On the same night Beyoncé and Jay Z raucously got out the vote for Hillary Clinton in Cleveland, one could also watch the outgoing president calmly chatting with Bill Maher. Somewhat incredibly, this was the first time President Obama sat down with the Real Time host, despite — according to Maher — a long courtship. In a wide-ranging, rather serious conversation lasting nearly 40 minutes, the two discussed topics including “the Balkanization of the media†and how to find a common truth in a divided age, legalization of marijuana, criminal-justice reform, atheism (Maher’s perennially favorite topic), and much else besides. There was little comedic pressure on Maher’s part, save for when he needled the president about his smoking habits (yes, he really quit; yes, he chews a lot of Nicorette). It’s the latest stop on what we’d call Obama’s exit-interview tour, which will be coming to a close very soon. But let us not weep just yet, friends — there’s still a few months to go.
