And there aren't any spires atop those buildings, either.
Presented with two photos of George W. Bush's own 2004 acceptance ceremony at Madison Square Garden, Esenberg tosses a cursory glance at the first and pronounces dismissively, "Two faux columns does not a temple make." (That probably should be "do not.")
Neither does one faux blog post, for that matter.
Yet the second photo reveals the coronated El Presidente, recently emerged from enshrinement within an edifice comprised of no fewer than six Greco-Roman columns and having strode a shining path of royal blue, poised regally on a gigantic podium assembled from a series of golden discs ringed by velvet ropes and sumptuous scarlet carpeting, and further surrounded by throngs of dutiful worshipers.
The sheer pomposity of the scene makes Obama's plywood construction look positively modest by comparison. Come to think of it, Senator Obama's Invesco installation reminds me of this:
(Note the pagan idol housed within.)
Recent estimates put the cost of producing each U.S. penny at approaching two cents. Obama's nod to the Lincoln Memorial is clearly a sly reference to eight long years of deficit spending and the squandering of a federal budget surplus inherited by the Bush administration. So be sure to treat yourselves to some more of McSame come November, teaches Prof. Esenberg.
I know you think personally well of Prof. Esenberg, but with the exception of the music videos, I have yet to see much emerge from his blog that isn't a more or less absurd contortion.
ReplyDeleteThe ones involving Obama, like this one, tend to be especially remarkable examples of double-standards, hypocrisy, or mealy-mouthed smear jobs.
He clearly seems a bright and articulate man. But that doesn't mitigate the dim, almost thuggish, character of posts like "Barackus Caesar" -- rather, it makes them tragic.
IT: The resemblance to the Lincoln Memorial also summons up the anniversary of the "I Have a Dream" speech, does it not? On purpose?
ReplyDeleteClutch: Esenberg is indeed ridiculously Obama-phobic, at least that's his pose on his blog. I do, however, think the faux-fear wooden ship has sailed.
The right's criticism of the DNC has ranged from questionable ("Hillary didn't explicity say that Obama is ready!") to flat out farcical ("Omigod, teh backdrop looks like a the Parthenon!!!!!1!!one!!five!). Seriously, how about Bush standing on an enormous copy of the Presidential Seal four years ago?
ReplyDeleteI would recommend that Professor Esenberg and the rest of his party stick to the issues, but, as this week is reminding us all, they've pretty much screwed up on all of them. So, on second thought, maybe they're better off whining about backdrops, parsing every nuance of Hillary's speech, and disingenuously crowing about how they're arch-nemesis Hillary should have been on the ticket.
Put simply, I think they doth protest way, way, way too much.
Shaquille O'Neal, asked if he'd visited the Parthenon during a trip to Athens: "I can't really remember the names of the clubs that we went to."
ReplyDeletePerfect.
ReplyDeletethe anniversary of the "I Have a Dream" speech ...
ReplyDeleteMcCain voted against declaring a national day of commemoration for MLK, a vote he more recently called "a mistake."
Now, by mocking the Invesco platform, he is criticizing Obama for commemorating MLK.
You guys have it all wrong. I think he's upset that Obama is co-opting the imagery used at most universities. Barackus is threatening his job, and the Professor is deeply concerned!
ReplyDeleteNo, actually I looked at both of them and neither is a reconstruction of a temple, much less one in a 75000 seat football stadium.
ReplyDeleteLook, I understand the allusion to ther Lincoln Memorial. That doesn't make it better. As young Mr. Sarver is learning, the atmospherics of a trial or a campaign are not even for both sides. When you have managed, fairly or unfairly, to get a rap for grandiosity, you don't play into it. You play smarter than that.
If I thought that Obama had the better of it on the issues, of course, this atmospheric blunder wouldn't matter much to me. Because I don't, I am happy that he's made it.
What are you doing here?! The Goreacle is pronouncing from the Temple.
ReplyDeleteWhen you have managed, fairly or unfairly, to get a rap for grandiosity, you don't play into it. You play smarter than that.
ReplyDeleteWhat an odd line of reasoning for what you've done on your blog.
In effect: Because you and others have already -- "fairly or unfairly -- ridiculed Obama for "grandiosity", you will in this case ridicule him for what you will call grandiosity, without regard for whether the charge is fair. Or even intelligible.
Wouldn't it be simpler and more honest just to admit that you're determined to slag the man with predetermined spin, no matter what?
Actually, it doesn't look like a temple at all ... and it seems esenberg et al are suffering from a severe case of attendance envy given McCain's struggling to give away 12,000 tix to see him announce his veep candidate.
ReplyDeleteSadly for Rick et al the backdrop doesn't look at all like the reconstruction of a temple...though that surely won't stop Sykes from claiming it.
ReplyDeleteOne must wonder whether Rick, Chuck et al are suffering from attendance envy given that McCain can't give away 12,000 tix to see him tomorrow.
Actually, it doesn't look like a temple at all ...
ReplyDeleteNo, it didn't, especially under the lights, which is where most people would have seen it (given that not even the cable news networks carry any convention speeches other than the keynoters).
But there will be even stupider daily talking points to come, rest assured.
Mr. Esenberg seems to have a distinct lack of empathy. He is clearly unable to understand what significance tonight's event had for an entire group of people. Of course, he's never had to deal with what they have either, but he could at least have given it thought before stepping in it.
ReplyDelete"He is clearly unable to understand what significance tonight's event had for an entire group of people."
ReplyDeletei.e., Bears fans