Pwned

Got another one of those Republican chain emails (see below for another example), so myself and two die-hard Republican buddies batted it around like a Piñata. I just had to share.

It starts with the email that has various cartoons depicting Obama as an undeserving superstar, full of empty rhetoric, and the scandalous revelation that (gasp) he and his wife have a full-time housekeeper! In other words, pretty much every thing that would apply to McCain - a favorite tactic of the Karl Rove school of sludge. And, of course, in the tradition of a general Republican tactic to call something the opposite of what it really is, like "The Patriot Act", "Leave No Child Behind", and "Right to Work" pieces of legislation we've all come to know and love.

After the cartoons, there's this graphic of an eagle crying.


Then there's this text:

'From the time Barack Obama was sworn in as a United State Senator, to the time he announced he was forming a Presidential exploratory committee, he logged 143 days of experience in the Senate. That's how many days the Senate was actually in session and working. After 143 days of work experience, Obama believed he was ready to be Commander In Chief, Leader of the Free World, and fill the shoes of Abraham Lincoln, FDR, JFK and Ronald Reagan. 143 days. I keep leftovers in my refrigerator longer than that.'

Well, let's pray for the health of the person who wrote that, as even most cheeses start to turn after 1/3 of a year.

Then, one of the buddies added a postscript in a responding email:

I think if you dig deep, you'll find that Disney is behind this whole campaign. Noone else can create huge stars out of nothing that quickly.

Which is cute, but - as Bugs always says - of course you realize, this means war.

So I shot back with:

I think it's funny how overwrought these things are - an eagle crying? Puh-leeze.

I also dig the tactic Obama's a big media star like Britney, and that's wrong! Don't elect him because he's .... POPULAR!

Seems the Repubs. didn't mind it when Ronnie was the media star.

Funny funny stuff.

Which resulted in the retort (from the guy who offered the Disney conspiracy theory):

Well, Ronald Reagan was 70, with a resume of accomplishments in various fields, before reaching that level of popularity. That world was not nearly as media driven as the one we live in today.

There is no doubt in my mind that the Obama mystique was manufactured (hence the Disney reference). You don't think the DNC was wetting their pants when they discovered this good looking, well spoken, charismatic, African American (but not too black) from the midwest (via SE Asia)?

It is funny. Reminds me of Primary Colors funny :)

Now it's ON, BABY! So I wrote:

Was JFK's mystique manufactured? Not that Obama is JFK, but - like him - is articulate in a way no candidate has been for a while (the last one was Reagan).

And the only accomplishment that is relevant that Reagan had was being Gov. of CA. How is that all that different from being a senator?

Quibbles, yes. But I still think this "he's a celebrity" whining is a no-starter.

And then the guy who'd been silent up to now comes back with:

Yeah, but Reagan knew how to take a bullet.

So I have to concede that I was utterly and completely owned.

Oh well. There's still the election.

"No way, no how, no McCain"