President Obama's appearance on Thursday night's "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart" let the commander-in-chief show off his comedic chops.
Stewart is an unrepentant liberal, but he still took time to rib the president for his vastly disparate debate performances, showing two photos of Obama and the first lady--one of a dour Michelle after the first debate, the other of an exultant Michelle after the second.
Obama used the question as an opportunity to detail his positions on jobs and the economy.
They joked about Joe Biden in a bathing suit before turning to more serious matters. Stewart asked Obama whether voters should reelect him based on his record or out of fear of what a Romney administration might do.
Naturally, Obama said both viewpoints are equally valid, before pointing out differences between his positions and Romney's plans on same-sex marriage, terrorism, heathcare and alternative energy.
Obama admitted he wished his administration had done more on the housing crisis, but blamed the lack of action on an obstinate Republican congress. He also mentioned his desire to close Guantanamo Bay.
"They're not real sexy issues," Obama admitted to Stewart.
Stewart shot back, "You don't know what I find sexy."
He then pressed Obama on the attacks on the Libyan consulate in Benghazi that killed four Americans, including the American ambassador, and the amount of time it took the administration to sort out the details of the attack.
During the second presidential debate earlier this week, Republican challenger Mitt Romney accused Obama of obfuscating the specifics of the attack before moderator Candy Crowley stepped in, siding with Obama's assertion that the administration did label it an act of terror.
The third presidential debate next week will focus on foreign policy, so expect the Libya question to come up again.
Stewart recently debated conservative Fox News host Bill O'Reilly in a mock debate that touched on real issues, with Stewart defending the president's first term and ridiculing Republican positions that he said didn't square with reality.
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