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Compare and contrast

Same as it ever was… From Tom, via email:

And you may ask yourself
What is that beautiful house?
And you may ask yourself
Where does that highway go?
And you may ask yourself
Am I right? …am I wrong?
And you may tell yourself
My god!…what have I done? — The Talking Heads, “Once in a Lifetime”

****

So this should be a celebratory, but the truth is that, uh, I’m in a different mood tonight, um, partly because, uh, we just saw this week, uh, uh, a storm sweep through the Gulf, and there are millions of people without power, tens of thousands of people without a place to live. Uh, here in Los Angeles, there was a tragedy that, uh, took the lives of so many. Uh, and over the last couple of days, we’ve seen reports of the worst financial crisis that we’ve had in generations. Uh, and we don’t yet know how it’s going to play itself out. But what we know is that in addition to the storms that have been happening in the Gulf, and the tumult that’s been happening on Wall Street, a whole lot of Americans have been going through their own quiet storm. Long before it hit Wall Street, long before it hit the financial phase, wages were flat, incomes were declining, people were working harder and harder just to get by. Uh, they were losing jobs as plants shut and equipment was shipped overseas and people lost not just their jobs but their health care, their pensions and their sense of dignity, their sense of self-worth. Uh, all across this country, there are children languishing in poverty, and there are children who, uh, are children of middle class yet are finding themselves unable to finance their college education. All across America there are people who have worked all their lives, done everything right, and yet find themselves at the age of 55 or 60, uh, without health care, and without any savings to retire on. And they ask themselves what went wrong? What happened? How did we find, find ourselves, uh, in this situation? And all around the world, people, uh, are looking at America and wondering, um, you know, what’s happened to that, that bright and shining light, uh, that, that has stood for what’s best in the world, opportunity and, and, and unity and, and prosperity and freedom and due process and, uh, a Constitution that will respect and provide… — Barack Obama, address to the $31K a plate guests come to see Babs Streisand shower praise on the new Man from Hopeyness

Stirring, isn’t it?

Why, it makes me want to run right out and start up a business or some such! You know, right after I build a fallout shelter stocked with canned food and weaponry.

But what’s important is, I’m sure the plaint of economic despair really hit home with the landed gentry and the Hollywood elite.

Trust me: they feel your pain. Which is why rumors are circulating about Spiderman IV and V, and a big screen version of “Good Times.”

Consider it their gift to you, people.

34 Replies to “Compare and contrast”

  1. Rob Crawford says:

    And all around the world, people, uh, are looking at America and wondering, um, you know, what’s happened to that, that bright and shining light, uh, that, that has stood for what’s best in the world, opportunity and, and, and unity and, and prosperity and freedom and due process and, uh, a Constitution that will respect and provide…

    So Bush’s gaffes are proof he’s a moron, but Obama is held up as a brilliant and stirring speaker?

  2. Rusty says:

    That was a perfect opportunity to play the “uh” drinking game! I bet Speilberg got absolutely hammered! Chug!Chug!Chug!
    All for a measly 31k.

  3. Bob Reed says:

    We’re all doomed!…Unless we elect O!

    I’ll give him that he might have been in a somber mood that evening, may have been a little upset…

    But not too upset to collect the cash from America’s socially enlightened glitterati

    I’m thinking that all this doom and gloom stuff has to backfire, otherwise Jimmuh would have beat the Gipper in 1980…

  4. maggie katzen says:

    shut up! you two. All those “uhs” just mean he knows what he’s talking about.

  5. Bob Reed says:

    Many of those Hollwood limousine liberals are worried about the little man…

    Worried when the gardener is going to show up…

    Worried why the waiter hasn’t come back with their bottle of Dom…

    Worried about how long the chauffer is taking to come back for them…

    Worried about why the cook can’t find organic arugula…

    I wonder how worried about tipping the help they were at that bash?

  6. dre says:

    Jeez the line at the Soup kitchen was really long today.

  7. Bob Reed says:

    Intelligensia highlighting shortcomings of Booooosh’s public speaking style = concern for our nations image overseas

    Anyone highlighting shortcomings of O!s extemporaneous public speaking style = RAAAAAAAAAACISTS !

  8. mojo says:

    “Timeless stories of the little people, as told by rich Hollywood stars!”
    — Firesign Theatre

  9. Salt Lick says:

    MATT DAMON!

  10. Dan Collins says:

    Fuck your Homeowners Association, Jeff. Build that shelter and stock it with guns, ammo, beer, scotch, a wide-screen hi-def TV, a studio and high-speed internet. And ketamine.

    Then invite me over.

  11. Jeffersonian says:

    This isn’t so much an exhortation to help the poor and downtrodden as it is a flattering of the assembled patricians to take their rightful place as the benevolent masters.

  12. Jeffersonian says:

    I’ll be coming over, too. I’ve got a case of The Balvenie, 2,000 rounds of 7.62mm and a box full of Belladonna DVDs.

  13. Bob Reed says:

    OT, but… O! and crew would never actively demean anyone…would they…

    Check out Michelle’s latest public pronouncments; lipstick anybody?

    Oh, no she di’int…

    Oh yes she DID !

    OH, IT IS SOOOOOOOO ON !

  14. Salt Lick says:

    “All across America there are people who have worked all their lives, done everything right, … And they ask themselves what went wrong? What happened?”

    “See my hands? No callouses.”

  15. Aldo says:

    That must be like porn for Thorn. He probably had to go shower after reading this post.

  16. Aldo says:

    oops, I meant Thor, obviously.

  17. happyfeet says:

    I was just thinking. Baracky isn’t ready to be president of my country. If that happens everybody’s gonna have to work extra hard to pick up his slack. Maybe it would be better if he didn’t become president right away and just waited until after he learned and experienced more stuff and we learned more about exactly who he is. Then maybe we can re-evaluate the idea. That’s sensible I think. There’s a lot going on right now in the world and with the economy so I think we’d all feel more better if we had an adult in the White House.

  18. Aldo says:

    Great post by Rachel Lucas: A href=”http://rachellucas.com/index.php/2008/09/17/youre-decent-but-just-confused-and-stupid/”>You’re Decent But Just Confused And Stupid.

  19. Bob Reed says:

    hf

    That’s the same thing we are all gonna have to do for all the goldbricks in the country if he is elected!

  20. Tom vG says:

    It’s all about the “children languishing in poverty”…

  21. Tom vG says:

    It’s all about “children of middle class yet are finding themselves unable to finance their college education”.

    I’m having trouble making up my mind…

  22. Slartibartfast says:

    All those “uhs” just mean he knows what he’s talking about.

    No, it means he’s thinking. Don’t bother him while he’s thinking.

    Freely composing the speech while he’s giving it, most likely. Meanwhile, Bush has to memorize his because he moves his lips while reading, and that makes it hard to speak intelligently. Which, maybe he’s reading the TeleprompTer, after all.

  23. JD says:

    Fucking misery pimps, they are.

  24. Slartibartfast says:

    I’m betting there are still Republicans out there that are thinking to themselves: it can’t possibly get more stupid than this. Well, my friends, I’m here to tell you that you’re in for disappointment. There’s at least six weeks of stupid between now and the election, followed by years of either he-stole-the-election stupid, or victoryforhopeandchange stupid, which includes rationalization of how it was a good thing that our president handed over our launch codes to the Chinese.

    Well, maybe not that last part, exactly. Anyway, lots more stupid to come, so stay tuned!

  25. Patrick says:

    Mmmmmmm, ketamine.

    And “porn for thorn” would make an excellent name for a rock band, I think.

  26. JD says:

    Slarti – You read my mind. Every freaking day I think surely it cannot get any more stooopid than this, or Baracky cannot tell 10 more whoppers, bigger than the 10 he told the day before, and then they manage to go and do the previously thought to be impossible.

  27. Sdferr says:

    Just heard (local) radio story: “Suicides are on the increase in the county. 95 so far this year vs. 94 all last year.”

  28. mishu says:

    Consider it their gift to you, people.

    What you mean, “You people”?

  29. Mikey NTH says:

    #27 JD:

    Don’t worry, stupidity is one industry that will never be outsourced or its jobs sent overseas. Our own domestic sources of stupidity are of world-class quality and match the competition in both price and availability. We can deliver any quantity anywhere, with a speed and service unmatched.

  30. Carin says:

    Perhaps we should change the O! to UH!

  31. JD says:

    Misery pimpin’ at its finest.

  32. […] Hollywood –transcribed below– should give even the most ardent Obamian pause. It is an incoherent ramble through a series of cliches, delivered to an audience of $28,500-a-plate swells“.. cuz New Orleans is Democratic, right? […]

  33. SaveEarth says:

    All those “uh’s” indicate thoughtful, sincere consideration. It’s a takeoff on the Jimmy Stewart humble smile and loveable brilliance. It kinda screens the Elmer Gantry/Bob Jones persona until control is fully surrendered.
    Then, just before we reach ecstasy, the Kool-Aid is served.
    Rest ye, the Benevolent Messiah will provide serenity.

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