Eerily Familiar

Cross posted at Miss Beth's Victory Dance here.

I was listening to a speech tonight; the text is below:

Are you tired of the Democratic party?
Are you tired of the Republican party?
Are you tired of a Congress that does nothing?
Are you tired of having twice as many lobbyists as they’ve ever had before?

Then I...I have an idea.
Don’t vote for the congressman or senators.
You don’t have to vote.
Know how we’re gonna pick ‘em?
The same way we pick a jury.
And you’ll get a more interesting cross section than the folks you got right now.
I guarantee it.

Do you want a better healthcare system?
You have an HMO that says, “We’ll give you Viagra, but we won’t pay for glasses.” So you can have a hard-on, but you can’t see where to put it. We’re gonna change it, aren’t we?

And we’re not just talking liberal or conservative-big-time change.

You know recently, a lot of the past administrations said it’s unpatriotic to question the government. If it was unpatriotic to question the government, we’d still be English! The Boston Tea Party...the Boston Tea Party wasn’t people going, “Oh hello.” It was a lot of guys in Boston going, “Here’s your tea, right here”.

I’m tired of the Democratic party
I’m tired of the Republican party

Here’s what we’re talking about Freedom of Speech and it also comes down to the idea of freedom of religion, the idea of practicing any religion you want, anytime, anywhere. You could be anything. You could be Bewish - Jewish and Buddhist. You sit and you wait for things to go on sale. That’s okay. But that’s what we’re talking about. But occasionally religion crosses over-you have people saying intelligent design, “You must teach intelligent design”. Look at the human body. Is that intelligent? I find it more interesting you have a waste processing plant next to a recreation area.

They always attack environmentalists saying, “You’re a tree hugger”. I go, “No, I’ve done more than hug a tree.” If you find the right naughty pine, you’re gonna have a good night. Oh yeah. “Who’s your woodsman, who’s your woodsman?” I’m not just a tree hugger, I’m an air breather. I’m sorry. It’s bad enough with the squirrels going...”Please help me. I can’t breathe today.” If you put enough chemicals in the water, you’ll be fishing, going, “You know Bob, I love catching them two-headed bass. They’re good eatin’ once you get past the tumors. There’s some good eatin’ out there.”

I’m tired of the Democratic party
Now I’m tired of the Republican party

Now that’s why we’re here–‘cause you want change! Yeah! You wanna shake it up! You have to be eyes wide open, ready to move on! Arm in arm, hand in hand, everybody together, moving forward, because the future is now!

This speech is eerily familiar to what we're hearing on the campaign trail, and indeed this speech was part of a recent campaign--from 2006, in fact. It was given by one Tom Dobbs.

Tom Dobbs, though, doesn't exist except as a character in a Barry Levinson film titled "Man of the Year", starring Robin Williams as the aforementioned Tom Dobbs.


We already know BHO plagiarizes speeches from friends and acquaintenances. We know he doesn't have an original thought in his head. We know he's a relatively eloquent speaker--unless he has no teleprompter. And his eloquence is nothing but a cover for fluff, smoke and mirrors and a complete lack of a platform, full of platitudes but short on solutions.

BHO is the perfect empty suited emperor, mimicking a movie character who, while charismatic and eloquent, was also full of smoke and mirrors while short on actual solutions. Both BHO and Dobbs can whip a crowd into a frenzy like rock stars, yet once the lights are turned off, the crowds have gone home and there's nothing left but the trash on the floor, what have either done to elicit thought? Engage the brain? Have you ruminating about what was said while brushing your teeth?

Sadly, when one tries to think about what was said during a BHO speech (or a Dobbs speech), one must rack their brain to remember anything other than a bunch of noise.

There are no solutions in the speeches. There is no substance. A lot of hype. A lot of feel good rhetoric. Lots of lights, smoke, mirrors, balloons, confetti...but not much else.

At the end of the movie, though, Dobbs is one thing BHO most decidedly ISN'T--honest. After realizing he didn't win the election after all, due to a computer glitch, he rescinds his office (despite advice to the contrary, given by his trusted advisors--who repeatedly tell him no one will know he's not the REAL president unless he blows it and reveals the truth). BHO and Dobbs do seem to have the same advisors.

Go read the Dobbs campaign trail speech again. See how much of BHO's plagiarism you can find. And remember--Dobbs, while fictional, had shady advisors--yet he overcame their bad advice and redeemed himself. BHO will never do so. He revels in being, at the least, a plagiarist--and at the most, a typical, crooked politician.

So much for change and hope.