He admitted knowing that Lindsay Lohan, the actress, was in prison and dodged a question about whether Mel Gibson should attend anger management classes. However, Mr Obama said he was unaware of Snooki, the star of the popular reality show Jersey Shore.

The President also disclosed that only ten people had the private email address of his Blackberry – but said that most of the messages he received were bland as they could be requested under Freedom of Information laws.

The President also used his appearance – and a later speech – to urge Americans to begin a national conversation about race following the recent controversy over the sacking of a black Agriculture Department official.

He urged people to have a “truthful, mature and responsible” discussion about race and to “look inward and examine what’s in our hearts.” Setting out plans for a major drive to improve education, particularly for black children, he said: “I know life is tough for a lot of young people in this country. I’m coming from the south side of Chicago. So I know, I see what young people are doing through there. At certain points in our lives, young black men and women may feel the sting of discrimination.”

Mr Obama is currently travelling more around the country to reassure Americans that he is tacking the country’s economic problems. However, he is also attending a series of low-profile fund-raising events to raise money for the forthcoming midterm elections.

On Wednesday night, he was joined by fashion designers Donna Karan, Calvin Klein, Diane von Furstenberg and Vera Wang at a fund-raiser hosted by Anna Wintour, the editor of Vogue, at her home.

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