Ahmadinejad Borrows Obama's "Yes We Can" For Iranian Election

Seemingly impressed by President Obama's success last November, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is adopting the iconic "Yes We Can" slogan for a new campaign video in anticipation of Iran's June 12 presidential election, the Guardian reports. The video's cover depicts Ahmadinejad in his trademark white jacket and a chalk board in the background that is said to read "We can" in Farsi. According to the Guardian:

The film is aimed at students and capitalises on his former status as a university lecturer. Its release coincides with that of another campaign video apparently attempting to trump Obama by recounting Ahmadinejad's visit to Turkey.

Obama won international acclaim during a visit to Turkey this month for declaring that the US was "not at war" with Islam and stressing that there were Muslims in his family. Ahmadinejad's visit last August was arguably less successful.

Below are freeze-frame images from Fardanews:

Ahmadinejad is by no means the first politician to capitalize on Obama's techniques -- the Israeli elections in February saw rampant Obama campaign recycling. According to France 24:

Sani Sanilovich, Internet coordinator for the right-wing Likud party, told the Israeli daily Haaretz in November that party leader Benjamin Netanyahu had asked him for an "Obama-style" election.

The socialist Meretz party hired David Fenton and Tom Mazzei, two important advisers on the Obama campaign, to spin the party as big a lead as possible.

Also from France 24 is this comparison screenshot of President Obama and now-Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's campaign websites:

Barack Obama:

Benjamin Netanyahu:

And going back even further before the 2008 US elections, it was actually Obama who was once accused of ripping off lines from Ahmadinejad, in June 2008 on The Laura Ingraham Show. Reported by Media Matters, Ingraham's guest Monica Crowley waxed scurrilously that Obama had stolen most of his tricks, and that he had stolen the slogan, in particular, from Ahmadinejad's first presidential run in 2005 -- a claim that Media Matters diligently debunks by pointing out that Obama used the "Yes We Can" slogan during his 2004 Senate run. Here is Crowley's rant from the show's transcript:

"Obama lifted his campaign line "Yes, we can" from the recent presidential campaign of the Iranian president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. The shrimp in the windbreaker? The shrimp in the windbreaker actually ran several years ago on the slogan -- on the very slogan "We can." "We can." "We can stick our fingers in the -- in the eyes of the United States. We can go nuclear. We can export terror. We can wreak havoc in Iraq. We can do all of those things." That was the campaign slogan of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. So, no wonder Senator Obama is so eager to race to go over there and talk to him. He wants to thank him for a winning slogan. 'Si, se puede.' 'Yes, we can.'"

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Comments

[Veri]

I like this guy. Sure, he is not politically correct. Reminds me of the time playing Counterstrike on an Iranian server. Being American playing a terrorist on an Iranian server. Turns out, there was some A-hole whose screen name was "Allah_Bom­bs_America­ns". What American would not be offended.

So, after some choice remarks regarding "PlayBurqa" and "Hey, look at those lovely sequines."­, "Oh My Allah! It's Abdul underneath those sheets.", and "PlayBurqa of The Month", one Iranian was particularly upset. The Administrator came on and asked what the problem was. Politely explained, of course.

Allah_Bomb­s_American­s was banned and we all joked about an American playing a terrorist in Counterstrike on an Iranian server.

Iranians are like us. Some differences. Some of them fundamental. Most Iranians you will ever talk to actually like America. And what history or archeology buff would not like to go visit the ancient, historical sites in Iran? Being American, you have to ask for permission from your government.

Just a government keeping a brother down.

Ahmadinejad, my man, hysterical! Get elected. Maybe another politician. But a lively one. And certainly slightly less unstable than Bush II.

Before all you CIA-Mossad­-Turkish-W­hatever hacks get your panties in a wad over this post. You are the problem.

[didleijoe]

Imitation is the sincerest form... ;-)

[Macready]

of flattery . . yes it is . . .

[Budokan]

It's only a matter of time before the GOP borrows it as well with their own peculiar twist: "Yes, we can...fail­."

http://kennethmarkhoover.com

[iyamchazz]

" Yes We Can " was more than a slogan.
There was a real man behind it.

[Pleneras]

Yes We Can is an old Latin American and Caribbean politican and social chant for many many decades. Si Se Puede is older than most of you. President Obama never claimed to own the phrase, so it's best when media puts out something like this to do their homework before publishing such nonsense.

[jozinha]

Yes, I have posted the same earlier. HOWEVER, the slogan in English has been used by the SEIU (Service Employees International Union) in the U.S. for decades. It is VERY "socialist­." The most recent use of the slogan in Spanish in this country was during the huge "illegal immagration" demonstrations a few years ago.

I was surprised that Obama would choose such a well-worn slogan strongly associated with Union struggle, AND I was actually appalled by how blatantly he lifted it. Then I got even more bothered by the fact that no one seemed to know this association AND the media NEVER made mention of it!!!!!

[anti-tazi]

Sí, se puede (Spanish for "Yes, it can be done"[1]) is the motto of the United Farm Workers. In 1972, during Cesar Chavez's 24 day fast in Phoenix, Arizona, he and UFW's co-founder, Dolores Huerta came up with the slogan.[1]

The phrase has been widely adopted by other labor unions and civil rights organizations and drew widespread political and media attention as a rallying cry during the 2006 U.S. immigration reform protests.[­2][3]


Sí se puede is usually translated in English as "yes, we can", or "yes you can".[4] The more literal translation that the United Farm Workers uses is "Yes, it can be done!"[5][6]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S%C3%AD_se_puede

[jozinha]

Se my other posts. The SEIU also used this slogan for decades. I have been bothered by the blatant lifting of it by Obama, PLUS the media's never mentioning the association. Lousy journalism.

[EmberOfTruth]

I don't know... Maybe because I don't speak Farsi, or that I am not anti-semit­ic... but how this little gnomish man is the leader of anything, is beyond me.

[mendelcrosses]

First of all,He has a PhD in Physics ,so as you can see,he is smarter than almost everyone in the American house of senate and congress. He belongs to the top 2% of the smartes people in the world. He is in Obama's league as far as intellectuallism goes.

Secondly,you (America) voted G W Bush twice and you dare ask the question about other leaders?

Ahmaddinejad'd first language isnt English,but he speaks and write better english than your two term president.

You are asking the wrong question my friend. I am sure you are part of those who asked "How Can A Black Guy ever be president"

[EmberOfTruth]

LOL, now that is funny.

[Soori]

Well you just answered your own question - you don't know!

[Cycadeoidea]

The voting public see him as a "regular" sort of guy, one of their own, and he's also managed to peacefully co-exist with the ruling theocracy. There's little doubt he's going to win the next round of elections.

[walk0nwalls]

But, your support is in the rural areas, you have almost no comparative support in the main streets of Tehran and the larger muslim youth.

How is this 'Yes we can?'

[peterg76]

Ahmadinejad is more in touch with his voters than the Republicans are with theirs.

[Ohioan730]

Nobody owns the phrase. I don't care who said it first. There was a message. Yes WE (the people) can and will get rid of all the rif raf in DC who's driven our country's reputation and economy into the ground because we have the power of the vote and yes we WILL use it. Yes we did.

[marijam]

Interesting, very interesting.

[4Q-N4Q2]

"Peas in a pod".

Does that really surprise anyone?

[cadd]

The slogans are the same and so are the people.

[Mokof]

Somebody is frustrated?

[lainey]

Even a fool can have his day. I just pray that this fools day is up in June.

[maikonen]

If it works, why not? Better than the Republicans' bellicose and belligerent "NO WE WON'T!"