• Variety, Tuesday, March 17, 2009 10 AM

President Obama will appear on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" on Thursday in an in-studio appearance, in what is believed to be the first presidential in-person visit to a late-night talk show.

It is now a common practice for presidential candidates to reach audiences who may not be regular news junkies via talk shows, but that hasn't been the case for a sitting commander in chief. Obama's visit is an attempt to win support for his economic agenda in an informal setting.

Previous presidents have appeared on late-night talk shows and prime-time comedies and dramas while in office, but such guest spots are usually taped. For instance, President Bush taped a segment last year for NBC's "Deal or No Deal." In the old days, a president making an appearance on "The Tonight Show" would have incited complaints that it is beneath the dignity of the office. But in the past decade there has been a parade of politicians and world leaders appearing in such shows.

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