The whole Atlantic crew seems to love this video but I think it's kind of dumb:
Among other things, Rocky lost the fight so I don't even think this makes sense.
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Baracky
18 Apr 2008 05:35 pm
Comments (42)
Remember when Hillary compared herself to Rocky a few weeks ago for the Philadelphia crowd? Saturday Night Live (minus Tina Fey's fawning) summed it up nicely in their Weekend Update segment:
Hillary Clinton on Tuesday said she is not a quitter and compared herself to Rocky Balboa, the washed up over the hill white contender, who despite a herculean effort is soundly beaten by the charismatic black guy.
Some of the footage appears to be from Rocky II (though I could be wrong). And he won in the sequel.
Neil has it right.
It's funny because of the way they just pasted the different people's heads onto the characters. That's just funny.
Also, Matt, do you read these comments? Obama went on a little rant today about railroads at an event in Pennsylvania. Pretty good stuff about beefing up our national infrastructure, particularly rail.
It's funny because of the way they just pasted the different people's heads onto the characters. That's just funny.
I agree. That kind of humor never gets old. I'm glad to know the pointy-headed Atlantic staff in their ivory tower appreciates humor aimed at the "common man."
Everyone remembers Rocky as winning, so it doesn't really matter what actually happened in the first movie.
In other words, Rocky did too win, just like Pluto is too a planet.
I think Rocky is like the Godfather, treat 1 and 2 as one long movie and try to forget the rest of the sequels ever happened...
Will Baracky maintain the Eye of the Tiger to defeat Clubber McClane?
There are scenes in there from Rocky II, where he wins the belt. But more importantly, we've seen Obama go against a blonde-haired machine, a la Rocky IV! Draaaaaagooooo! Cliiiiinntooooon!
So...who is McCain? Mickey?
For any other Obama fan bois who don't understand Rocky, check out Susie's post.
Nice to see the whole office has an imaginary hip black friend -- after the Jay Z incident, I can say that, right?
Is that an official endorsement? And does your editor know?
Lambert is another person who seems quite bitter. But I think we should try to understand his bitterness *before* we dismiss him.
Like most earnest liberal "viral media", this starts out with an amusing premise and then drags on about 90 seconds longer than it should.
tell that meddling Dem base what you really think of them!
(but don't you dare call her an elitist!)
Lambert Strether:
Thanks for linking to Susie's post. I agreed with Michael Berube in the comments, but it was still a good post.
Favourite Obama Hip-Hop Tracks
"Obama Rap by Pizza, ft. Obama Girl"
"Tell Yah Momma To Vote For Obama"
To echo a couple of people above--almost all of the clips are from Rocky II-IV, in all of which Rocky wins. (Rocky I, I think, represents the opening Iowa/New Hampshire contests.)
I, for one, think the clip brings the awesome.
For fuck's sake, Rocky Balboa ended Communism.
Ok. Rocky was a movie. Anyone who has ever stepped into a ring and boxed another person understands the degree to which it was a movie. Heart is a great thing. Hard work is a great thing. But everybody who has ever actually boxed another person, especially at any level beyond say 6th grade, has both. In the ring, just like just about everywhere else in life, it is skill and concentration that wins. The fact that you are a hard fighter doesn't separate you from anyone else.
In the real world, it doesn't matter that Rocky fights by punching a bunch of sides of beef while Ivan Drago works out in a high tech gym. What matters is if Drago, or Creed is properly trained to take advantage of his superior size and speed. Everything else is Hollywood entertainment. Fun and entertaining but irrelevant to the real world in most important respects.
So, whether I understand Rocky or not, I do understand how actual fighting works in the real world. And in the real world, the truth is that we all want, or at least we all should want, to be Apollo Creed, the fighter with superior physical skills. The slow dumb fighter with all that heart is really just a guy who can take a little bit more of a beating for just a little bit longer time.
As many of you know I am sure, that movie was very loosely based upon a real fighter named Chuck Wepner who fought Muhammad Ali and gave him fight for a couple of rounds and actually knocked Ali down in the 9th. He had a lot of heart. Ali won easily. There was no rematch.
In my whole life I think I've seen one movie about boxing. I think it was the first Rocky but I'm not sure.
For me the video is boring.
Awwwww. Barry is so hip! All you bitter Obama supporters are so smart. You sure do know more than all the rest of us. All those Youtube videos and Obama girl..oh yes, he's the man for me. He even knows who Jay Z is! I just love a cocky guy who doesn't have a clue. I can't wait for all those new taxes he talked about last night. That new fangled rap music must help get past his bitterness over that awful, weak, debate performance of his. And oh my, all his bloggers thought he got beat up by the girl and they rushed to his defense today. I was so impressed. Boy, they sure can whine. They're so scary. They remind me of something. Oh yeah, they remind me of those bullying George W supporters back in 2000. Now I remember why I'm not voting for Obama.
Signed, Democrat in PA.
matt, you are just wrong. this is fully dumb.
On the bright side, arguing that Hillary is like Rocky is the most coherent and legitimate point I have heard out of Clinton supporters in months.
brent, thanks for your mention of Chuck Wepner. I was among those who didn't know he inspired Rocky. His wikipedia page is very interesting. His page on boxrec.com, http://www.boxrec.com/media/index.php?title=Human:97
says that he knocked down Ali while stepping on Ali's foot. The parallels with today's political match-up are quite clear, or not.
Yes, because McCain is so much better for taxes:
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=a72L7_AJ5P9c
I guess cutting taxes is much easier when you have no problem with your grandchildren paying 80% just to pay back China and Mexico.
Hillary is such a diva. She is sarcastic. She's got an in-your-face up-yours edge.
Hillary's voters have such a working-class / middle-aged women / old age rep that it is easy to forget that in her Eva Peron way Hillary is kind of cool. It's easy to forget that the reason Bill stayed with her is because she has something, a brutal force-of-nature will to power type of thing, that is something to behold, even great.
Obama, in contrast, is really boring. OK, I admit, not so boring. I take it back.
So we have Obama, McCain, and Hillary refusing to say it's over. Three really remarkable people. All case studies. Wow. Last time we got Bush and Kerry. Yuck!! Who knew such talent was about to burst on the scene?
Oh, c'mon, that was the funniest thing I've seen this whole campaign. I don't know if it would sway too many undecided votes, but I was laughing my arse off.
A resounding "meh"
Prediction: Hillary will lose PA or win by less than eight points. Obama will wipe out her delegate win (which will be less than ten delegates) two weeks later.
After which, Gore and Carter will demand she bow out, and/or endorse Obama.
Clinton is toast.
After she gets dumped, she needs to dump Bill and go out and get laid for real. It will make her feel better. Then she should resign from the Senate and go back to being a crooked lawyer.
What most people know intuitively about Barack is that Barack touches our Souls, Hearts, and collective conscience. Some speak of his so-called "inexperience" but his Soul is "old and wise", that is why he can brush "Negativity" off his shoulders with a smile. If elected he will be much beloved and be known as the People's President. We can sense that he is one of us and that we are all of us in this together. There is no you or me but we and us.. and together we must move forward and higher to a more positive place and state of mind. He leads without criticism, demonizing or anger, he leads with a clear sense of direction and purpose where we must go if we are to survive as a people both here in the U.S. and abroad. He represents and offers true change or else stay static and die. Hillary Clinton belongs to the old, unacceptable style of politics that we should be moving away from -- the do and say anything, the distortions that in reality are lies, the smears and the anger, which are negative and demeaning. If we in America are to get to a more positive place, we must elect a leader who is positive who radiates love and goodwill to all.
Speaking of the Atlantic crew, what's with Ambinder taking out comments?
John,
My guess as to why comments were out: they'd become so freaking bitter...why subject provide a forum for it?
Can you blame him? Why bother, really? There are other places (Kos, Huff) that these folks can go to "vent"....i.e. a place for Obamabots to bitch about Hillary supporters (or any humanoid, for that matter).
VIVE RESISTANCE!
Obama is Clubber Lang* in the first half of Rocky III.
* - minus the uncomfortable overtures to Talia Shire
Rocky is definitely about class and an individual's struggle for dignity. And yes, people outside Philly don't understand it. But the rest of that Madrak post is unsupported blather. Hillary is NOT a working class hero (or "hoagie") by a long shot. She "sees" people as means alone. Anyway, it's not like Clinton, herself, is trying to prove dignity by running for President. She was inevitable, remember?
By the way, I don't think any of the three could run the museum steps, and I'd love to never see them try.
In all seriousness, the part of Rocky IV where the Russians start cheering for Rocky over Drago is my favorite moment of nationalistic Cold War cheese ever.
Actually you're incorrect about the outcome of the match.
Most of the fight scenes are from Rocky II. The black and gold trunks are the tell.
Rocky...won.
I'm surprised someone took the time to make this silly video.
And what's the deal with Obama scooping up the chicken? Huh?
David B said:
"By the way, I don't think any of the three could run the museum steps, and I'd love to never see them try."
David, Seriously?
You don't think Obama can run up those steps?
Think what you want about him as a candidate, but the guy plays (full court) pick up basketball almost daily and clearly is in pretty good shape.
See here for video of Obama playing in one of those pick-up games:
http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/4/17/18552/9905/458/496865
I would bet my life savings that he could run up those steps with relative ease.
Raoul, In answer to your question about Obama (or Rocky) picking up the chicken......In Rocky II, as part of his training for his fight with Apollo Creed (which he ultimately wins) Rocky's manager (Mickey) has Rocky try to catch a chicken, explaining that only a person with great speed and agility could do so. At first, Rocky thinks this is ridiculous; until he tries to catch the chicken, which proves exceedingly difficult. Of course, by the end of his training (and at the end of the awesome training montage in the movie) Rocky finally catches the chicken, demonstrating that he is ready for the big fight. (Wow, I can't believe I just spent the past 5 minutes writing that paragraph.....I really need a life.....) :)
I find it funny that Clintonites are declaring the candidate who entered the contest as the overwhelming favorite, outraising every single one of her opponents as the DLC/consensus mainstream candidate who barely had an internet or grassroots to speak of as the champion of the people.
You know, the same way I find it funny when frat boys get pissy about how women are too stuck up and don't know a good then when it grazes their chest "accidentally".
I'm basing this on his years of smoking. And you'll notice he's not running the whole floor.
Comments closed May 02, 2008.
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Heads in the Sand
Well, Rocky lost on points, but he exceeded expectations and won a spiritual victory. Obama will lose Pennsylvania in the same way but, similarly, go on to win the hearts of America and then become the champion in the sequel.
Posted by neil | April 18, 2008 5:42 PM