I’ve never been a huge comic book reader.  I grew up in the middle of nowhere, and access to a store that had comic books was pretty rare for me.  But every once in a while my brother and I would be given a a few, from family members, friends, etc.

At some point in the eternal comic universe there was a reoccurring Superman storyline that revolved around his doppelganger, Bizzaro, and the planet he came from.  While the storyline is entirely too long (and nerdy) to get into here, the concept is that a parallel universe/planet exists, which is populated by opposite versions of people in Superman’s world, doing the exact opposite things as their Earthly counterparts do.  As I have spent the last few days reading and hearing about Obama and the infamous 100 Days landmark, I can’t help but think about how similarly and completely backwards the political situation in our country has become.  (Additionally, I have been reading 1984 and have found similar terrifying parallels).  We are living in a complete Bizzaro World, where things would have been embarrassing at best, and politically devastating at worst, have become common, accepted practice.  The media is invested in party lines, and not the truth.  The public is looking for what will quickly and easily solve their present problems, not what will stand the test of time. Our politicians are looking for ways to hold onto power as best they can, not serving the principles and ideals that put our country where it is in the first place.

In the last few days Obama’s staff has been simultaneously downplaying and propping up the 100 Days mark.  Naturally, the main idea from his people has been that it is a worthless marker that should be ignored, except for all the “good” things he has done that we should be praising.  An unnamed Obama advisor has put out the following list as the landmark 100 day issues:

• Passing the “largest” economic stimulus bill in American history.
• Ordering the closing of Guantanamo Bay military detention facility and abolishing “enhanced interrogation techniques.”
• Setting a fixed timetable for withdrawing U.S. combat forces from Iraq.
• Ordering 21,000 additional troops to Afghanistan and enlisting, with modest new assistance, European allies in a new multi-layered strategy there and in Pakistan.
• “Returning science to its rightful place” by lifting the Bush restrictions on federally funded embryonic stem cell research.
• Signing laws to expand children’s health insurance
• Signing a law meant to improve the ability of women who allege pay discrimination to sue their employer.
• Diminishing the role of lobbyists in the White House
• “Forge a meaningful statement from the United Nations” criticizing North Korea’s launch of a ballistic missile.
• Lifting travel and remittance restrictions for Cuban Americans who seek to travel more frequently to the island and send more US currency to their immediate family.
• Engaging world leaders in Europe, Turkey, Latin American and the Caribbean with “strength and humility.”

We really are living in Bizzaro World if these are the standards being given as a successful 100 first days.  Nearly every one of these points is something negative that is being spun as a positive.  Who needs reality anyway, right?  Each can be easily and quickly re-written:

• Passed the “largest” Economic Stimulus Bill in American history.  With this, Obama has accumulated more debt in 100 days than every President previous to him, combined.  This bill was based on a long discredited Keynesian notion that spending is a good way to solve a debt problem.  While it may prove politically expedient in the extreme short run, common sense economics and history show otherwise.
• Ordered Gitmo closed, but has no set time to close it, and currently has no plan for taking care of the prisoners.
• Set a timetable for Iraq, aka, kept Bush’s timetable in place.
• Has sent additional troops to Afghanistan, but has no new strategy (ie the Surge) to win said conflict/quagmire.  Moveon.org is strangely silent.
• Lifted Bush restrictions on stem cells, but brought most of them back a few days later, naturally in a much more quiet fashion.
• Vastly expanded government provided child-health care, paid for by a massive increase in cigarette taxes (keeping in mind that the vast majority of smokers are poor).  Touted as a providing health care for the poor, but in actuality provides health care well into the middle class range- a successful attempt at increasing the likelihood of full national health care.
• Signed the Lilly Ledbetter Act, (and did not place it on the White House website for multiple days for our viewing pleasure as promised), which changes the statute of limitations on pay discrimination cases.  It is a gross injustice to employers and a blatant payoff to trial lawyers.
• Talked big about cleaning up Washington’s lobbyist problem, but hired various lobbyists within the administration.
• Had the UN, in the words of Team America: World Police, send North Korea “a very angry letter,” which the entire world knows is backed up by nothing.
• Lifted travel embargoes on Cuba, which will end up benefiting the Cuban government and not the Cuban people.
• Engaged World Leaders by talking down America, and talking up himself.  Was so successful on his European Magical Mystery Tour that he was able to get virtually zero help whatsoever for his new campaign in Afghanistan.

Let’s not forget also that within his first 100 days he was also able to get 800+ grassroots organized protests in every state of the country.  Even Bush couldn’t do that.  Maybe Obama is Bizarro-Bush?  Now that’s a scary thought.  I’ll take neither please.

Sources:

100 Days: What Obama Wants You To Read

100 Days: How Obama Changed DC

Advisor: Obama’s First 100 Days Most Productive Since FDR

Happy Debt Day

The Weekly Standard has a good article regarding the effectiveness of Comedy Central in deriding the GOP brand.  The key graphs:

I asked a well-respected academic political scientist what accounted for the sharp move in recent years. His answer: Comedy Central. “Jon Stewart has done more to destroy the Republican brand among young voters than any person in America.” And after reviewing some new research, it’s clear he may have been on to something…

[Jon] Stewart has said repeatedly he is “. . . just having fun pointing out the absurdities that emanate from the people and processes involved in today’s political world” and not intending to persuade anyone. “Regardless,” Morris writes, “. . . even though Stewart may not intend to persuade anyone, the evidence suggest that may have happened . . . “

First, it’s ridiculous of Stewart to claim that he’s not attempting to persuade anyone.  He’s a diehard liberal satirizing a political newscast.  As a liberal, he’s predisposed to finding conservatism/Republicanism more humorous.  Thus, he’s going to mock his enemies more and thereby persuade his audience to mock/reject his primary targets.  And as a diehard liberal, why wouldn’t he want to do this?  If I had a show on TV, I’d certainly want to influence people to adopt my worldview and its values.  It’s simply human nature to do so.  Quit wrapping yourself in the warm blanket of satire!

Second, of course Stewart is persuading people.  He’s a funny guy.  Who would want to support the losers he mocks?  No one, of course.  But especially not youth voters who are already overly sensitive to being ostracized from the larger group and have a limited foundation - at best - of history, economics or philosophy upon which to weigh a statement’s merits.  Most are just looking to be entertained.  And there’s the problem: they’re being entertained by a humorous, one-sided impersonation of a news show.  Whatever their motive for watching the show, the message comes through loud and clear.  The Daily Show is television’s equivalent to the bumper sticker: witty and generally well-crafted, but incredibly one-sided without any feedback channel.  By shaping the arguments, Stewart is 90% of the way to winning the arguments.

Now, Comedy Central is a private enterprise, so it can do whatever it wants.  But where’s the personal responsibility?  There’s certainly a place for humor, but [from either perspective on the political spectrum] laughing while Rome burns is irresponsible, particularly when you know you are likely the only source of “news” your audience consumes.

We’ve become a generation of mockers.  From television to journalism to academia, people who have never accomplished anything mock those in the public square who have accomplished much.  Academia and journalism are the more serious problems overall (eg. PhD professors and editorial columnists who have never run a business in their lives lecturing the world about running businesses), but television is hugely influential, particularly over youth voters.  And nearly all television aimed at the youth demographic - from Comedy Central to MTV and its subsidiary VH1 - is filled with C-List actors/comedians mocking everyone else.  Much of it is in good fun and pokes fun at our society for latching on to fads, exalting celebrities and listening to bad music that gets overplayed on the radio; however, the people doing the ridicule are generally at the forefront of any and all fads whose life goal is to be famous enough to end up on the cover of US Weekly.  In reality, they’re a bunch of never-will-bes tearing down the lives - and in our present context the ideas - of others.

Don’t kid yourself, this stuff matters.  Derision and ridicule is an effective form of political warfare.  In WWII, Hitler was mocked incessantly by Hollywood (via Looney Tunes and Charlie Chaplin) as a fascist, goose-stepping loon with deep psychological issues.  More recently, in Team America: World Police Kim Jong Il was made to look like a petty gangster - “Hans Brix, oh no!” - and the United Nations was portrayed as the feckless organization that it is - “we will write you a letter telling you how angry we are.”  Put simply, ridicule works because it makes the enemy into a pathetic farce, rather than a twelve foot giant worthy of respect.

Jon Stewart has led the charge in tearing down the GOP among youth voters.