President Obama wants to 'go Bulworth'? What's that?
Beset by a cycle of bad news that is threatening to stall his second term, President Obama has talked wistfully of 鈥済oing Bulworth,鈥� according to a report in .
鈥淕oing Bulworth鈥�? What鈥檚 that? The phrase sounds kind of ... ominous and energetic at the same time.
鈥淏ulworth鈥� was a 1998 political movie starring Warren Beatty that made a bit of a splash when it was released but since has faded into obscurity. In general, it was much cleverer than Beatty鈥檚 bland 鈥�Dick Tracy鈥� and more entertaining than his long and boring 鈥�Reds.鈥�
Its central premise was this: Jay Billington Bulworth is a veteran California Democratic senator who left his liberal principles in the dust long ago. Now he takes money from special interests to bottle up bills in his committee.
But he鈥檚 in danger of losing his seat in a reelection bid. Tired of the whole game, he starts speaking his mind, telling audiences exactly what he does and the extent of Washington鈥檚 soft corruption.
At one point, for instance, he admits to an African-American audience that his Democratic Party is doing nothing for blacks. 鈥淪o what are you going to do, vote Republican?鈥� he says. 鈥淐ome on, you鈥檙e not going to vote Republican.鈥�
The movie also feature an assassination subplot and Halle Berry as Beatty鈥檚 love interest, but those are immaterial to the message Mr. Obama appears to have extracted from the movie.
The Times quotes longtime Obama adviser David Axelrod on the 鈥淏ulworth鈥� desire, saying every politician wants some catharsis at some point, but you have to be 鈥減ractical鈥� about what you say.
We鈥檝e got a point to add there: We think it鈥檚 possible the 鈥淏ulworth鈥� reference is something Obama should avoid.
The movie is not exactly analogous to 鈥淣etwork,鈥� that famous 1976 flick in which a deranged anchor cries that he 鈥渏ust can鈥檛 take it anymore.鈥� Beatty鈥檚 Bulworth character is partly a prophet, but he鈥檚 also long been complicit in the system. To a certain extent, his speaking out reflects not just a disgust with the system, but disgust with himself and how he has let the system corrupt him.
GOP pundits could make a fairly decent talking point out of that, couldn鈥檛 they?
As the late great in his review of the movie, 鈥� 'Bulworth' made me laugh 鈥� and wince.鈥�
If Obama wants to talk about emulating fictional characters, perhaps he鈥檇 be better served to mull over the prospect of 鈥済oing Bartlet,鈥� after the pretty-much-saintly President Jed Bartlet of the television drama 鈥淭he West Wing.鈥�
