Reason Magazine
- reason.com
- reason.tv
- reason.org
- Donate
- Site Search:
Reason on Facebook
Reason on Twitter
Reason on YouTube
Reason RSSGet Reason E-mail Updates!
Manage your Reason e-mail list subscriptionsadvertisements
It Takes a Nation of Whiners to Hold Us Back
Jonathan Chait's latest column defends Obama against the charge of messianism. Most of his points are valid. This one is a little too valid:
Now, it's certainly true that some enthusiastic Obama fans have displayed unusual zeal for their candidate. Yet it was only a few years ago--before President Bush's approval ratings tanked and conservatives decided that he wasn't actually a conservative at all--that the right had its own personality cult. There was DC 9/11, the Stalinist-style propaganda film reimagining Bush as an action hero boldly defying the terrorists on September 11. National Review, which has published innumerable articles in recent weeks decrying Obama's personality cult, was running advertisements for bronze busts depicting Bush in his "Mission Accomplished" fighter-pilot getup.
After September 11, James Merritt, then-president of the Southern Baptist Convention, told Bush that he had been chosen by God. Bush nodded. (Fred Barnes reported this encounter in The Weekly Standard, concluding, "The stage was set for Bush to be God's agent of wrath.") As Time reported, "Privately, Bush even talked of being chosen by the grace of God to lead at that moment." Claiming you've been chosen by God to lead the world in a titanic clash of good versus evil is pretty much the definition of messianic.
The short-lived cult of Bush, in fact, merely reprised the cult of Reagan that lives on to this day. Reagan kitsch has never gone out of style among Republicans. Numerous conservative pundits have suggested that any public policy question can be solved simply by asking "What would Reagan do?" The Heritage Foundation has a dedicated wwrd website. If, say, Brookings had inserted Obama's name into a phrase usually reserved for Jesus, you can only imagine what conservatives would make of it.
This is, actually, what bothers me most about Obama's cultish followers: They remind me of Bush and Reagan's cultish followers. It's silly for anyone who screamed like a Beatlemaniac watching the "Mission Accomplished" speech to greet Obamamania with a superior dance. But some of us would prefer a little more ... what's the word? ... change.
Elsewhere in Reason: Gene Healy on the real problem: the cult of the presidency.
|8.29.08 @ 7:41AM|#
KJL is embarrasing, but those last two links go to posts from two different people.
|8.29.08 @ 7:45AM|#
This is, actually, what bothers me most about Obama's
cultish followers: They remind me of Bush and Reagan's cultish
followers.
So, that's why you can buy bronze busts of Barack Obama?
Hogan|8.29.08 @ 7:55AM|#
Was there a Messianic cult built around Bush before he was elected, based entirely around his ability to See Into Our True Selves and Redeem Our Unworthy National Soul? Even at the National Review?
Jesse Walker|8.29.08 @ 8:17AM|#
Aaron: Not in my browser. If you're landing someplace else on the page, scroll down to one of the "presidential stud" posts -- they're all by Lopez.
|8.29.08 @ 8:22AM|#
Was there a Messianic cult built around Bush before he was
elected, based entirely around his ability to See Into Our True
Selves and Redeem Our Unworthy National Soul? Even at the National
Review?
Still waiting on that evidence of anything cult-like, other than
the feelings of people who would vote for him.
|8.29.08 @ 8:44AM|#
Numerous conservative pundits have suggested that any public
policy question can be solved simply by asking "What would Reagan
do?" The Heritage Foundation has a dedicated wwrd website. If, say,
Brookings had inserted Obama's name into a phrase usually reserved
for Jesus, you can only imagine what conservatives would make of
it.
What? That phrase is not usually reserved for Jesus. It is usually
reserved for Brian Boitano.
|8.29.08 @ 9:03AM|#
Reagan was a great man and a great President. As such, the last
thing he ever would have wanted to be was the head of a cult. The
difference between him and Obama is that his cult arose after he
left the Presidency, not before he was ever elected. People forget
that he was an insurent candidate in 1976 and was not well liked by
the old line wing of the party in 1980. Further, at the time a lot
of movement conservatives criticized him for not using his
political capital to really cut down the size of the government.
All of the "what would Reagan do" and that kind of crap arose in
the 1990s after Reagan was out of public life, which is not
unusual. Liberals certainly did the same thing with Roosevelt and
later Kennedy.
Sometimes I really wonder how it is journalists can be so ignorent
of history. There is the reality of the 1980s and there is this
bullshit urban myth of the whole country falling in behind Ronnie.
Journalists ought to know better but they never do.
|8.29.08 @ 9:11AM|#
If only they weren't ingorant about history, and knew that FDR's
wild popularity only started after he left office.
Wait, what?
|8.29.08 @ 9:24AM|#
"If only they weren't ingorant about history, and knew that
FDR's wild popularity only started after he left office."
Joe stop being a jerk. Roosevelt's cult like status certainly
happened after he left office. Reagan was popular to but it wasn't
a cult. Neither was Roosevelt for that matter when he was in
office. Afterwards, yes he was among people of that generation. All
of the differences and reality of the time were forgotten and
people revered him. Talk to anyone who grew up in the 30s and you
will see what I mean. It very similar to what conservatives do with
Reagan now.
Why are such an insufferable prick Joe? Really? Sometimes I think
you are serious person and not a troll and then you say shit like
that. I really try to be fair to you but you are just a jerk about
everything. You really are. I never said Roosevelt was unpopular or
that he was a cult at the time. Only that he acquired a cult like
following, much like Kennedy and Reagan after he left office. That
is a pretty non-controversial statement. But, you have to use it to
be a jackass. You really are a miserable human being sometimes. I
don't know why.
|8.29.08 @ 9:32AM|#
Wah wah wah, joe's not agreeing with my spin again!
joe, why can't you be nice and admit that all of my talking points
are right?
|8.29.08 @ 9:34AM|#
I think the level of enthusiasm coming from Obama's supporters
isn't necessarily warranted by his deeds. That's what I find a bit
cult-like regarding O. The guy sold out said supporters with his
FISA/telecom-amnesty capitulation and he's accepted the neocon
framing of the Russia/Georgia conflict. In other words, the man is
a cynical politician and in turn deserving of a healthier dose of
cynicism from a Party rank and file that we've been told really are
against spying on their fellow citizens and really are against
inadvisable foreign adventurism.
Maybe the answer is that said Party really isn't interested in
curbing executive abuses of power or scaling back foreign
adventures. Or perhaps not as interested in that as they are in
increased government control of health care, education, the
economy, etc, ad infinitum.
In any case, it was a good speech. I suspect that joe won't need
any Viagra for the next month.
|8.29.08 @ 9:38AM|#
Not hearing a whole lot about greek columns this morning.
Odd, that, given that they're such an obvious disaster.
|8.29.08 @ 9:42AM|#
Joe there is no spin. It is a statement about history and the way Presidents, especially popular ones, are looked upon after they leave office. Did you not take your meds this morning? You really seem out of your tree.
|8.29.08 @ 9:43AM|#
Not hearing a whole lot about Greek columns this
morning.
Tuscan, Doric, Ionic, or Corinthian? These are important
questions.
I feel that the "Who Mourns
for Adonais?" angle has been insufficiently played, myself.
Mostly because any Star Trek references amuse me.
|8.29.08 @ 9:45AM|#
Uh, yeah, those outburts of yours, in response to a two-line quip, show I'M out of my tree.
|8.29.08 @ 9:47AM|#
Epi,
"It looked instead like the big front display window at Macy's
during Presidents Day Sales Weekend. You expected to see "Sofas 40%
off!" in a running line on the bottom of the screen."
Peggy Noonan usually annoys me, but that is pretty funny.
|8.29.08 @ 9:50AM|#
But some of us would prefer a little more ... what's the
word? ... change.
He shoots, he scores. Isn't Walker the one who stayed at home.
Blogging in your PJs must keep the mind fresh because Jesse's
getting all the good shots.
Oh except the part about the second link not pointing to a
Lopez quote.
|8.29.08 @ 10:18AM|#
The difference between him and Obama is that his cult arose
after he left the Presidency, not before he was ever
elected.
Yeah, I'm sure "Morning in America" had absolutely nothing to do
with Ronnie's personality.
|8.29.08 @ 10:18AM|#
"There was DC 9/11, the Stalinist-style propaganda film
reimagining Bush as an action hero boldly defying the terrorists on
September 11."
I believe this was a made for Showtime movie that that had a
smaller following John From Cincinati. More people were probably
watching whatever soft-core offering was on Skinamax that
particular night. Pretty lame "evidence."
Warty|8.29.08 @ 10:23AM|#
Tuscan, Doric, Ionic, or Corinthian?
All good choices, but Caryatids are my preference.
|8.29.08 @ 10:30AM|#
Good point, mantooth.
During the primaries, there were more Ron Paul signs and bumper
stickers around Eastern Massachusetts than those for Barack Obama,
despite the fact that Paul got about 1/20th the number of
votes.
What was that thing where they put the word "LOVE" in
"revolution?"
Please, tell me more about the Barack Obama cult.
|8.29.08 @ 10:31AM|#
I'd say that for Paul, his followers who weren't libertarians
already familiar with him probably were a cult of sorts. If they'd
paid attention to the overall message, they probably would've like
him much less.
What's interesting about the Paul phenomenon is that he really
isn't a charismatic figure, and he did make it pretty clear that he
was working for limited government and freer markets. There's
something there that really excited people, despite the messenger,
which shows that there may be more antipathy to government in
America than many believe.
Lefiti|8.29.08 @ 10:31AM|#
Now I understand why libertarian candidates have always been so singularly unappealing if not downright repulsive: there will never be a libertarian personality cult.
Lefiti|8.29.08 @ 10:33AM|#
P.S. I don't think Ron Paul's followers were numerous enough to constitute a cult. Maybe a coven.
|8.29.08 @ 10:35AM|#
The interesting metric about Paul is the number of people who
gave him money. It's quite high, particularly for a primary.
I still think that, particularly for the GOP, that a good, more
polished candidate with libertarian values would win easily. The
problem is that the GOP is purging libertarians or fatally
offending them these days.
|8.29.08 @ 10:38AM|#
Now I understand why libertarian candidates have always been
so singularly unappealing if not downright repulsive: there will
never be a libertarian personality cult.
Hey Edward, why are you so bitter? Really, tell us. Did a
libertarian rape your dog or something?
Elemenope|8.29.08 @ 10:41AM|#
Now, if he really wanted to go for the Messiah look, he could have used Solomonic Columns.
dhex|8.29.08 @ 10:42AM|#
So, that's why you can buy bronze busts of Barack
Obama?
ho ho ho yeah cause if you can't buy a bust then it's not crazy
hero worship shittiness, no sireee. see, now, hiter, you could go
down to the naziporium and buy all the busts you wanted, and
t-shirts that read "it's bund time, baby!" and those neat little
blud und boden shot glasses. foam hands. pieces of the true putsch.
that sort of thing.
alternately, you could walk around my neighborhood and soak in the
madness. every window and storefront with a different vector
stylization of his giant frickin' head, missing only laurels or
perhaps a halo. random women in shops and cafes talking about
having his babies. toddler jumpers with "i'm not too young to hope
for change" written on them.
but i mean, i'm hallucinating that stuff, even if i prefer dumbo
ears to captain foreverwar by a serious margin. even if the
relovetypo paulista stuff creeped me out.
oh yeah, just hallucinating. it's all a republican plot. (ps they
made aids too. and sadness. the republicans invented sadness. i
forgot about that because they invented mind control rays, too. in
their lab. the republican r&d lab.)
|8.29.08 @ 10:45AM|#
Have you seen his dog? You'd have to pay someone to rape
it.
LMNOP is a dog-raping machine, I hear.
|8.29.08 @ 10:48AM|#
alternately, you could walk around my neighborhood and soak
in the madness. every window and storefront with a different vector
stylization of his giant frickin' head
I was vacationing in Little Compton, RI this weekend and I was
astonished to see as many McCain signs as Obama. Very
astonished.
Elemenope|8.29.08 @ 10:52AM|#
Epi --
Trust me, it ain't a representative sample. McCain will get
obliterated here, as has every Republican except Reagan '84 for the
last thirty-five years.
dhex|8.29.08 @ 10:54AM|#
i must admit mccain has a decent logo.
the wispy combover, however, kills whatever font-related cred he
might pick up.
BakedPenguin|8.29.08 @ 11:10AM|#
i must admit mccain has a decent logo.
An absolute must for the would-be president or 80's metal band.
Colossal egos help, too.
|8.29.08 @ 11:11AM|#
Trust me, it ain't a representative sample.
Oh, I know. I was just surprised that driving down 77 I was seeing
so much McCain.
J|8.29.08 @ 11:32AM|#
there were more Ron Paul signs and bumper stickers around
Eastern Massachusetts than those for Barack Obama
I know a few people who had RP stuff but voted for BO since they
were registered democrats.
Russ 2000|8.29.08 @ 11:43AM|#
This is, actually, what bothers me most about Obama's
cultish followers: They remind me of Bush and Reagan's cultish
followers.
That doesn't bother me about Obama's followers so much as it
bothers me about democracy - the ones with the cultish followers
are generally the ones that win. And we wind up with cultish
governing.
|8.29.08 @ 11:47AM|#
"""Numerous conservative pundits have suggested that any public
policy question can be solved simply by asking "What would Reagan
do?"""
But they make up an answer that would be different that what Reagan
would do.
How would Reagan handle Iran? I don't think the current
conservative answer would be "pay them off". Yet that's how Reagan
handled the Iran hostage crisis.
TallDave|8.29.08 @ 12:10PM|#
is no great shakes from a libertarian view,
Well, she is governor of a state where marijuana is more or less
legal. I don't know her specific stance on the issue though.
Joe Sheehan|8.29.08 @ 12:11PM|#
All this talk about cult in the
current political arena. A cult is
a paticular system of religious
worship. Fanatics won't admit to being in a cult so they are
defined
by those with opposing views.
dhex|8.29.08 @ 12:18PM|#
[quote]What, now popular = cult?[/quote]
loyalty beyond reason, i thinks.
also: vector art.
|8.29.08 @ 12:28PM|#
alternately, you could walk around my neighborhood and soak
in the madness. every window and storefront with a different vector
stylization of his giant frickin' head
I thought people lived in NY for the diversity. Nu?
|8.29.08 @ 5:36PM|#
oh yeah, just hallucinating. it's all a republican
plot.
Or maybe it's just you seeing what you already wanted to see.
I don't know you or your prejudices but there is something about
Obama that makes everyone see what they want to see.
Some of that results in fanboys who gush like schoolgirls when he
gets on stage.
Some of it comes from haters who have already decided he is a
Islamofascicommunazi and therefore look at any sizeable gethering
of Obama supporters and see some kind of mix between a Nuremberg
rally, Comintern Conference, and Firday Sermon at the Mosque.
Jesse Walker|8.29.08 @ 8:54PM|#
Oh except the part about the second link not pointing to a
Lopez quote.
Duh! Sorry about that. I just fixed the link, and it should go to
the right place now.
In my (half-assed) defense, I was blogging from the floor of my
father-in-law's living room, halfway through a two-day drive...
FedUp|8.30.08 @ 12:33AM|#
I'm a Democrat, and I'm fed up with the way the Obama Gestapo stomps on anyone who would feel anything but uncritical devotion to the One. It's not Obama's campaign perse, but online blogs like TalkingPointMemo. I'm a long-time reader of most of these online blogs but they have decidedly changed in tenor - more reasoned and nuanced views have been stamped out and the language is nasty and not much different from "for us or against us". Just try to point out Biden's cozy ties with tyhe banking mafia and you'd find yourself deluged with profanities, or strawmen like "well, do you think McCain is better?" The point that bringing Change to Washington has been redefined as bringing a Change of Party, not a Change of politics, has apparently escaped most. In that sense, the Democrats have again lost their direction. Change? Fat hope.
Site comments/questions:
Media Inquiries and Reprint Permissions:
(310) 367-6109
Editorial & Production Offices:
3415 S. Sepulveda Blvd.
Suite 400
Los Angeles, CA 90034
(310) 391-2245