The more I watch the debate increase over Obama's capitulation, something strange has come to mind. I have this feeling I've seen this somewhere before. But where? Then it hits me! This is the plot of every bad "coming of age movie" that was produced in the 1980s. For someone who grew up in the Eighties, the more I think about it, the more it seems to fit. Bear with me, I'll explain . . .
To me, here are the similarities:
Cast of characters:
Barack Obama: The protagonist, the "geek" that has a solid group of other geeky friends. He is outside the mainstream and the underdog but gets good grades at Congress High School. (Okay, not really an outsider but bear with me)
The Republicans: The "jocks", "preppies", and cheerleaders at Congress High School, the Big Jerks on Campus that run the social structure, with wedgies and noogies all around for Obama and his geek friends. Supported by the Lobbyists.
The Democrats: The student body at Congress High School. Most just keep their heads down or they attract the attention of the Big Jerks on Campus. Fear of wedgies, swirlies, and noogies motivate their actions and they have a total lack of spinal fortitude against Lobbyists or Republicans.
Lobbyists: The guys who graduated from Congress High years ago but hang around to feel important, (the older they get, the girls stay the same age), secretly influence the Republicans through passive regressive actions.
Progressive/Liberal wing of Democratic Party: The geeks, the ones who work hard at student activities, have their clicks that help them survive the harsh climate of Congress High, and through their effort some good changes come about though they never get the credit.
As this really bad B movie opens, we find Obama and his geek friends working hard at getting Obama elected to Student Body President. The Republicans come in, kick dirt in faces, give some wedgies, walk away laughing.
Geek #1: Those guys are such JERKS!
Obama: See what I mean, fellow geeks. This is why I need to be president, I'll make sure they never do that to us again!
All Geeks: YEA!!!
The campaign goes on, Obama at one point gets cornered and beat up by the Republicans and Lobbyists right before the final speech in the gym, but he gives his speech anyway and is so rousing the entire student body cheer and vote him in at president, chanting "Yes we CAN!".
Cut to three weeks later. The Republicans and Lobbyists realize that this Obama kid could really mess things up for them, so they start to include Obama into their social circles. They ask him to parties, get him drunk, the head cheerleader makes out with him. Or he comes up with a new cool dance move at the school dance:
Through this whole process he starts to act more and more like the Big Jerks on Campus. And Obama forgets about the geeks and the rest of the student body that got him elected.
In one emotionally charged scene, Obama watches passively as the Republicans kick the shit out of the geeks and steal money from the student body treasury.
As the Republicans walk off screen, slappind each other on the back, giving each other high fives, Obama begins to walk away too, just then:
Geek #1: (weeping) Why Barack, why? We thought **sniffle**
Geek #2: Yea! Why do you hang with those jerks?
Geek #5: Don't talk to him, guys, he's one of them now. Just get out of here Obama!! GET OUT!!
Obama: Oh yea?!? Well, I never liked you guys to begin with! I hate you! My new friends would never treat me this way!
And Obama storms out of the shot.
Now, this is where the movie stops for now. And this is where we find ourselves in this tax capitulation.
If this thing follows the formula of those crappy, yet influential, movies of the Eighties, Obama would at first go to his new friends, the Republicans. He would get drunk with them again, throw up on Geek #3's science project, and try to forget his old buddies, the Progressive/Liberal Dems.
But then Obama starts to soul search and eventually learns that his new friends aren't his friends at all and he does the right thing, returning to his geek friends after some shouting, apologizing, tears, and hugs. Roll end credits with a stirring Eighties song playing.
Is there any chance Obama will do the right thing? Will he realize that his new friends aren't friends at all? Will he come back to his real friends and apologize? Is Congress just playing out the trials and tribulations of bad High School movie cliches? I'll go pop some popcorn, open a beer, and settle in for the exciting answers in the second half of the movie.
BTW, what should the title of the movie be?