Of Course Obama Is The One; Not That There's Anything Wrong With That

Unless you've been at a silent meditation retreat for several weeks, or held hostage by kidnappers awaiting ransom, you'll have seen the ad called "The One" by the respectful, issue-based propagandists over at John McCain 2008 HQ.

The ad, which is here, charges that Obama has "anointed himself The One," but is not "ready to lead." McCain is saying, "Granted, I'm not The One, but I know some stuff about the government." That's quite a choice to put to voters. Who would not choose the One?

Who do you want in the White House: the Redeemer of Mankind or the Comptroller?
Do you want #1 or #71?
Do you want "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself," or "Bomb, Bomb, Iran"?
Do you want Moses or Archie Bunker?

It's easy to get carried away about Obama. It's not his fault. Everyone loves him, even Germans, who don't even love each other. The ad has a clip from The Ten Commandments. So even Charlton Heston, the patron saint of gun owners, loves Obama from beyond the grave.

Republicans are suggesting that "ready to lead" somehow doesn't include the traits of the One -- presumably a compelling eloquence about a vision for the future -- so voters should mistrust Obama's virtues. The message is that if the bitterness with which Americans view our government were shattered by an inspiring presidency, the ensuing outbreak of democratic civic engagement would hurl our super-sized gluttonous civilization down the abyss. Moreover, on any list of great leaders in history (for example, Martin Luther King, Jesus Christ, Bill Pullman in Independence Day), being inspiring and eloquent feature high among the qualities that made them great. On the yonder side of the Obama years, we can all gladly resume hating the interminable succession of rank and cynical opportunists who will surely stand for President after 2016.

Obama is the One because he stands for change, but the Bush administration has set the bar so low that it doesn't matter much what that change is. Obama could say, "I believe in change because I believe in science." To which I'd reply, "Sweet! That's the kind of political courage I look for in a president. Finally, a president that doesn't want to keep fighting the Copernican Revolution."

As far as I'm concerned, you're the One if you don't call your wife a c**t and a trollop in front of reporters. If you habitually use words with more than two syllables in a row, then you're the One. If you make policy decisions based on evidence rather than the advice of the little Jesus in your heart, you're the One. If you're not an alcoholic ne'er-do-well millionaire, you're the One. If you don't call Vietnamese people "gooks," you're the One.

Clearly, the rebuttal ad should feature Trinity from The Matrix saying: "Senator, I served with the One. I knew the One. The One was a friend of mine. Senator, you're no The One."

Comments

[martina1965]

"As far as I'm concerned, you're the One if you don't call your wife a c**t and a trollop in front of reporters. " Can you be "The one" if you call her that in private?

[Nato Green - Huffpost Blogger]

Good point. I can only infer that if McCain has the chutzpah to talk that way in the presence of the relentless press corps, how he talks in private is probably rough enough to curdle milk.

[inouyde]

Pullman's character may not have been as eloquent as King or Jesus, but then Jesus couldn't pilot an F-14 Tomcat worth a damn.

Great column, Nato!

[NChooseK]

Well, Mr. Green, I don't know why this bit wasn't marked under the 23/6 banner, because you are obviously going for the funny. The thing is, the people who this ad was aimed at aren't going to think of "The Matrix" as the unmentioned movie the ad suggests. They are going to think of "The Omen 3", or the younger ones might think of the "Left Behind" films.

[Nato Green - Huffpost Blogger]

I think there's as much of a chance that they're thinking of "A Chorus Line" or "Golden Child."

[MPeter]

Damn! Mr. Green you are good. McCain has used the 'one' to scare Obama's supporters and devalue Obama's brilliance. Your quote below shows that it is actually okay, we can embrace it! Screw MSM and the punditocracy, it is all good!.

"Clearly, the rebuttal ad should feature Trinity from The Matrix saying: "Senator, I served with the One. I knew the One. The One was a friend of mine. Senator, you're no The One."

Thank You!

[Nato Green - Huffpost Blogger]

You're welcome!

...unless that was sarcasm, in which case, I'm sorry?

Anyway, as the saying goes, Mr. Green is my father.

[Freesia2]

Mr. Green (the Younger. Jr.? )

If Obama can pronounce the word nuclear and not add extra sssss's to the word terrorist, I will consider that enough welcome change to vote for him. (Though there are many more good reasons.)

And just to say it, being a person of faith I find the co-opting of faith by the rightwingers to be reason enough to go for change. Or "The One". But then they get Moses mixed up with Charleton Heston, so why do I pay attention to what they say?