THE OBAMAS DO TV

Earlier tonight, the Obamas did an interview on '60 MINUTES' which was delayed by a football game that probably made half of America miss it (and that, of course, was the half that should have seen it). You could immediately see the great affection and respect between this couple, how she keeps him grounded ("since when did you find it soothing to wash dishes?" she asked him when he mentioned that at one point), the low key sense of humor they both have, the seriousness with which they are raising their daughters to be "who they are."

Maybe, above all, the interview demonstrated how much Obama likes and respects women. When the reporter kept trying to make mother-in-law jokes (Obama's mother in law may be moving to Washington with them), Obama said "the way this interview is going, maybe I should give you some pointers about YOUR mother in law," and "my mother-in-law likes her own space without much going on - there is always something going on at the White House. I would never tell her what to do, but I'd love to have her there." Michelle's mother obviously helped them with the kids throughout the campaign and has the same kind of dignity and comfort in her own skin that her daughter has shown throughout this campaign.

The way Obama is rolling out himself, his family and his presidential plans gives us more information and insight into the process than any president I can remember. It's lovely to hear a man so able to put several words together in an intelligent sentence and who appears to wear the mantle of brilliance lightly. And the icing on this big fat cake is that he's ultimately committed to involving his countrymen in the page by page (if not the line by line) of becoming its 44th president. No secret agendas; no drama. With an owner as up front as this, that new First Dog, whatever it turns out to be, should be trained willingly in record time.