Frank Rich: Wall-E For President

SO much for a July Fourth week spent in idyllic celebration of our country's birthday. This year's festivities were marked instead by a debate -- childish, not constitutional -- over who is and isn't patriotic. The fireworks were sparked by a verbally maladroit retired general, fueled by two increasingly fatuous presidential campaigns, and heated to a boil by a 24/7 news culture that inflates any passing tit for tat into a war of the worlds.

Let oil soar above $140 a barrel. Let layoffs and foreclosures proliferate like California's fires. Let someone else worry about the stock market's steepest June drop since the Great Depression. In our political culture, only one question mattered: What was Wesley Clark saying about John McCain and how loudly would every politician and bloviator in the land react?

Unable to take another minute of this din, I did what any sensible person might do and fled to the movies. More specifically, to an animated movie in the middle of a weekday afternoon. What escape could be more complete?

Read the whole story here.

Comments

[Eric8869]

A mindless robot for president? We already had that....wait WALL E has a heart so he is different.

[bibb]

In Wall-E, we are presented with humanity that is lulled into such a lazy complacency that they end up abandoning a polluted, and ruined world. The pursuit of pleasure becomes more important than anything else, and it leaves all humans bloated and unable to even move on their own. The parallels to today's society, in which no one is willing to give anything up even though we know that our overconsumption will eventually ruin us, is frightening.
I am hoping that there are human equivalents to Wall-E, and that we can be lead to realize that our goals should be more than just having a good time.

[PollyTics]

Whereas I am/was a huge Obama fan, I too have been turned off by his recent policy turns, however Mr. Rich's tone is shockingly anti-Obama. Yes, he has "redefined" many of his positions, but the MSM has also misrepresented many of these same policies so we all do need to read more and take note. However, to denigrate Obama's leadership (at least at this time) is horrendous and should be kept close to the vest until we see where his campaign is actually going.

Also, Mr. Rich's action of addressing SENATOR Obama as Mr. is stunning in its lack of respect and makes me wonder aloud about MR. Rich himself.
.

[BatMasterson]

"Also, Mr. Rich's action of addressing SENATOR Obama as Mr. is stunning in its lack of respect and makes me wonder aloud about MR. Rich himself."

When has calling someone Mister ever been disrespectful? And stunning? Don't think so. You obviously have Faux Rage Syndrome and should see a doctor about the knee-jerk.

[goodog]

This is a common practice in papers and periodicals of record. The NYTimes and... The Economist... for example, both frequently refer to heads of state with this more generic title, conferring a mutual respect rather than one more hierarchical. There's somewhat of a slight in there somewhere, implying that constitutional prerogative reminds us that it's the press's calling not to take any government official so seriously that they forget to fulfill the role of reasonably dispassionate watchdog, such as media-at-large did between 2000 and now.

Rest assured, they're remarkably consistent in this regard, often referring to Mr. Bush and Mr. Blair. No one is spared this commonality that reminds us all men are created equal.

Mr. McCain might say "lighten up," but really you just need read better magazines.

[larry278]

Mr Rich's column establishes that the USA is well into the dog day, no news season. No can predict when this season of lethargy & blither may end.

[harriscrl3]

Hmm seems to me its the media thats focusing on silliness and turning people's words against them. So far this election the media is indeed turning out to be one of the bad guys. I really Miss Tim Russert. I have nothing left to warch.

Carol

[walk0nwalls]

I'll make the bumper stickers. Wall-E: world's greatest 3rd party candidate ever.

[Marlyn]

"Compare any 10 minutes of the movie with 10 minutes of any cable-news channel, and you"ll soon be asking: Exactly who are the adults in our country and who are the cartoon characters?"

Great article, Frank Rich.

[Cookie100]

All correct!!! Thank you Frank, again! You are always so astute. Why the other MSM jumps on stories the minute O opens his mouth, I don't know, they must be so bored!
Oh, or maybe they're just guilty. After the Sat Night Live skit about the press giving O a free ride on coverage, they haven't stopped from hopping down his throat daily.
Where's the cover on McSame changing his mind daily? Last was his touting the GI Bill that he opposed, yet he actually stood before a group of vets and said he really believed in the bill that Jim Webb sponsored. Either McSame's the biggest hypocrite in the world, OR he can't remember a word he said 1/2 hour ago! I didn't see anyone but The HuffPo cover that story!!!