Dirt Off Obama’s Shoulder

Barack Obama as Jay-Z?

Yes — at least for a moment yesterday during Obama’s rally at the state fairgrounds.

Obama was discussing how he reacts to criticisms from Hillary Clinton that he considers meaningless distractions. “You just gotta kind of let it --” Obama said, then brushed his shoulder, as if to remove some dirt or lint. “That’s what you gotta do.”

It’s a gesture that was made iconic by the hip-hop mega-star Jay-Z — an artist that Obama has previously acknowledged having on his iPod.

Above, watch as Obama does the impression with near-perfect delivery. “It’s one of those things that makes Obama’s connection to younger voters so culturally solid,” writes Politico’s Ben Smith.

Smith is right. The crowd went wild.

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