Hollywood to Exploit SEAL Team 6 for Obama Reelection Efforts
I find this news entirely predictable, but appalling nonetheless.
The most memorable moment of President Obama's tenure so far -- the May raid that killed Osama bin Laden -- is getting the Hollywood treatment from an Oscar-winning director and screenwriter.
And it's going to be released less than a month before Election Day 2012.
The yet-to-be-titled project from director Kathryn Bigelow and screenwriter Mark Boal -- the duo behind The Hurt Locker, which won the Oscar for best film of 2009 -- is scheduled for release on Oct. 12, 2012.
In related news, while looking at a heartbreaking slideshow of the fallen Navy SEALs of the downed Chinook helicopter, I noticed that mother of 26 year-old John Douangdara said of her fallen warrior, "I didn't even know Johnny was a Navy SEAL. I know that he loved his job, it was a job he chose."
Question for those of you servicemen in the know: Is it common practice to keep one's elite status a secret? In other words, would it be the case that other members of SEAL Team 6 kept their identities on the down-low?
And now a rhetorical question: Who was it who opened his big mouth and leaked the identity of those responsible for the successful Osama bin Laden raid? Patterico has a great post on this question over at his excellent blog.
Somehow I doubt this is a topic that will be touched in Kathryn Bigelow's silver screen tribute to The One.
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Jun '10
Re: Hollywood to Exploit SEAL Team 6 for Obama Reelection Efforts
I can almost see the movie. The SEALs are frightened, not sure they can do it, but on the speaker comes Barack Obama, and like coach Vince Lombardi, he gives the guys the kind of fatherly encouragement that would allow them to walk through hell fire if they had to. If not for that last minute spiritual boost from Obama, they may not have had what it takes. It was that bold inspiring talk, from afar, that they needed to finally get bin Laden--get him for a President who worked so hard to earn that prize. Not like the last President, who never quite had the right stuff, and was really dumb. *face of Obama, twenty American flags waving in the background, fade...*
Re: Hollywood to Exploit SEAL Team 6 for Obama Reelection Efforts
I have not been able to substantiate this, but a listener to Rush's show told me that he heard Rush claim that the White House will be granting special access to Bigelow and Boal as they work on the film. Ridiculous.
Jun '10
Re: Hollywood to Exploit SEAL Team 6 for Obama Reelection Efforts
I trained with SEALs a number of times and I can assure you that there is no reluctance on their part to let the world know that they are SEALs.
It is a great honor just to be selected (even then 70% washout) and the training is about two years so I can't imagine that the families don't hear of the selection or know what their sailor is doing for two years. Assignment as a special operator in a specific area of operations would sometimes be covert but the fact of SEAL qualification, no.
SEALs also have a qualification badge proudly, but routinely worn on their uniforms.
Edited on Aug 10, 2011 at 1:16pmJun '10
Re: Hollywood to Exploit SEAL Team 6 for Obama Reelection Efforts
Yes, I heard that too. Rush also confused Bigelow with someone named Riefenstahl, or Rifensmall, or something like that.... :)
Re: Hollywood to Exploit SEAL Team 6 for Obama Reelection Efforts
I took it on the chin from a few for this post, and perhaps deservedly so.
But honestly - we are in for a real battle in 2012 from those who will seek to create a false but flattering legacy for BHO.
Ya'll need to learn to fight with knives.
Feb '11
Re: Hollywood to Exploit SEAL Team 6 for Obama Reelection Efforts
Tommy De Seno:
Ya'll need to learn to fight with knives. · Aug 10 at 12:50pm
If I remember correctly, the Obama comment ran something along the line that if they bring a knife to the fight, we'll bring a gun. (This was before the new civility.)
The moral here is that if the Republicans don't show up with a gun in the first place they're in trouble.
Jul '11
Re: Hollywood to Exploit SEAL Team 6 for Obama Reelection Efforts
Well I happen to have heard a very interesting account of what happened in the room when Obama was told of the proposed mission. I will not disclose how but the story is accurate considering my source. Obama looked like a spotlighted deer and Val Jarrett had been telling him under no uncertain terms should he kill OBL and Panetta and H Clinton teamed up with Hilliary saying to a timid Obama," You can never make up your *&^# mind".
The movie however will disclose absolutely none of this and rather paint him in a JFK missiles of October light. I just threw up and swallowed it while typing.
Re: Hollywood to Exploit SEAL Team 6 for Obama Reelection Efforts
Gosh, do you think that, in the film, Obama will play . . . Obama? It strikes me that what is going on with the mainstream media and with Hollywood is apt to backfire. It is a bit like the little boy crying wolf. Bit by bit, people figure out that they are being conned and manipulated. And when they do figure out that they have been had, they get very, very angry. Many people got conned in 2008. Do you think it will work a second time?
Jul '11
Re: Hollywood to Exploit SEAL Team 6 for Obama Reelection Efforts
jrb
Tommy De Seno:
Ya'll need to learn to fight with knives. · Aug 10 at 12:50pm
If I remember correctly, the Obama comment ran something along the line that if they bring a knife to the fight, we'll bring a gun. (This was before the new civility.)
The moral here is that if the Republicans don't show up with a gun in the first place they're in trouble. · Aug 10 at 1:02pm
I hope we show up with howitzers and blankets infected with smallpox. The entire news media is one giant campaign ad and they will pull no punches in this election.
Re: Hollywood to Exploit SEAL Team 6 for Obama Reelection Efforts
My interest is not in politicizing the issue, but if Biden holds any responsibility for sinking the ship with his loose lips, he must go now.
The stupid Valerie Plame imbroglio sucked up so much attention and oxygen for months upon months, and when it came down to it, it was really NBD. Over 20 of our SEALs dead when signs point to some manner of leaks deserves serious investigation.
Jan '11
Re: Hollywood to Exploit SEAL Team 6 for Obama Reelection Efforts
Ah! Diane, you beat me posting this story by about 30 minutes.
About that "October Surprise" movie, Rep. Peter T. King (NY, R) has asked the Defense Department and the CIA for an investigation into the Oval office's cooperation with Hollywood on this incident. King is concerned about “ongoing leaks of classified information regarding sensitive military operations.”
He's sticking it to Obama. I say go for it.
Edited on Aug 10, 2011 at 1:20pmJun '10
Re: Hollywood to Exploit SEAL Team 6 for Obama Reelection Efforts
I really doubt that a movie is going to do much - if anything - to move opinion on the president. The illusion of "The One" has already been shattered. Hollywood CGI might be able to make him look like he can throw a baseball, but it cannot airbrush over a record that is plain to see and painful for us all.
Bush was always careful to put the spotlight on our nation's true heroes. Any attempt to turn a story away from those heroes onto Obama as a campaign prop is bound to backfire, in my opinion.
Jul '10
Re: Hollywood to Exploit SEAL Team 6 for Obama Reelection Efforts
I wouldn't be so quick to assume that Bigelow will distort the story so as to help Obama. She and her screenwriter could have easily done so with The Hurt Locker (that is, to criticize Bush's Iraq war policy) but did not. She may take liberties with the story for dramatic effect, i.e., artistic license (as she did with the previous film) but I think she has too much integrity to do so for mere politics. Also, with the country souring on Obama it would not do much for the bottom line, either.
Edited on Aug 10, 2011 at 1:39pmRe: Hollywood to Exploit SEAL Team 6 for Obama Reelection Efforts
Waynester: I wouldn't be so quick to assume that Bigelow will distort the story so as to help Obama. She and her screenwriter could have easily done so with The Hurt Locker (that is, to criticize Bush's Iraq war policy) but did not. She may take liberties with the story for dramatic effect, i.e., artistic license (as she did with the previous film) but I think she has too much integrity to do so for mere politics. Also, with the country souring on Obama it would not do much for the bottom line, either. · Aug 10 at 1:36pm
Edited on Aug 10 at 01:39 pm
Let us hope that is the case. But the timing of the film's release doesn't exactly lend credence to this expectation. Why not postpone release until November 12, 2012 so as to remove negative speculation?
Jan '11
Re: Hollywood to Exploit SEAL Team 6 for Obama Reelection Efforts
Waynester: I wouldn't be so quick to assume that Bigelow will distort the story so as to help Obama. She and her screenwriter could have easily done so with The Hurt Locker (that is, to criticize Bush's Iraq war policy) but did not. She may take liberties with the story for dramatic effect, i.e., artistic license (as she did with the previous film) but I think she has too much integrity to do so for mere politics. Also, with the country souring on Obama it would not do much for the bottom line, either. · Aug 10 at 1:36pm
Edited on Aug 10 at 01:39 pm
Perhaps not. However, the release date of the movie -regardless of content- could help Obama's campaign by reminding voters of a significant incident in which the sitting President did something right.
If nothing else, pundits will have a current pop culture reference to tie in with the 2012 campaign. It's not dissimilar to the Colbert and Stewart faux rallies before the 2010 election.
Then again, perhaps a release date close to election was a condition of the White House's cooperation with the filmmakers.
Dec '10
Re: Hollywood to Exploit SEAL Team 6 for Obama Reelection Efforts
Movies don't work as propaganda these days. You don't spend $11 to see a film you know is propaganda unless you already agree. What works today is either sly remarks in otherwise apolitical films or TV or replacing news with biased entertainment (a la Stewart). And then to work it must be unrelenting.
Maybe the film will rally and reassure the troops, but killing ObL was a no-brainer and it does very little to overturn the idea that Obama's a weak CinC.
Aug '10
Re: Hollywood to Exploit SEAL Team 6 for Obama Reelection Efforts
So, would that explain this?
Since the bus is heading to Iowa, I will broach the subject.
I'm just saying, it cuts both ways, that's all.
Jul '10
Re: Hollywood to Exploit SEAL Team 6 for Obama Reelection Efforts
Actually, the timing may be more for crass commercial purposes. When will the population be more engaged in political issues than just before a presidential election? Would this not tend to engender interest and concomitantly boost the box office? The election campaign itself would be a huge source of free publicity, would it not?
Edited on Aug 10, 2011 at 3:30pmJun '10
Re: Hollywood to Exploit SEAL Team 6 for Obama Reelection Efforts
Diane, it's pretty common these days for guys to keep operational information from their families and civilian friends. This is especially true for units such as Seal Team 6, which by its very nature is necessarily more secretive than other SOCOM units.
The real question here is why Bigelow and Boal have been granted access to operational information that most members of Congress don't even have. By all accounts they were working on this movie prior to Bin Laden's death, and Bigelow at least was present for the mission's awards ceremony. This is scandalous.
Jan '11
Re: Hollywood to Exploit SEAL Team 6 for Obama Reelection Efforts
C'mon, folks. Stop fighting like girls and start fighting like Democrats.
Investigating the White House, Hollywood and SEAL Team 6 ain't going to cut it. Peter King will get slimed just as he did when he investigated Radical Muslim infiltration. The defendants will wrap themselves up in the flag faster than teachers' union delegates do at the Democrat National convention when the cameras are on.
Instead, how about proposing a big fat tax on Big Entertainment - all movies, videos, music, concerts and product sales, as well as on all income earned by the entertainment industry? The tax could be one of the Republican concessions on revenue that the Democrats are insisting upon. I'm sure they'll be pleased at our spirit of cooperation in solving the deficit problem.
All in the name of shared sacrifice, of course. The only difference between Big Oil and Big Entertainment is that Big Oil's product is essential to everyday American life, while Big Entertainment's is fluff. Make the Democrats' Hollywood money cow sweat and have to justify itself. They will quickly stop the kind of nonsense this post is about.
Remember, when attacked, don't defend - counter-attack.
Edited on Aug 10, 2011 at 6:05pm