Wednesday, September 19, 2007

Fat Man and Little Boy

No, that's not the bipartisan Dream Ticket of Mike Huckabee and Dennis Kucinich (besides, Huckabee's not fat anymore; he lost, like, a hundred pounds). It's one of the many movies in which former Senator Fred Dalton Thompson has starred. Now, like so many actors-turned-statesmen before him - well, two anyway, who made a real impact (that would be Ronnie and Arnold) - Thompson wants to move from the soundstage to the world stage. To commemorate his entry into the presidential race, we present the following updated synopses of some of Thompson's, um, best-known films:

IN THE LINE OF FIRE: What Thompson found himself in, barely a week into the race. First he said Osama bin Laden no longer matters; then he wanted him caught and killed, but "under the rule of law." Then he demurred on the Terri Schiavo case, saying he didn't remember the details, before saying later that Congress shouldn't have gotten involved; then, he was surprised to learn while visiting Florida that there's oil in the Everglades and controversy over drilling there (never mind that this was an issue while Thompson was in the Senate). A rough start for Fred. He may need to study his lines a little more. Cue the music - it's time for "Law and Order: Trial By Fire."

THE HUNT FOR RED OCTOBER: What the Republican nominee will be engaged in a year from now: trying to turn some of those blue states into red ones. You can be sure the cable networks will use this one in a logo if Thompson wins the GOP nomination.

NECESSARY ROUGHNESS: What Rudy Giuliani claims as he lays into Hillary Clinton in his new attack ads. Rudy's sinking his fangs into his fellow New Yawker for dissing General Petraeus during last week's Senate hearing, trying to somehow link her to the Move On ad that bashed the general in the New York Times. Hillary's trying to stay above the fray, deflecting questions about the ad and her snarkiness with platitudes about how much she respects the general's service, if not his conclusions. They're just getting started, folks: it will be bump and run all the way to next November.

DAYS OF THUNDER: What we're guaranteed a year from now, when the Democrats and Republicans hold their conventions within a few days of each other, and as close to 9/11 as they can get. Expect a lot of sound and fury, signifying nothing.

CLASS ACTION: What John Edwards will file against Ann Coulter, Rush Limbaugh and friends if they don't stop calling him the "Breck Girl." He will sue on behalf of pretty boys with long hair everywhere. God, I wish I were still part of that class...

CURLY SUE: What Ann Coulter, Rush Limbaugh and friends will call John Edwards next.

CAPE FEAR: Where the Democrats will hold their 2008 convention, unless they clone some stem cells and grow a spine for the party before next summer.

BED OF LIES: I don't remember this movie, but Fred was in it, so I couldn't resist. But this one is too easy, so we'll move on to...

BARBARIANS AT THE GATE: The immigration plank in the Republican platform.

BABY'S DAY OUT: A freshman Senator finds himself in over his head as he runs for president with a big bag of charisma and a teeny little one of actual policies. Starring Barack Obama as himself.

SEX AND THE CITY: Hmm, are the Republicans really still going to hold their convention in Minneapolis? Can they all fit into that stall at the airport? Even while Katie Couric and Larry King anchor from there? Fifty cents says Larry Craig won't get to deliver the keynote (and yes, Fred Thompson did a guest shot on Sex and the City once).

BURY MY HEART AT WOUNDED KNEE: What each candidate instructs his handlers to do before he or she takes a deep breath and enters the presidential free-for-all.

LAST BEST CHANCE: What each candidate tells us he or she is, for Democracy and the Future of our Homeland. This one goes with...

BORN YESTERDAY: ...which is what they must think we all were, since everyone is running as the candidate of change, which is what every candidate has been promising since John Adams.

And finally...

NO WAY OUT: What the American people have, as we endure the longest, earliest and most expensive primary season ever... followed by the longest and most expensive general election campaign ever...followed by another disappointing president who is roundly criticized by carping pundits who all do stories about how there's no such thing as a presidential honeymoon anymore...followed by intensifying speculation about who will run in 2012...at which point we will start all over again.

Boy, this blog is way too cynical. Have I been on the campaign trail too long? Okay, then, we'll give it a happy ending, with:

KEEP THE CHANGE: What we all hope we will finally get to do, when Our Next President fixes the economy, cuts taxes, balances the budget, solves the mortgage crisis, brings Peace In Our Time, Joy to the World, the arts back to our schools and flowers to the streets of Baghdad.

See you next week...

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Cynical...? I thought you were somewhat understated!
Are we really going to head into another election with a simplistic "Oh, I know him, I've seen him on TV, he seems nice," dynamic driving the peoples' consideration of whom to elect to lead the free world? (Well, "free" as long as you don't want to participate in a peaceful demonstration on the streets of New York.) Are we really going to hear Republicans (and drug and insurance company lobbies)say "socialized medicine" and run in fear from intelligent, civilized concepts of basic human rights and dignity and entitlement due to 1950s shadowy ideas of Communists and Socialists? Are we still afraid or too lazy to THINK and act in our own best interests? So it seems...
Keep stirring the pot!
Daemon

Doug Sovern said...

Thanks a lot for your comment, Daemon. Yeah, I have to keep it understated, don't I? I am a reporter after all, not a polemicist. It's a fine line, but someone has to straddle it! I will simply keep trying to open people's eyes a bit, with honest information...and a bit of humor!

Anonymous said...

Very clever.
Cynical yes, but in a nice way.

Anonymous said...

You are really funny. I love this blog!

Anonymous said...

These are funny and insightful. You should read them on your radio show. I wish you would blog more often though, a week is a long time between posts...

Raoul

Doug Sovern said...

Thank you anonymi. Raoul, thank you too! I am trying to blog more often, but I work pretty hard at the traditional radio part of my job, so it can be tough to find the time. But I'll try! thanks again...Doug

Anonymous said...

This was a great comic relief after working for hours on perfecting a stautory analysis assignment... woohoo law school!

Doug Sovern said...

Thank you, anonymous law student. You are the future of our nation. Keep analyzing those statutes. Moot court is right around the corner...