Pulp OBAMA!!!

“You ain’t got no problem, Jules. I’m on the MUTHA’ FU#$%R. Go back in there and chill them nigg!@#s out and wait for the wolf, which will be comin’ directly.”

That line was from the movie Pulp Fiction and was spoken by the character Marcellus Wallace. In the midst of a stressful situation, a frantic Jules calls his boss Marcellus Wallace and demands that Mr. Wallace take action to get him out of the mess he is in. The calm and cool collected boss with a few choice words reassures him that he is taking steps to fix the problem.

As I watched the political news cycle unfold in recent weeks, I see several comparisons between the situation in the movie and the political scene in Washington, DC.


The Crisis

There are several things that happened this year that have caused some people to perceive a crisis. In the 2008 elections, the Democrats won sweeping majorities. Early in 2009, the Democratic congress passed a stimulus package that despite much opposition. There was a bailout of the Auto Industry that no one liked, but most think had to be done. There was a heated debate regarding healthcare – one of the Democratic Party’s major agenda items. There were 2 governor elections that the Democrats lost. And the final straw seemed to be the election of Scott Brown in Massachusetts after the death of Ted Kennedy. Most Democrats started freakin' the heck out. This was akin to a frantic Jules calling Marsellus Wallace and freaking out. He wanted a solution to his problem, he wanted his boss to appreciate his dilemma, and he wanted assurances that things were going to work out.

To add to this, there were many people in the Democratic Party who have been critical of the administration. Some claimed that Obama was not moving fast enough. Some said he was not delivering the change he promised. Some claimed that he was not doing enough. Some felt that if he didn’t move more to the left that he would alienate the very people that put him in office. It seemed that the change we could believe in was coming apart at the seams.


The Response

A response to all this came at the State of the Union Address. Obama gave what many political experts call one of the best speeches of his political career. He reiterated his agenda with an optimism that had been lost in recent months. He provided a historical context, and reminded viewers that the reasons we are in the pickle we are in now have more to do with the previous administration than the last year. It was political mastery completely putting his opponents on the defensive.

About a week later he did something even more impressive. He went on live television in a room full of his political enemies and had a debate. This was the best setting for the Republicans – he was out numbered and the debate was at a time of their choosing. He then proceeded to make them look like idiots on national television. He deflected their rhetoric with well thought out answers that were completely sensible and completely improvised. He then used the opportunity to debunk much of the political mythology.

The final part of this response was to debate his most controversial legislation on live television. The “Health Care Summit” was a forum in which Democratic and Republican law makers sat down with the president for SIX HOURS on national TV to debate health care reform. Once again, Obama shined, taking maybe the most complex political issue of our time and arguing specific points of such a complex issue.


The Wolf

I think this was Obama’s finest two months in office for several reasons. The first reason is the nature of the response. Obama won by a decisive majority. The Democrats won the Senate and the House in the last election. I believe the Democrats underestimated their position. America made a choice. In 2008, the American people were presented with two different directions to take the country. The majority of people chose Obama and the Democrats. The last few months were the first time I felt the Democrats were governing from this position. It is time for the Democrats to do what they were elected to do. I think they waited a year too long before they started governing. I hope it was not too late.

The two live debates were truly significant. To go on live TV and to debate an issue as complex as health care would be impressive in itself. To handle every single question without batting an eye is amazing. I am trying to picture George Bush going on national TV and debating health care with the level of competence that Obama did. To go into a room filled with your political adversaries and be the smartest person in the room is amazing. I think this will completely change what we expect of a president. In this YouTube and Podcast streaming society that we live in, we are going to expect every president to be able to do this. I think he has raised the bar for everyone that comes after him.

I am going to make a statement that may be pretty crazy when you consider that Obama has been in office for a little more than a year. Obama is the greatest politician of our generation. Whether you agree with Obama’s policies or not. Whether you think he is an American citizen or not. Whether you think he is a communist or not. Whether or not you think he is has been propped up by the American media. Obama is the greatest politician since FDR; maybe the greatest politician in American history. Even if you disagree with his policies (and I disagree with some of them), I hope that you can appreciate what you are witnessing. I am not saying that this is a good thing. Being good at politics is a means and not and end. The ends are to be debated, but the political means by which Obama is proceeding are nothing short of spectacular.

Obama is much like The Wolf (Harvey Keitel) character in Pulp Fiction. He walks into the room completely in control of the situation, completely informed and completely in charge. He instructs all the people in the room to get the job done. He recognizes the urgency of the situation and motivates the major players to take action. He takes on the problems of the situation one by one, but keeps in mind the over all goal. Whether he gets the job done remains to be seen, but the way he deals with the politics is like watching MJ play basketball.


I guess that makes me Marsellus Wallace. The Democrats just need to chill out. Yes Scott Brown is a Senator. Yes the Democrats have lost 2 governorships in the last 2 elections. Every night Glenn Beck finds a new conspiracy theory and Sean Hannity complains about loosing his country. Sarah Palin’s book is selling like hotcakes. The tea party movement is getting louder and angrier. CHILL THE FREAK OUT!!!!!! The Democrats will loose seats, but we will still have a majority. Two years from now unemployment may be under 10%. When that happens, the Republicans will still be the party that voted against the stimulus. They will still be the party of “NO”. The angry hoards will not burn down Washington. Just chill out and wait for The Wolf who will be coming directly!