TJ Walker breaks down why President Obama chewing gum during an India parade was a media mistake. He points to the optics of sitting next to Prime Minister Modi and compares it to John Edwards' similar gaffe, arguing public figures need to ditch the gum before the cameras roll.
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President Obama in India earlier today caught chewing gum. Now, folks, this is not the biggest political blunder of this administration or any administration, but as a matter of basic form, image relations, public relations, it's always a bad idea to be chewing gum in public because there's just something about it. When you see a grown man or grown woman chewing gum on camera, on TV or in person from a distance, it just makes the person look silly. President Obama was in a parade earlier today in India, sitting next to Prime Minister Modi, and was then criticized for appearing to be chewing gum pulling something out. Now, anytime there's criticism of any president, you have to take it with a grain of salt. For all I know, someone gave him a piece of food, forced him to try it, and he had to spit a piece out. But the president has a couple of times been caught chewing gum. John Edwards, the former presidential candidate, was caught chewing gum from time to time on the presidential campaign. It's just a general rule of thumb if you're in the spotlight, if you're running for public office, if you're a public figure, chew gum all you want in private, but once you step in front of the cameras, take the gum out, unless you want to look like a cow.