HOLLYWOOD, D.C.

Two  authoritarians walk on to a stage...

There are many reasons to dislike President Trump. For me, it's because every time he opens his mouth, he sounds like a five year-old with brain encephalitis trying to recite passages from Troilus and Cressida.

Perfectly reasonable, articulate Congressional Democrats like Tim Ryan, Tulsi Gabbard, Beto O'Rourke, Sheldon Whitehouse, and Jack Reed have the ability to explain to wavering Trump supporters why their guy isn't working for their best interest -- dismantling environmental laws; breaking promises regarding infrastructure and better healthcare; stacking his Cabinet with the same crooks and liars he promised to get rid of; insulting leaders of democracies while feeling up dictators --  and, as they do so, never talking down to them.

"Four score and seven fuckin' years ago..."

Their skill and thoughtfulness, of course, make them anathema to so-called progressives, who instead insult potential converts, while turning to pithy one-liners with punchlines like "Fuck Trump" and "feckless cunt". They've apparently mistaken "When they go low, we go high" for "When they go low, we get a solar-powered steamshovel and start digging further". This kind of stuff makes a wide swath of Americans between New York and Los Angeles think, Oh yeah, that's why I hate Hollywood. Thanks for reminding me! 

Despite what their fans think, it took zero courage for Robert De Niro and Samantha Bee to say what they did in rooms filled with people who were already in their pocket. For real profiles in comedy courage, I direct you to the Smothers Brothers and Lenny Bruce, who lived in a time when real political wit drove them off the air and into an early grave respectively. 

This kind of brilliant artwork should elect
a president, alright.

So it's both shocking and totally understandable to see this headline on Politico: DEMOCRATS TURN TO HOLLYWOOD FOR MESSAGING HELP. 

Naturally! Why go with the men and women with an ability to connect to voters when you can instead live up to your own negative stereotypes, and leave yourself wide open to ridicule by getting your talking points from sitcom writers? To quote Politico, In one recent meeting, a Midwestern senator sought advice about how to discuss gun control with conservative-leaning voters in his or her state. 

In other words, instead of crafting their own ideas -- i.e., using their brains -- they're outsourcing their job to Veep. One producer claims they're going to get their message out because they know how to create movie posters. You know, advertisements that airbrush images to remove any sign of reality, and deliberately mislead you into thinking it's one thing when it's really something else.  

The idea that most excites them, however, has nothing to do with one-sheets or lobby cards:

In one of the group’s first projects, members are working to find young celebrities who might post videos of themselves registering to vote. Targets include stars of the TV comedy “Black-ish” and celebrities with ties to Puerto Rico. The group is also discussing a college campus voter registration drive that would include some kind of VIP concert or other experience for students who register large numbers of voters.

Remember the last time they did something like this? It was the 2016 presidential election. Leave it Hollywood to once again create a sequel to a product nobody wanted the first time around. 

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