Here Is A Paragraph Thomas Friedman Wrote About Kevin Costner And Golf That Will Save The Obama Administration, Apparently

I'm tardy to the party, but via Balloon Juice, this is something Thomas Friedman actually wrote and managed to get published:

Meanwhile, Mr. President, on a rainy day, rent the movie "Tin Cup." There is a great scene where Dr. Molly Griswold is trying to help Roy "Tin Cup" McAvoy, the golf pro, rediscover his swing -- and himself. She finally tells him: "Roy ... don't try to be cool or smooth or whatever; just be honest and take a risk. And you know what, whatever happens, if you act from the heart, you can't make a mistake."

Yes, that's right. At a time when millions of Americans lack employment and the economy appears to be heading back into a period of prolonged dry-heaving, one of Thomas Friedman's prescriptives for America is for President Barack Obama to watch -- nay, do a deep scene study of -- a 1996 Kevin Costner movie.

Of course, this is actually one of the least objectionable paragraphs in the New York Times piece. Let me try to sum it up for you. Friedman says that Obama needs to get very serious about his golf game, to the point where he is gambling. If he does this, he will magically become more effective at winning the heart of Rene Russo "Grand Bargaining" with the Republicans. Because, as Friedman well knows, the American people desperately want jobs "$3 trillion in spending cuts over the next decade and $1 trillion in tax increases." They want to "cheer" for the president and this plan. But Obama didn't do enough to explain his plan (gambling at golf makes you better at "explaining," apparently), and absent these exquisite explanations, the American people could not "generate enough public pressure" on John Boehner and the House GOP to become -- as if by magic! -- "sane Republicans" who would accept the terms of the "Grand Bargain."

Yes, somehow the problem with this Grand Bargain isn't that one side of the bargaining table is utterly intransigent, it's that the guy who's done all the sacrificing and compromising hasn't yet cracked the secret code that unleashes the other side's "sanity."

Anyway, it's a galling mess, this column. And as I've said before about Friedman's work, it would be much improved with a healthy dose of eroticism. Think about what golf lends to the erotic genre: holes, wood, iron, doglegs, sand traps, approach shots, roughs, coming over the top (or, if you prefer, "out-to-in blow"), the back nine, stroke play. This is a very fervid setting for some literary carnality.

I mean, Thomas Friedman includes this sentence:

He's Tiger Woods -- a natural who's lost his swing. He has so many different swing thoughts in his head, so many people whispering in his ear about what the polls say and how he needs to position himself to get re-elected, that he has lost all his natural instincts for the game.

Tiger Woods? People whispering in other people's ears? A head full of "swing thoughts"? At the very least, it's like Friedman is trying to meet me halfway on this.

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Comments

[tman418]

02:26 PM on 08/29/2011

Obama should watch "Bullworth" instead.

[Jeff Lang]

03:50 PM on 08/28/2011

I always thought the President needed to watch "Blazing Saddles".

Think about it.

[Blackorpheus]

01:09 PM on 08/27/2011

Linkins' prose is as usual a trial, but he's right about Thomas Friedman whose reputation as an astute political analyst is vastly exaggerated.

[plooger]

08:05 AM on 08/27/2011

Ironically, Obama *could* benefit from a Costner movie night, but I'd suggest a different flick... 'Field of Dreams'... from which he might extrapolate success from the ghostly suggestion, "if you build it, he will come."

p.s. "it" == the economy, "he" == the voter

[mooncop1]

07:08 AM on 08/27/2011

So he is saying that we are watching the demise of Obama and Woods at this moment in time. he is on to something there I think.

[Mithrall]

06:07 PM on 08/26/2011

I think a better movie would be "Moneyball" Where instead of taking it for granted that tax cuts create jobs and therefore obviously tax increases destroy jobs. We should actually try to find out if this is true. Seems to me that the economy was humming along just fine during Bill (Tax and Spend) Clinton's two terms and didn't do so well during and immediately George W(Tax Cuts) Bush's two terms. The Republicans are trying to force another euphemism on us with their "Job Creators" meme. Instead of calling someone wealthy or rich they refer to them as "Job Creators" but do they really create jobs? Not really. Demand is what creates jobs and dollar for dollar the more money the poor and middle class has the better off everyone is. The poor and middle class will spend virtually every penny they make locally. The "Job Creators" err rich or wealthy have several options that don't involve spending locally. They might create jobs but many of those jobs might be overseas. Raise taxes on the rich and they will still come out ahead and end up with most of the money. Trickle down doesn't work nearly as well as trickle up does. The only difference is in how well the economy does. The rich should actually be in favor of higher taxes as it creates a much more vibrant economy.

[plooger]

08:06 AM on 08/27/2011

What the Republicans call "job creators" have actually been job outsourcers.

[onionboy]

05:53 PM on 08/26/2011

You forgot to mention that by following that advice; in the big match, he tries an impossible shot over and over, and ultimately finishes dead last.

[KikoJones]

05:10 PM on 08/26/2011

I'm reminded of another movie, one with a Democrat in the White House who at one point says:
"I was too busy keeping my job to do my job." He then adds, "Well, that ends right now."

Here's to wishful thinking...

[mama likes mambo]

05:09 PM on 08/26/2011

And after reading the title, I thought for sure it would have been about Waterworld and Global warming......

[jc747]

03:32 PM on 08/26/2011

Absolutely no more of the Boehner/McConnell Do-Nothing Congress that we’ve had to put up with since their start in January. They may want to keep on doing nothing- to the President’s disadvantage- but when they come back to their posts after Labor Day, Obama will “Lobby” the American People to “Lobby” Congress to pass a Large “Package” of Job Creation Proposals. He also says he will keep at his new post (which, in effect, will be a “Kingship” Anointed unto him by the Authority of the American People) until every single Person that wants a job in America can have one! That’s a long time!

Job Creation is going to be Obama’s Power Point. And inversely, it will be the GOP’s and their Presidential Candidates’ Weak Point. I mean, what’s their solution; even more Tax Cuts and Other Advantages for the Wealthy and Big Corporations (so-called Job Creators)?! Sure hasn’t worked at all to date since 2001, has it? In fact, just the opposite, right?

Along the way, I am sure Obama will take advantage of his new Kingship to get more business done that would be to the American People’s advantage; like passing Immigration Reform, Increasing Tax Revenues, etc., etc.

From my limited knowledge of History, this will be an Unprecedented use of the Bully Pulpit!

But it sure’s gonna be a whole lotta New Fun!

All Hail to the soon-to-be-King Obama!!

[Motivated Marine0311]

04:26 PM on 08/26/2011

"Along the way, I am sure Obama will take advantage of his new Kingship to get more business done.... "

Are you an ameircan? You do realize that the role of the POTUS is a public service not to RULE...

People with your state of mind should not be allowed to vote.

[intolleft]

03:11 PM on 08/26/2011

"...don't try to be cool or smooth or whatever; just be honest and take a risk."

Oborg is not any of those.

[inLA]

02:45 PM on 08/26/2011

Economic policy must originate in THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

When will pundits finally come to grips with the fact that they can't coach the president on things that he doesn't control?

Send the movie to Boehner. Better yet, sent him Roger and Me. Then we might get something started. Maybe. Although with this congress, I doubt it.

[JoanMeijer]

02:11 PM on 08/26/2011

I truly didn't understand this post at all. I got the great quote though.

[peaceppl]

11:18 AM on 08/26/2011

a Thomas Friedman parody:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UK7wwxkcQvU

[den1953]

10:55 AM on 08/26/2011

Maybe it is time to bring back the mom and pop neighborhood stores and the hell with WalMart, they killed the malls why not go retro in America and kill China and WalMart, things just might get more friendly in American neighborhoods again and people can get to know one another again?

[indywoman]

12:32 PM on 08/26/2011

The problem is, no multinational multi-billion dollar corporation will ever go away. We have no way of getting rid of them. People like the cheap goods at Walmart, including me. I would be happy to never shop there again, but corporations in general own this country now. Getting rid of the regulations on them starting many years ago, has resulted in them running the country.

[Leadsled]

12:51 PM on 08/26/2011

Sherman and Clayton Anti-Trust Acts would be an effective way to get rid of wal-mart. I don't know why (well I do, but I mean rationally) the DOJ's Anti-Trust section doesn't do something.

[camelias and sweet tea]

01:27 PM on 08/26/2011

It is like a trip to the Zoo once a week....