The Republican National Committee seems to think it has some sort of "gotcha" with this frivolous little item from Entertainment Weekly , apparently based upon a stunningly shallow interview with Barack Obama.
This is apparently part of a series of RNC releases that they call "Audacity Watch," which provides further proof of the lack of wit among partisans, as if any were needed.
Anyway, here’s the "article" from EW that the RNC refers to. The implication on the part of the GOPpers seems to be that Obama has been caught discussing something silly and beneath the dignity of one who would be president.
But I don’t see it that way. Unlike our pal Lee (such things are beneath him), I think a person’s cultural proclivities are indicative of character, and I do want to know about them. My complaint with EW, and the reason I call the interview "shallow," is that it doesn’t go deep enough even into this shallow end of the character pool.
They don’t even provide a Top Five list! That’s just inexcusable. So he likes "The Godfather" — big deal. That tells us nothing. Everybody (except bud) likes "The Godfather." The real clues to his character — the test as to whether he has the judgment and, dare I use the word, discrimination to be president — is in the OTHER four movies on his "Top Five" list.
And what about TV shows — assuming Obama has ever watched TV, which many Americans doubt? (And no, I don’t watch it, either, but I did when I was younger.) We are informed that he likes "The Dick Van Dyke Show" — an excellent, primo choice — but that is listed AFTER the saccharine, anachronistic, smug "M*A*S*H," one of the lamest hits in the history of the idiotic box. Where are his other picks? Does he redeem himself? We are not told.
The item does tells us that there are lists on Obama’s Facebook page, so finally we get somewhere. His Top Five movies:
- Casablanca
- Godfather I
- Godfather II
- Lawrence of Arabia
- One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
Good. Very nice touch with "Cuckoo’s Nest" — very cool, not too obvious. But "Lawrence of Arabia?" Respect it as a David Lean masterpiece, fine. But who lists it as a favorite? Seems pretentious to me, the sort of thing that one reads that he should like it, and puts it on the list to impress people. And, given the subject matter, what does this tell us about his likely Mideast policy? Must give us pause.
And mind you, I’m not even going to get into his choosing Stevie Wonder on a list with Miles Davis (pretentious again), Coltrane and Dylan. I’ll let Jack Black’s Barry, purveyor extraordinaire of Top Five lists, pass judgment on that.
Now, does anybody know where we can find a similar list for John McCain? This could be important, people, so get on it.
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…the debate on energy policy has helped me find the words for something I’ve been thinking about for a while. Republicans, once hailed as the “party of ideas,” have become the party of stupid.
-Paul Krugman
This says a lot about the course of the debate this presidential season. The silly season, as reflected in Brad’s post, is in full swing. But once we push aside all this fluff about movie lists and Paris Hilton, policy issues come into play and should be evaluated. After all, no matter what movie a candidate enjoys they still have to govern on the basis of policy ideas. Krugman recognizes that and correctly points out just how dumb the GOP energy proposal is.
There goes bud, trying to deflect attention from his candidate’s scandalous position on Stevie Wonder…
Just kidding — sort of. bud’s always getting on me for not commenting on the daily partisan spin cycle talking point — something I’d rather undergo gum surgery than do — so I thought I’d tease him a bit.
But folks, as you all know, this blog give you ample opportunity to discuss energy policy. Here are a few recent posts from that front, if that’s what you want.
Now, to get back to the topic at hand — where might we find the McCain Top Five?
Big Media types seem to have lots of things to distract them from asking serious questions to, and about, the candidates.
This sort of “reporting” takes zero background work or knowledge, which is why the MSM does so much of it.
Brad has this irrational prejudice against Paul Krugman and as such brands anything he says as “partisan”. This is unfortunate because Professor Krugman’s insight into economic matters is based on a sound analysis of facts, not on partisan hackery as Brad would have you believe. Ironically the Krugman article is aimed at the obvious partisanship displayed by the McCain camp in dealing with energy policy. That’s why he labeled it the party of “stupid”.
Hey, I like movies, TV, books, plays, sports and other entertainment outlets as much as the next guy. And I can accept Brad’s attempt to lighten up the campaign a bit. But what really bothers me is that the MSM in general focuses so much attention on this light-weight fare. And the McCain camp encourages this with it’s sophomoric Paris Hilton/Brittany Spears ad. Frankly, Hilton’s response ad had more depth to it than anything coming out of the McCain campaign.
Without a doubt the wrinkly, white-haired dude has reached an all-time low in non-substantive political discourse for a presidential campaign. Maybe that’s why Brad likes him so much.
Oh, yeah? Well, he still hasn’t come out with a Top Five list (near as I can tell). Seems like bud would use that as evidence that McCain has something to hide…
And I told you Lee doesn’t like these little digressions. Neither does my colleague Cindi Scoppe. But I continue to maintain that, apart from the fact that this stuff is fun (and folks, if you had my job, you would leap at the chance to inject a little fun into your day; what do you people think I do most of the day — this blog? don’t make me laugh bitterly), it tells me something about a person, something that actually, truly interests me.
If you don’t like it, go elsewhere. Go read the paper — that’s just chock full of seriousness, and that’s where I spend most of my time (and don’t give me a bunch of silly guff about some celebrity nonsense you found on a feature page; my job involves the opinion pages).
Oh, and bud — I’m still hoping to get back to my Top 100 list. You’re still way ahead of me on that one…
The newspaper full of seriousness? Have you checked out the front page of the State lately? Today it featured a photo of a 1974 Pinto. Now that’s serious. And timely.
As for my movie list. It changes with each passing day. I’m considering putting Across the Universe in somewhere. Probably in the 60-70 range. I’m still debating the Dark Knight. Really good movie but I hate to add anything right after I saw it for the first time.
I have no idea what McCain’s top five are but in keeping with his character I guess they would be.
1. Pearl Harbor
2. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
3. Midway
4. Citizen Kane
5. Rudy
Nice guesses, Lexwolf.
Now, bud, that was the business page, not the front. And frankly, it was an important story.
Weren’t you yourself talking about owning a Pinto or something on an earlier post? You know, and I said something about that awful Vega I once had?
Don’t you think it’s important for Detroit to start figuring out how to manufacture something other than Petrodictatormobiles?
Wouldn’t it be more likely that McCain’s top 5 would be:
1. Patton
2. Uh, You know, that one with the guy and
the gal…
3. Patton
7. Vanilla
10. Get Off My Lawn!
Obama’s list seems to be missing about 13% of the American population. I wonder why.
John McCain
Favorite Music:ABBA,Roy Orbison,Linda Ronstadt,Usher(he was the musical guest w/Cain on SNL)
Favorite Movies:Viva Zapata, Letters from Iwo Jima and Some Like it Hot
Recent Movies:The Bourne Supremacy, The Bourne Identity, Mission: Impossible, (”I like those kinds of things, the car chases”) The Departed, (”It’s pretty rough, but I kind of liked it. Nicholson plays too much Nicholson”) and Syriana (”I enjoyed ‘Syriana,’ although a lot of people didn’t”).
Favorite’Nam movie:We Were Soldiers
Favorite TV shows:Seinfeld,Curb Your Enthusiasm,Dexter,24
McCain’s first movie was Bambi,and yes,he cried.
What’s with these commands-“This could be important, people, so get on it.”??!!!!
You’re not the boss of me.
I’m babysitting and I’m bored.
The FACTS of Obama’s socialism
* Obama wrote a book detailing his contempt for America, and how he developed his attitudes from his family and their friends being Muslims and communists.
* Obama’s father was a Muslim and a supporter of communist dictators and radical like Jomo Kenyatta.
* Obama’s uncle and brother are also communists and radical Muslims
* Obama is not his original, legal name; it is his made-up name to disassociate himself from his given, Christian, American name, which he considered to be imposed upon him by evil whites people.
* Obama’s longtime friends include terrorist Bill Ayers, Bernadine Dorn, Angela Davis, socialist Saul Alinsky, communist Ron Dellums, etc.
* Obama’s platform includes a bunch of old socialist ideas from the 1930s:
– national service as a civiliam military (Hitler and FDR)
– socialist seizure of more medical care
– mandatory purchase of health insurance at $2,800 a year per household, to start
– more taxes on entrepreneurs and investors
– job losses for most Afro-Americans, low-skilled workers, and young workers.
– subordination of US sovereignty to world organizations under various pretexts, such as “global warming”
– letting up military pressure on our Muslim enemies just as we are finishing them off and have them totally contained in their own lands