Channeling our inner Cherokee: a social contract story

“You built a factory out there? Good for you. But I want to be clear: you moved your goods to market on the roads the rest of us paid for; you hired workers the rest of us paid to educate; you were safe in your factory because of police forces and fire forces that the rest of us paid for...

“Now look, you built a factory and it turned into something terrific, or a great idea? God bless. Keep a big hunk of it. But part of the underlying social contract is you take a hunk of that and pay forward for the next kid who comes along.”

Elizabeth Warren September, 2011

Here’s the hunk you can keep, bupkis

"Look, if you’ve been successful, you didn’t get there on your own"

Barack Hussein Obama, Roanoke,Virginia July 2012

 

“I’m always struck by people who think, well, it must be because I was just so smart.”

“If you were successful, somebody along the line gave you some help”

“You didn’t get there on your own “Somebody else made that happen.”

“There are a lot of smart people out there.”

“It must be because I worked harder than everybody else.”

“Let me tell you something — there are a whole bunch of hardworking people out there.”

 

“If you were successful, somebody along the line gave you some help.”

“There was a great teacher somewhere in your life.”

“Somebody helped to create this unbelievable American system that we have that allowed you to thrive.”

 

“Somebody invested in roads and bridges.”

“If you’ve got a business — you didn’t build that.”

 

“Somebody else made that happen.”

 

                    

[ed. in this case, a whole lot of “somebodies”]

Somebody’s ideas (and money)

 Somebody’s organizations (and money)

Somebody’s influence (and money)

“There are a lot of wealthy, successful Americans who agree with me — because they want to give something back.” 

 

 

Warren, bupkis, please spare us any more of you guilt. We can’t afford it. And that goes for that other Warren too.

 

…and the Grand Cherokee headed off into the sunset. I wonder how that got out of the ditch? Oh, that’s right, four-wheel drive, a hemi-engine and a full tank of gas. And a new driver.

Linked By: Larwyn’s Linx on Doug Ross@Journal, and BlogsLucianneLoves, and NOBO2012 on Free Republic, and sb on Weasel Zippers, and Kenneth Gunderson on facebook,  Thanks!

Every Designer Tells a Story: Every Story has a Designer

Yesterday Lady M took a break from the rigors of campaigning and story telling to host the Smithsonian’s Cooper-Hewitt National Design Awards – the Museum’s annual event honoring lasting achievement in American design.

Is it just me, or do those mics look a little, uh, racist to you?

At a luncheon held in the East Room, the ceremony honored representatives in every category of design from architecture to technology, butt the fashion design is always the most anticipated announcement. This year the honor went to Thom Browne, an outstanding American designer who reinvented the men’s shrunken suit,

Who needs sleeves, when we turn the air conditioning off to save the planet anyway?

“Every day, these visionary designers are pushing boundaries, creating and revealing beauty where we least expect it,” Lady M told the audience.

Here’s somewhere I didn’t expect:

in a guy’s bare midriff

And here’s somewhere else where it’s unexpected: skirt pants (for men)

The surprises just keep coming: how about comic book art as fashion-wear? Who would’ve expected that?

I know what you’re thinking, butt no, he’s real.

Thom also does women’s fashion, although it’s not as boundary pushing; in fact it’s rather derivative.

Thom Browne’s burka inspired women’s fashion

Come to think of it, it might even be a little derisive.

Thom’s reflections on a women’s proper place. Yes, those are coffins

After all the brew-ha-ha over the Ralph Lauren Olympic wear being manufactured in China, I wonder if Lady M was aware that Thom Browne moved his menswear, uh, “fashion” shows from New York to Paris two years ago? At least he chose an appropriate location: France’s Communist Party headquarters. Perfect for the debut of his “perfectly calculated, spare gray suiting.”

Mid-High fives for the little designer guy

Clothing designer Thom Browne: like Lady M, he doesn’t believe in wearing socks either: Wait! Are those Sansabelts!?

As you may imagine, Thom is a huge fan of Lady M’s: “Browne said Obama ‘really understands that she is on a huge platform.’”

I’ll say

He even sounds a little like MO, when he talks about things he’s passionate about:

“She is so conscious about using where she is in a really good way, in a very helpful way, by the clothing she wears and supporting younger and newer designers …I think she is very generous in being very conscious in that way.”

I think she is too.

And Lady M concurs with Thom’s thought that “Fashion is more interesting when the references aren’t specifically fashion.”

Below, left to right clockwise, some of MO’s specifically non-fashion references include: yachting flags, Silicon Valley, toilet tissue, beach umbrellas, dominoes, spa robes, smurfs, salt water taffy and test patterns.

So, in case Ralph Lauren get’s booted as the designer of U.S. Olympic gear, I think Thom’s a shoo-in:

Unisex, summer, winter, interplanetary: I think he’s got the Olympic gig covered

Linked By: Clarice on JustOneMinute, and vigalante on Corvette Forum (I ♥ ‘vettes!), and BlogsLucianneLoves, and NOBO2012 on Free Republic, and Mimi Buser on facebook, and AnnieLaurie76 on twitter, and cedarbark on Atlas Shrugs, Thanks!

The Grim Barry Tales

“But the nature of this office is also to tell a story to the American people that gives them a sense of unity and purpose and optimism, especially during tough times.”

So let me tell you a story; in fact, let me tell you 1001 stories.

 Scheherazade spins her stories and saves her job

“A little traveling music, please”  (h/t: Jackie Gleason)

BO would like to tell you one story a day, just like Scheherazade. If he spins his tales well enough you’ll be distracted and forget that you were planning to send him packin’ in the morning.

So, I guess we have our next campaign strategy locked down: “Let Me Tell You a Story, America” because clearly our only failing has been not getting our story out.

We’ll be deploying all our yarn spinners for this fantasy marathon

 

Lady Scheherazade is a natural at telling stories that captivate and amaze

I do find BO’s admission of failure to communicate a little surprising though; after all, Democrats have had many, many years of practice at captivating spin:

        

And Big Guy himself is such an “awesomely phenomenal” communicator:

And together BO and MO are natural story tellers, especially good at zombie tales:

Butt STILL - Democrats just can’t seem to get their message out!

Our friends try to give Big Guy’s message a little boost, butt I guess they need a little more “message” to work with

That is a shame. Especially since BO got an “A” in everything on his last report card, including communication skills. Of course, we were marking on a curve.

  Butt let’s focus on the current issue:

“the mistake of my first term…was thinking this job was just about getting the policy right” [ed. which is why he handed that responsibility to a pro like Nancy Pelosi]

“but(t) the nature of this office is also to tell a story to the American people that gives them a sense of unity and purpose and optimism.” [ed. I think we’ve nailed everything except the unity and optimism; our purpose should be – in Big Guy’s words “perfectly clear” if anybody’s been paying attention]

So, having assessed the situation and determining that all we need are a few more good stories, we’ve contacted Bill Ayers to see if he’s available for a little composite story “editing.” I sure HOPE so, because Team-Obama is having a little trouble creating even a composite story on that unity thing.

So, those of you who are “In” will be getting an email blast from Plouffe-Daddy soon, asking you to share your stories about unity, optimism and purpose. We’ll be compositing them into little vignettes to be included in Barry’s Grim Tales of fighting to save America from the evil Republicans. They’ll also be used to raise money to continue the fight.

Meanwhile Team-O is working on a script for “Our Economic Optimism” and  “Our Composite Purpose”

Here’s all we’ve got so far: a story board for what we’re calling our  composite “why we’re optimistic about Obamacare” – see what you think:

Our Story and we’re sticking with it: It’s a fee – no, no - it’s a tax! No it’s a fee – butt only for freeloaders!  Plus,“Our Story” about how those other 21 taxes created or increased by Obamacare will actually create or save thousands of jobs in the IRS. While simultaneously provide Julia - and you - with all the free contraceptives you want. And medical marijuana too! Are you on board?

I think we’ll get some traction with that one, don’t you?

Oh, and how’s this sound for “Our Story” about economic unity in America? This one practically wrote itself: 81% of Americans now concur that the economy sucks! I know there’s a negative side to that unity butt that’s where our personal spin comes in: Nobody really cares! That’s right, because our administration stepped up and provided everyone with 90 weeks of unemployment followed by Social Security disability: all augmented by our SNAPpy Food Stamp program and EBT cards that provide struggling families with cash for booze, gambling and manicures. Gambling, people! You’ve got to be optimistic to gamble, right?

Now accepted everywhere!

BTW, here’s the rest of the story: the Republicans are trying to take everything away from you – so be sure to remember that when you vote in November.

Okay then, I think we’re getting our Mojo back!

Thank you!  I’ll be here all week!

Linked By: BlogsLucianneLoves, and NOBO2012 on Free Republic, and Henrysheretoo on twitter, and Kenneth Gunderson on facebook, and LadyLiberty1885 on twitter, Thanks!