President Obama garnered a new title this week: “entertainer-in-chief,” handed out by Newt Gingrich after Obama’s trip to New York.

The president went to Gotham to speak at the annual meeting of the United Nations. During his 24-hour visit to New York, Obama appeared with First Lady Michelle on ABC’s “The View” to banter with the women, making the point that he was there as “eye candy” – for them to drool over. He also made a quick stop at NBC’s “Today” show.

But with one exception Obama flat out avoided meeting with foreign heads of state in New York, notably Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. However, according to CNN, Obama did drop in on a meeting between President Hadi of Yemen and John Brennan, Obama’s homeland security and counterterrorism adviser.

Obama’s preference for frivolous TV over foreign affairs prompted Gingrich to observe on Fox News: “It just tells you this is almost like a vaudeville act. This is the presidency as entertainment. It’s not the presidency as leadership. It’s not the presidency as commander-in-chief. And I’m not sure that entertainer-in-chief is a very comforting concept, given the level of danger we now see in the world.”

Newt pegged it in this “American Idol” era when it seems sometimes that celebrity and stardom trump all. And that brings us to the weirdest celebrity twist so far in this campaign season: Obama’s endorsement by the vulgar-mouthed performer who calls herself Madonna. She told a concert crowd in the nation’s capital, “So y’all better vote for (deleted) Obama.” She said, “for better or for worse, all right, we have a black Muslim in the White House, OK?” Later she said she was being “ironic” and knew Obama was not a Muslim. Still, it could feed doubts harbored by some people about Obama’s religion although he reiterated before the UN that he’s a Christian.

Recent polls showing Obama ahead in some swing states apparently prompted the left-wing billionaire George Soros to pump $1 million into Priorities USA Action, a super political action committee (PAC) supporting Obama. The New York Times called it “a significant donation that could help spur further contributions to the group in the closing weeks of the election.” Soros also is giving an additional $500,000 to two super PACs supporting congressional Democrats. Incidentally, the luncheon headliner was Bill Clinton. Also there were other usual suspects including Nancy Pelosi and Charles Schumer.

Meanwhile, the respected Rasmussen daily tracking poll for Thursday showed Obama and Romney tied at 46 percent nationwide. There were four percent undecided and four percent preferring some other candidate. Including the leaners, it was still tied – 48 percent apiece.

The picture is the same in 11 swing states, Rasmussen found, with each candidate at 46 percent. But get this: “when leaners are factored in, Romney leads Obama 48 percent to 47 percent.” In 2008 Obama carried the swing states by a combined 53-46 percent margin – meaning that Romney can win this election.

dmckee9613@aol.com