Bob Roberts

Every so often in the mid to late 90's, when right wing Republicanism sickened me, I would watch a great movie, "Bob Roberts," and think, "Well, at least we are not as bad as this." The false patriotism, hollow religiosity, subversion of the media, sloganeering, manipulation, greed, and alteration of fact that represents Bob Roberts is a frightening portrayal. The criminal actions going on in the shadows around him, his puppet master and stepford wife, the fanatical, mindless followers who see him as a messianic figure, and the lazy and ignorant news commentators were all symptoms of the Bob Roberts disease.

His was a campaign of throwing false allegations against anyone who opposed him. Secret wars were funded through illicit means. Business interests served as the driving force for all actions taken. There was a "conspiracy of silence."

I had not watched "Bob Roberts" in several years. Today, after its completion, I find myself realizing that the fictions of this movie are not beyond the realities of the country we live in now. It occurs to me that Bob Roberts simply represents Bushism with a guitar.