The American politcal culture has become a part of our European Entertainment industry. In an age in which the best remembered presidential speech has been delivered by fictional president Whitmore on the eve of an imminent alien invasion, I as a European wondered for a long time whether it is time from an outside viewer to weigh in on the Democrats complicated process in picking a presidential nominee. For most of the last months, I switched to tv-shopping channels instead of getting re-involved in American presidential politics.
But this time is over: After waching the dismal performance of Democrats in the face of Bill Maher questioning, and after learning that the GOP is already casting a professional actor, I want to raise the independent viewers voice.
A Thompson presidency would mean the boredom of being trapped with the guy whose only cinematic achievement known to the outside world is standing on the tower of Dulles airport looking grave and sending all his men to the expected death in Annex B- an obvious trap - only to be rescued from total humiliation by a lunatic police officer who wasn't even expected to be there...
All of this leads me to my advise: Democrats need to nominate an actor but one with a positve cinematic and political record. Which is why I suggest do draft Lloyd Bridges for the democratic presidential nomination.
Lloyd Bridges was an actor who was dicussed for some of the the most important hero-roles in Tv history, most notably James T. Kirk. And contrary to Mr.Thompson he played a presidential role that actually dealt with the most important U.S. foreign policy problem of our time: Iraq.
During his tenure as President Thomas 'Tug' Benson he not only lead a series of military campaigns in order to secure Iraq's compliance with the UN sanctions but he also finally lead the a military intervention to topple Saddams brutal dictatorship himself. Something unseen for a generation of voters/viewers who got used to people who where AWOL most of the time while they themselves were trying drugs in front of large silver screens full of Kubrick movies.
For those of you who spend the early nineties trying to forget about the eighties, let me point you to a youtube collection of Lloyed Bridges greatest scenes in the Hot Shots movies: Part 1 and Part 2.
In fact, a Bridges campaign only has one main disadvantage: Lloyd Bridges died in 1998. But this only matters on the first sight. Let me point out to you some of the many advantages may bring to the campaing in 2008:
- He did not authorize the presidents war on Iraq. Nor did he ever switch his position on this war. There is absolutely no need to explain his change of position between 2003 and 2007, because there was neither.
- The same applies to the Patriot Act or the No school left behing act. In fact last time he said anythin political your country was still running on budget surplusses and was a respect international community member.
- He could not produce gaffes on the campaign trail. He would not scream in the light of an early primary defeat. There will be no macaca moment - because it would already have been replayed for at least 9 years.
- He could have a competent vice-presidential candidate. With a dead men who cannot attacked on the most important issues facing the country, the party would be free to chose a competent vice-presidential candidate insted of someone who makes up for the presidential candidate's weaknesses.
- He could win the South: As Mel Carnahans successfull candidacy in Missouri shows, in close elections a dead man has a higher chance of beating a Republican than a living one has - just remember Walter Mondale's defeat after he replaced the late Paul Wellstone on the ballot.
- Dead people are consistently the most under-estimated voter group in the United States. That's probably because even though there are much more dead voters thean living ones, the dead voters rarely register for the polls. Having one of there own running for public office may change that and might create a dynamic like in the 1960 presidential election when dead people handed John F Kennedy the crucial victory in the state of Illinois.
Let me close this diary with an actual quote from Lloyd Bridges: "The devastation caused by war and the pollution of our environment knows no boundaries. Only an effective world government could provide sufficient law and have the power to control these destructive forces."
May he rest in peace and I wish you a nice weekend and some good campaigning.