What do these two "celebrities" have in common? Follow me over the jump and I will show you.
"They say you have a monster here. They say your lands are cursed. I am Barackowulf and I am here to kill your Republican Party."
I happen to be both a committed Obama supporter and a lover of epic literature, so some of the recent madness in the coverage of this campaign led me in all places, back to Beowulf. Now I admit I have not yet seen the animated movie,but allow me to recommend the newish translation of the poem by Irish poet Seamus Heaney. The introduction itself is worth the cover price, and the poem of warrior Geats, monsters and gold jumps out from Heaney's crafted lines. It is a poem everyone can read and enjoy, so if you last read Beowulf in high school English, and hated it, or aren't familiar with the story try it from Heaney and see what you think.
There are more than a few similarities between Barack Obama and Beowulf at the beginning of the story. Both are "outsiders" trying to save a nation under duress, both are considered young and relatively inexperienced, and both endure negative attack "ads" that leave out the whole truth and accuse them of bad behavior. Unferth, a retainer of the Danish king Beowulf is trying to rescue from Grendel, challenges Beowulf when they first meet:
"Are you the Beowulf who took on Breca in a swimming match on the open sea, risking the water just to prove that you could win? It was sheer vanity made you venture out on the main deep... he outswam you, came ashore the stronger contender... So Breca made good his boast upon you and was proved right."
Likewise, Obama has been accused of vanity in his trip overseas, of overstating his record and not being up to the job. Beowulf responds to Unferth not with violence, but with a direct verbal counter:
"Well, friend Unferth, you have had your say about Breca and me. But it was mostly beer that was doing the talking. The truth is this: when the going was heavy in those high waves, I was the strongest swimmer of all."
Friendly, yet forceful and to the point (like somebody I know!). Beowulf then explains that if it appears as though he lost, this was only because he was busy killing sea monsters as he swam, and Unferth's accusations omit this part of his record.
So what I took from this is "Negative Campaigning" is much older than the television, and nearly as old as John McCain (I think he was skulking around in the back of Heorot when Grendel first attacked). Both Beowulf and Unferth would make formidable politicians in their own right. But I'm assured that like Beowulf, Barack is going to be able to get the job done, face his monsters and detractors with courage and honor and start the process of setting our country back to (I almost wrote rights!) where it needs to be.
Ultimately, just be happy I didn't photoshop John McCain's face onto the body of Grendel's mom. Nobody on either side of the aisle wants a piece of that!
First posted at Reading Our Past