Forced Acting in the Low Theatre of Politics

1) NBC's Brian Williams questioning Obama about personal action on climate change during a debate in the primary:
Williams: … what in your personal life, Senator Obama, have you done personally to make for a better environment? Personal life…
Obama: Well, you know, we just had Earth Day. And we actually organized 3,000 volunteers to plant trees, which…
Williams: I mean, like light bulbs…
Obama: Well…(Laughter) I thought the tree thing was pretty good.
Williams: Well, yes, but…
Obama: We’ve also been working to install lightbulbs that last longer and save energy. And that’s something that I’m trying to teach my daughters, 8-year-old Malia and 5-year-old Sasha.

2) What Newsweek is reporting that Obama said sometime after the fact, regarding the trouble with the debate structures:

"I don't consider this to be a good format for me, which makes me more cautious.I often find myself trapped by the questions and thinking to myself, 'You know,this is a stupid question, but let me … answer it.' So when Brian Williams isasking me about what's a personal thing that you've done [that's green], and I say, you know, 'Well, I planted a bunch of trees.' And he says, 'I'm talking about personal.' What I'm thinking in my head is, 'Well, the truth is, Brian, we can't solve global warming because I f---ing changed light bulbs in my house. It's because of something collective'."

I don't know about you, but I now respect him more.