Well, there may not be any space-fascists out there, but surprise!  It looks like we may have found some of the human variety.

Just after I posted my thoughts about the new V series, I found this article at BigHollywood.com.

It looks like the network that made a name for itself with Obama’s health care infomercial, isn’t all that thrilled with the fact that V dared to take on the almighty Barack.  They’ve decided to dump the man responsible, show-runner Scott Peters, and replace him with the guy who handles the TV series “Chuck.” 

You watch “Chuck” don’t you?  Oh, that’s right, no one does.

This all comes despite the fact that V was a hit, winning its timeslot, and becomming the highest rated premiere of the fall.

It’s heartening to know that if, heaven forbid, some mysterious hope-based  leader with a dubious agenda and an unexplored background were to actually appear, ABC would be the first to fall in line.

Let’s just pray that something like that never happens.

- Robert Laurie

Back in the 80’s, one TV miniseries dared to explore the ramifications of an invasion by fascist, intergalactic space-lizards.  That show was V.  It, and its sequel, V: The Final Battle, became fairly important pop-culture touchstones for the twelve-year-olds of the day.  Now, more than two decades later, ABC has decided to remake the show as a weekly series.  This time, however, the nazi-like alien fascists have been revamped and their M.O. bears a striking resemblance to that of our 44th President.

“The Visitors,” (cool, attractive, intelligent aliens) appear out of nowhere with a message of “hope” and the promise that they will set up global “wellness” centers to take care of all our medical needs.  In return, all they ask is that we grant them some water, our adoration, and allow our children to join their youth movement. 

If it sounds like I’m exaggerating the Obama similarities for effect, I’m not.  In fact the series specifically refers to the offer of “Universal Health Care,” “Hope and Change,” and a whole host of other Barack-centric notions.  In particular, the alien leader’s refusal to do television interviews without the caveat that the interviewer will not ”ask anything that would put us in a bad light” reeks of the administration’s war on difficult questions.

Of course, only after humanity falls in love with the mysterious aliens does it learn the truth.  The visitors are carnivorous, fascist monsters bent on enslaving, and possibly eating, every living thing on earth. 

ABC is doing it’s best to write the whole thing off as a coincidence, saying that the show was in production before the Obama era began.   The claim is a little hard to swallow. Production may have started in 2008, but filming took place only this last summer, and no one will say when the final scripts were written.  As it stands, it’s tremendously difficult to believe that the network “just happened” to create a show that “just happened” to have so many Obama-esque moments. 

Assuming the series sticks with the original “space-faring fascists bent on enslaving the world” concept, the higher ups at ABC may want to bury it or face an unpleasant “meeting” with Rahm Emmanuel.  Then again, ratings for the first episode were strong, with the show winning it’s night and becoming the highest rated premiere of the Fall season.  So, who knows?  Maybe the ABC execs have realized that maybe, just maybe, the 50% of the country that chose not to vote for Obama also watches television.

Let’s just hope they don’t try and weasel their way out with some hamfisted, left-wing scenario where our distrust of the alien visitors leads to unnecessary war and a loss of the bounties that would have been ours if only we were ”enlightened” enough to submit. 

If you’re wondering if it’s any good, well, yeah, it is.  It’s solidly written, produced, and acted, and while the dialogue does have it’s clunky moments, nothing here approaches the mega-cheese factor of the 80’s version. 

The network has filmed four episodes and, if the ratings hold, has promised to resume production after the holidays.  Here’s hoping it does, because the political heresy of this revamped V is a breath of fresh air.

- Robert Laurie

Exactly one year after his landmark victory, President Obama went to Dem-friendly Wisconsin and delivered a speech.  As usual, much of the subject matter dealt with the President’s belief that everything is George Bush’s fault.

“One year ago,” The President said, ”Americans all across this country went to the polls and cast ballots for the future they wanted to see.”  He then went on to claim that he was handed a nation afflicted with “a financial crisis that threatened to plunge our economy into a Great Depression, the worst that we’ve seen in generations.  We had record deficits, two wars, and frayed alliances around the world.”

Now, a year after the election, everything has changed.  The economy is a shining example of free-market success, the deficit is shrinking daily, those two wars have been ended successfully, and our alliances are no longer frayed.

Oh, hang on a minute, that’s not right is it?  

The economy is still in the tank, the dollar is plummeting, and Obama has quadrupled the deficit.   The two wars are ongoing and getting more and more out of control each day, with soldiers dying as the boy king tries to make up his mind about whether or not to give the generals the troops they’ve requested.  As for our alliances, well, they’re just as frayed and, as a bonus, we’ve managed to repeatedly offend our two staunchest allies: England and Israel!

But, of course, all of that must be George Bush’s fault too.

Unfortunately for the President, people aren’t buying it anymore.  Recent polls show that 45% of the American people now blame Obama for the economy, and that number is on the rise as his approval ratings continue to fall. 

Yes, it’s true, he was dealt a tough set of cards.  EVERY President is dealt a tough set of cards.  Obama’s problem is that every time he plays one, he makes the situation worse, then blames someone else for the mess.

It’s long past the time for this President to drop the excuses. 

- Robert Laurie

 

I don’t know what kind of mind-altering chemicals Nancy Pelosi is using, but they must be incredibly powerful.

Here she is celebrating the Democrat’s big  Tuesday night “victory.”

What used to be a severe set of policy disagreements with the American people has now devolved into a refusal to acknowledge reality.  Seriously, if someone out there has Nancy’s number, please give her a call and tell her that she’s just embarrassing herself.

- Robert Laurie