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Mitt Romney runs for president of Imaginary America
Mitt Romney runs for president of Imaginary America
by Scott Wooledge
In many ways, nothing symbolizes the foundational and ethereal rationale for a Mitt Romney presidency better than the empty chair that Clint Eastwood debated at the Republican National Convention on Thursday night.
Jon Stewart at The Daily Show, among many others, has visited the recurring theme of the obvious disconnect between what the Republicans say President Obama is doing and saying, and what he is actually doing and saying. It makes Republicans' job so much easier if they can just put words in Obama's mouth and ignore what he has actually said and done during his time in office. The GOP lacks a compelling and convincing argument about why Mitt Romney must be the next president of the United States, and also an overwhelming desire in the electorate to throw the incumbent out. The Republicans realize their best strategy is not to fight on the battlefield that exists, but rather to take the fight to Imaginary America.
And to that theme, is there any better symbol of the 2012 election than Imaginary Obama making an imaginary appearance at the Republican National Convention to have an imaginary debate with Clint Eastwood, a man who creates imaginative fiction for a living? On display for all of the country to see was the (non)-embodiment of the Imaginary President that presides over the Republican Party's Imaginary America.
The imaginary words that Eastwood chooses to put into Imaginary Obama's mouth are both laughable and telling. Twice Imaginary President Obama tells Eastwood to shut up.
Imaginary Obama is not the gracious, diplomatic, warm and sunny family man that the rest of America sees in their news pictures and interviews. Nor the accommodating deal-maker that has too frequently given too much away to the GOP for too little in return.
No, Imaginary Obama is rude. In truth, if Obama had ever dared utter the words "shut up" to a political opponent, the apoplectic fits, righteous indication and poutrage coming from the right probably would end the republic as we know it. (The Left wouldn't care, because we'd probably all immediately be raptured to liberal Heaven.)
Eastwood goes on:
The audience laughs at Imaginary Obama's foolishness. But, this was an imaginary problem created by the right because they just needed something to yell about. In fact, Bill Clinton did try and convict the 1993 World Trade Center bombing suspects in downtown New York City without incident, or anyone even raising complaints. I know, we're in a post-9/11 world now, it's much more dangerous; the terrorists have box-cutters now.
Eastwood broaches foreign policy with Imaginary Obama:
The crowd laughs at Obama's folly because in Imaginary America, Illinois Sen. Barack Obama is culpable for Republican President George W. Bush's hubris to presume America would succeed where Russia and so many others had failed.
This is met with enthusiastic applause because in Imaginary America Republicans hate war.
In Imaginary America, President Obama can be simultaneously incompetent for not bringing the troops home from Afghanistan fast enough, and also for not sending them to Iran, Syria, Russia and wherever else fast enough. In Imaginary America troops are infinite resources that can be simultaneously brought home to be with their family and be shipped off to fight new and exciting wars. We can fund these invasions of Syria, Russia and Iran with the Imaginary revenues generated by tax cuts for the rich. In Imaginary America there is no need to judiciously weight cost/benefit analysis when Imaginary America imagines a security threat.
And again, Imaginary Obama tells Eastwood to shut up and worse:
The crowd laughs uproariously. It's funny because even befuddled and confused as he was, Clint Eastwood really got to Imaginary Obama, and made him lose his cool.
It doesn't matter that in real life—the one that the rest of the country experienced—it was really the Republican Party's own vice-president that told a senator to "go f--- himself." In Imaginary America it is Obama who is crude and decompensates when challenged. Remember Imaginary Obama is rude. A rude and angry black man (natch!).
Add Eastwood's little make-believe sketch to the mounting evidence (like Todd Akin's popular theory of rape and the functioning of lady parts) that the Republican Party has completely checked out of the "reality-based community," and intends never to look back.
- more -
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/09/02/1126313/-Mitt-Romney-runs-for-president-of-Imaginary-America
by Scott Wooledge
[font color="black" size="2" face="face"]Mitt Romney's path to victory, defeating Imaginary Obama.[/font]
In many ways, nothing symbolizes the foundational and ethereal rationale for a Mitt Romney presidency better than the empty chair that Clint Eastwood debated at the Republican National Convention on Thursday night.
Jon Stewart at The Daily Show, among many others, has visited the recurring theme of the obvious disconnect between what the Republicans say President Obama is doing and saying, and what he is actually doing and saying. It makes Republicans' job so much easier if they can just put words in Obama's mouth and ignore what he has actually said and done during his time in office. The GOP lacks a compelling and convincing argument about why Mitt Romney must be the next president of the United States, and also an overwhelming desire in the electorate to throw the incumbent out. The Republicans realize their best strategy is not to fight on the battlefield that exists, but rather to take the fight to Imaginary America.
And to that theme, is there any better symbol of the 2012 election than Imaginary Obama making an imaginary appearance at the Republican National Convention to have an imaginary debate with Clint Eastwood, a man who creates imaginative fiction for a living? On display for all of the country to see was the (non)-embodiment of the Imaginary President that presides over the Republican Party's Imaginary America.
The imaginary words that Eastwood chooses to put into Imaginary Obama's mouth are both laughable and telling. Twice Imaginary President Obama tells Eastwood to shut up.
(3:26) (Responding to imaginary voice) "What do you mean 'shut up'?"
Imaginary Obama is not the gracious, diplomatic, warm and sunny family man that the rest of America sees in their news pictures and interviews. Nor the accommodating deal-maker that has too frequently given too much away to the GOP for too little in return.
No, Imaginary Obama is rude. In truth, if Obama had ever dared utter the words "shut up" to a political opponent, the apoplectic fits, righteous indication and poutrage coming from the right probably would end the republic as we know it. (The Left wouldn't care, because we'd probably all immediately be raptured to liberal Heaven.)
Eastwood goes on:
"I thought it was just because someone had the stupid idea of trying terrorists in downtown New York City."
The audience laughs at Imaginary Obama's foolishness. But, this was an imaginary problem created by the right because they just needed something to yell about. In fact, Bill Clinton did try and convict the 1993 World Trade Center bombing suspects in downtown New York City without incident, or anyone even raising complaints. I know, we're in a post-9/11 world now, it's much more dangerous; the terrorists have box-cutters now.
Eastwood broaches foreign policy with Imaginary Obama:
(4:04) "You thought the war in Afghanistan was okay. You thought that was something that was worth doing. We didn't check with the Russians to see how they did there for 10 years."
The crowd laughs at Obama's folly because in Imaginary America, Illinois Sen. Barack Obama is culpable for Republican President George W. Bush's hubris to presume America would succeed where Russia and so many others had failed.
(4:44) "And I think Mr.Romney asked the only sensible question, why are you giving the date out now, why don't you just bring them home tomorrow?"
This is met with enthusiastic applause because in Imaginary America Republicans hate war.
In Imaginary America, President Obama can be simultaneously incompetent for not bringing the troops home from Afghanistan fast enough, and also for not sending them to Iran, Syria, Russia and wherever else fast enough. In Imaginary America troops are infinite resources that can be simultaneously brought home to be with their family and be shipped off to fight new and exciting wars. We can fund these invasions of Syria, Russia and Iran with the Imaginary revenues generated by tax cuts for the rich. In Imaginary America there is no need to judiciously weight cost/benefit analysis when Imaginary America imagines a security threat.
And again, Imaginary Obama tells Eastwood to shut up and worse:
(5:05) "I'm not gonna shut up, it's my turn.
What? What do you want me to tell Romney? I can't tell him to do that, he can't do that to himself."
The crowd laughs uproariously. It's funny because even befuddled and confused as he was, Clint Eastwood really got to Imaginary Obama, and made him lose his cool.
It doesn't matter that in real life—the one that the rest of the country experienced—it was really the Republican Party's own vice-president that told a senator to "go f--- himself." In Imaginary America it is Obama who is crude and decompensates when challenged. Remember Imaginary Obama is rude. A rude and angry black man (natch!).
Add Eastwood's little make-believe sketch to the mounting evidence (like Todd Akin's popular theory of rape and the functioning of lady parts) that the Republican Party has completely checked out of the "reality-based community," and intends never to look back.
- more -
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/09/02/1126313/-Mitt-Romney-runs-for-president-of-Imaginary-America
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