Blue Mass Group

Reality-based commentary on politics.

What would Jesse “The Body” Ventura do?

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So while I think it is useful to debate the details of the decisions that must be made in these last few weeks of the year, I think the more-important analysis needs to focus on this question: Just how in the world did Obama and the Democrats get themselves into this situation? And how do they avoid it in the future?

Could you imagine in the giddy days of November 2008 forecasting the first two years of the Obama administration and laying out the scenario of what we are seeing right now? The Bush tax cut situation not settled (and now tied to unemployment extension)? DADT not repealed? You would have been laughed at. “We have a majority in the House and 60 votes, assuming Frankin’s win, in the Senate!”

But, once again, the Republicans have worked strategically while the Democrats have not, and thus we are where we are – in a figure-four leg lock, and not even Jesse “The Body” can help us. And since this isn’t professional wrestling, I’m not waiting for the miraculous turnaround.

A big part of the issue, IMO, is the message thing, both formulating it and getting it out. We’ve been hearing from the likes of George Lakoff for over six years now about why this is important. It’s not enough to be on the right side of things and to vote the right way. You have to make your case (and make it again and again). And especially for a Presidency, you need to control the narrative of who you are and what you stand for.

But maybe victories in 2006 and 2008 blunted that message and we fell back into our old ways. Somehow, Obama the candidate understood, but Obama the President doesn’t.

We need to learn from this experience to avoid repeating the events of the last few weeks (“I don’t get into situations like that.”). But when I read stories like this one, it doesn’t give me much hope.

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Comments

  1. I was just this morning thinking about how much national politics was resembling pro wrestling, and how much Obama’s performance was looking like the fix is in. The Republican agenda seems to be ordained to win almost every match.

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    p>And yes, I thought about Governor Ventura, and wondered what he thinks of it all. This is what he thinks:

    Politics in America is identical to pro wrestling.

    In front of the crowd, in front of TV, they pretend they hate each other. They pretend like they are big adversaries and that’s the sell job they do to us, the citizens. Just like pro wrestling, my job was to go out and piss everybody off so bad they would pay their hard earned money to go out and see me get my butt kicked. Well, the point is, we are all friends in the locker room. We all work together. It’s entertainment. We put on a show and this is no different. They are putting on a show, because behind the scenes, they are all friends. They go out to dinner together and cut their deals together. It’s a show. That’s what I believe. I taught at Harvard in 2004. Do you know what one of my classes was? How Pro Wrestling Prepares You For Politics.

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