IF I’M HOME, I’M SO HAPPY.
I CATCH UP ON CORRESPONDENCE,
I TALK TO GIRLFRIENDS. I HAVE
NO HOBBIES. I AM NOT ATHLETIC.
—BARBARA WALTERS
anything I can remember, and I just
wonder how you feel about it. Are you
nervous, doubtful, full of anxiety?
BW: I’m not full of anxiety and I don’t
stay up at night because, fortunately, I
have a roof over my head. When I read
about other people, my heart goes out
to them and I have to pray that this
president’s plan will take us through
these awful times. We’re all worried.
LS: You already had a fantastic
interview with the Obamas together—
BW: —and separately. First, I did him
for a half hour and then I did the two of
them. But people remember more of
the two of them because their relation-
ship was so warm and because they
were so charming and funny with each
other. The first half hour with him was
on the economic situation.
very special man who is taking on the
most terrible tasks and doing them with
dignity and authority and unfazed
wisdom. And I think she is just a terrific
person, Michelle Obama. I’m very
impressed with her. She’s so much
herself. She is so genuine, and I think just
a wonderful—I hate to say role model or
example, but I think she is both. She is
trying to open the White House up to
younger people and people from all dif-
ferent walks of life. I think that she is an
extremely special and delightful person.
She was on The View as a co-host. This
was when she wore the dress that cost
$148. When I went to Syria last July for
an off-the-record meeting with the
president of Syria (Bashar Al-Assad)
everybody asked me about Mrs.
Obama’s $148 dress. They had heard
about it all the way in Syria. After
Michelle Obama, then the McCains
LS: You’ve met everybody who’s
anybody in the world. Are they just
another couple in the White House?
BW: The Obamas? No, they’re very
impressive. Although, to my own
embarrassment, I went to a seminar
where he was being interviewed. I went
up to him afterwards and said, “Senator,
I hope one day you’ll come on
The View.” He looked at me and said,
“I was.” And I said, “Oh, I’m so
embarrassed. I guess I wasn’t on that
day.” And he said, “You were.”
LS: You mean you were there?
BW: Yes, he was a young senator and he’d
written a book called Dreams from
My Father and I thought it was a good
book and who knew he was going to be
president! But I have to say that this is a
ABC/ DONNA SVENNEVIK
Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez gives Barbara Walters his first interview with an American
television journalist after his December 2006 re-election.
