Wish I'd Said That Department
Michael Barone hits the nail on the head with this wonderful piece comparing Barack Obama to Chauncey Gardiner, the detached fool from the novel Being There by Jerzy Kosinski, played by Peter Sellars in the film version.
As you may remember, Gardiner is a clueless gardener who is mistaken for a Washington eminence and becomes a presidential adviser. Asked if you can stimulate growth through temporary incentives, Gardiner says, "As long as the roots are not severed, all is well and all will be well in the garden."
"First comes the spring and summer," he explains, "but then we have fall and winter. And then we get spring and summer again." The president is awed as Gardiner sums up, "There will be growth in the spring."
Kind of reminds you of Barack Obama's approach to the federal budget, doesn't it?
My favorite moment from the movie - it has become a running gag between me and my wife over the years - comes after Gardiner spews some completely idiotic nonsense, and a Washington muck-a-muck played by Melvyn Douglas says, "I think what our young friend is saying..." and then translates Gardiner's silliness into a semblance of wisdom. Our media have been doing exactly that with Obama since he appeared upon the scene, hiding his gaffes and hailing speeches full of windy drivel as the new advent of Lincoln's Second Inaugural. Kudos to Barone for finding the perfect comparison.
- Comment (10)
- · Quote
- · UnfollowFollow (2)
Comments :
Mar '11
Re: Wish I'd Said That Department
I'm not sure it's an apt analogy, bearing in mind Mr Obama's goal of "fundamentally transforming" the country into a Marxist utopia - for this, he just needs to stay in power for one more term, signing executive orders and vetoing the repeal of Obamacare.
The details of the budget don't matter in that grand scheme of things.
The aura of incompetence is just a ruse, in other words.
Edited on Jun 27, 2011 at 2:46amMay '10
Re: Wish I'd Said That Department
Oh, come on, Mr. Klavan. I was saying this in January 2009. Surely you were saying it before me?
Obama is Being There, The Next Generation(tm)
Edited on Jun 27, 2011 at 4:04amJun '10
Re: Wish I'd Said That Department
I don't like the analogy. Obama is the type of bull snot artist who assumes other people will believe whatever he says. It's part of his pathology. My own analogy would be to the runaway truck scene in Mad Max. The truck is hurdling down the road nearly out of control with bad guys in hot pursuit. "What's the plan, mate?" asks Max's assistant. "Plan? There ain't no plan," says Max. Only in the Obama version the rest of us have come along for the ride.
God Save the Republic!
Jun '10
Re: Wish I'd Said That Department
Ty Willingham, the disasterous Notre Dame football coach, was called Chauncey by a large segment of the Notre Dame nation because of his insipid statements.
Obama is keenly aware of his stealth agenda, unlike Chauncey, who is actually a simpleton. Obama is quite clever. The press is acting like the Melvyn Douglas character, though, and helping to cover for him with every slip up.
Apr '11
Re: Wish I'd Said That Department
A very inapt comparison: Obama hasn't done anything as productive as yardwork in his entire life.
Jan '11
Re: Wish I'd Said That Department
The media takes Melvyn Douglas a step further. When Obama utters a non sequitur, the media feel obliged to translate into something meaningful.
Which would be great, if they themselves could say something meaningful. I'm not sure that what they translate is any better than the gibberish they hear from Obama.
May '11
Re: Wish I'd Said That Department
Something I posted on Jennifer Rubin's blog a few months back:
Nothing will change because this, like everything Obama does, is a random lurch in a random direction. There will be no follow-through; no bold new direction. Why? Simply put, because Obama is a Chicago Alderman who stumbled into the Oval Office. It is not a case of the Emperor having no clothes, because everyone knew that the Emperor had no clothes except the Emperor himself. Chauncey Gardiner is a much better metaphor, but even that is not perfect because Chauncey Gardiner did not believe, or even understand, his own hype. At the end of the day, I think Obama is a Jackson Pollack painting – random ribbons of paint thrown at a canvas and widely acclaimed as great art. Obama has neither the exceptional intellect of Clinton or Nixon, nor the principled vision of Reagan or G.W. Bush. In fact, he does not even have the technocratic skills of Johnson or G.H.W. Bush. He is a lightweight who is out of his depth, and there will be no game changers in the Obama Presidency because he has no game.
Oct '10
Re: Wish I'd Said That Department
One difference between Chauncey and Obama is that Chauncey's experience as a gardener gave him a better grasp of reality than Obama's community organizing and state senate work.
Dec '10
Re: Wish I'd Said That Department
I have always wondered why people assume Obama is bright, as opposed to glib. He has never done anything that indicates any particular intelligence, insight, or work ethic. He talks, pronounces, gladhands, and thinks he has accomplished something. I suspect that he does not engage in real negotiations or propose solutions because he just does not know how. The truly horrible thing is that he has convinced himself that he is smarter than he is, and is so tightly wound to avoid facing the truth.
Jun '11
Re: Wish I'd Said That Department
If I remember correctly, at the end of the movie Chauncey walks on water. Let's hope Obama isn't able to do the same or we'll have him in the White House for another four years.