OMG! "The Passion of the Bush" | you gotta read this Frank Rich review!

[nostamj]

You can run but you can't hide: Oct. 5 will bring the perfect storm in this year's culture wars. It's on that strategically chosen date, four Tuesdays before the election, that the DVD of "Fahrenheit 9/11" will be released along with not one but two new Michael Moore books. It's also the release date of the equally self-effacing Ann Coulter's latest rant, of a new DVD documentary, "Horns and Halos," that revisits the Bush mystery year of 1972, and of an R.E.M. album, "Around the Sun," that gets in its own political licks at the state of the nation.

When Dick Cheney and John Edwards debate in Cleveland that night, Bruce Springsteen will be barnstorming in another swing state, as the Vote for Change tour hits St. Paul. All that's needed to make the day complete is a smackdown between Kinky Friedman and Teresa Heinz Kerry on "Imus in the Morning."

Of the many cultural grenades being tossed that day, though, the one must-see is "George W. Bush: Faith in the White House," a DVD that is being specifically marketed in "head to head" partisan opposition to "Fahrenheit 9/11." This documentary first surfaced at the Republican convention in New York, where it was previewed in tandem with an invitation-only, no-press-allowed "Family, Faith and Freedom Rally," a Ralph Reed-Sam Brownback jamboree thrown by the Bush campaign for Christian conservatives. Though you can buy the DVD for $14.95, its makers told the right-wing news service WorldNetDaily.com that they plan to distribute 300,000 copies to America's churches. And no wonder. This movie aspires to be "The Passion of the Bush," and it succeeds.

More than any other campaign artifact, it clarifies the hard-knuckles rationale of the president's vote-for-me-or-face-Armageddon re-election message. It transforms the president that the Democrats deride as a "fortunate son" of privilege into a prodigal son with the "moral clarity of an old-fashioned biblical prophet." Its Bush is not merely a sincere man of faith but God's essential and irreplaceable warrior on Earth. The stations of his cross are burnished into cinematic fable: the misspent youth, the hard drinking (a thirst that came from "a throat full of Texas dust"), the fateful 40th-birthday hangover in Colorado Springs, the walk on the beach with Billy Graham. A towheaded child actor bathed in the golden light of an off-camera halo re-enacts the young George comforting his mom after the death of his sister; it's a parable anticipating the future president's miraculous ability to comfort us all after 9/11. An older Bush impersonator is seen rebuffing a sexual come-on from a fellow Bush-Quayle campaign worker hovering by a Xerox machine in 1988; it's an effort to imbue our born-again savior with retroactive chastity. As for the actual president, he is shown with a flag for a backdrop in a split-screen tableau with Jesus. The message isn't subtle: they were separated at birth.

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[ewagner]

1. This. Can't. Be.

Nobody can sink that low.........

This IS a joke isn't it?

[nostamj]

3. Yes. It. Can.

here another review, from a 'Christian' website:



A number of people offer their takes on Bush and his faith, including authors Freiling and Aikman, noted above; James Robison, a religious broadcaster and a close Bush friend; Ted Haggard, president of the National Association of Evangelicals; and Don Hodel, who served in the Reagan Administration and is now President/CEO of Focus on the Family. These, and others, provide even more insight and perspective into the President, his spiritual life, his resolve, his servant leadership. It's revealing and inspiring.

Neither Bush nor the First Lady are interviewed for the documentary—the independent film was made without their knowledge—but we see plenty of videotaped clips of both.

We also "hear" from a number of Bush critics, though they're never seen talking onscreen. These critics—including Ralph Nader, Richard Gere, Al Franken, and Barry Lynn—are typically represented with a mug shot and the text of a quote, which is read aloud by a narrator. The problem is that all of these quotes are read with a tone that's dripping with sarcasm, spite, malice. Obviously, these critics aren't Bush fans, but I'll bet they didn't all sound like whiny, sniveling punks in the real sound bytes. The quote from Barry Lynn, for example, was excerpted from a public testimony before a Senate subcommittee; why not just run the tape?

The film also uses cheesy "dramatic re-enactments" to illustrate key moments throughout Bush's life that weren't caught on tape. These scenes also sometimes leave the viewer scratching his head, wondering what's "real" and what's staged. For example, there's a re-enactment of Billy Graham talking to a younger Bush; the camera looks over Graham's shoulder at an actor who's playing Bush—but the actor looks like he is a member of the Bush family. My wife even asked, "Is that Jeb?"—referring to the President's younger brother, now Florida's governor. It was so distracting that we missed some 20 or 30 seconds of narration while we talked aloud while trying to discern if it actually was a Bush or not. We finally deduced that it wasn't—and rewound the DVD to pick up what we'd missed.

http://www.christianitytoday.com/movies/reviews/georgewbush.html

[AntiSmirk]

8. "...and rewound the DVD to pick up what we'd missed"

old terminology meets new technology

[nostamj]

10. ha!

my eyebrows shot up at that line too....

[Mad_Dem_X]

14. LMAO! This is too funny!

I cannot believe that people think this idiot is Jesus-y.

LOVED the "Buddy Christ" picture!

[H2O Man]

21. Sounds funnier than SNL !

Somewhere I have a book of Mark Twain's "unpublished" works. He had a lot to say about people who do things like this. I just hope that this comes out on DVD in time for a choir of heavenly angels to buy a copy to give Jesus for his birthday. On second thought, he'd prefer the Twain book.

[nostamj]

22. it comes out the same day at F911

10/5... it is the anti-F911 movie!!! god says so!!!

[nadinbrzezinski]

5. No it is not a joke

this is Goebbels at its best....

[PROGRESSIVE1]

2. The FundieFascists are truely SICK SOBS!

[The empressof all]

4. Here's what I'm going to do

Since Bush is God and Bush is telling us that if we're not with him we're against him--On Oct. 5th I plan to call the White House and confess. I am not with Bush ----

Since you all must be terrorists as well -I suggest you join me.

[DrWeird]

6. Haven't got a problem with it.

This will only drive swing voters to Kerry.

[Eloriel]

7. It's disconcerting, to say the least, to witness evidence of

huge swaths of the population simply delusional. This is unbelievable.

[Cronus Protagonist]

9. I have a few of the illustrations I sent in for it here...

None of them were accepted. I wonder why?

[Obamarama]

11. The Passion Of The Bush....ROFLMAO....sounds like a porn title.

I realize that's not the actual title, but Rich's nicknaming of it is HILARIOUS.

[Jacobin]

12. The fuckers are Deifying George BushLaden

I've seen some crazy shit in my time, but I have to tell you that this fucking FREAKS ME OUT

[nostamj]

15. well, considering that even a 'christian' review

is pretty scathing (see above) this won't do squat. the fundies who would eat this kind of shit and thank them for the brownies are NOT going to be swayed in the least...

[Kid_A]

13. "Thirst that came from a throat full of Texas dust"

Don't they mean "nasal passages full of Colombian blow"?

[VOX]

24. Ha!!!! Good one, Kid!!!

:yourock:

[dean_dem]

16. I think I've seen that movie....

Only it was called something different. "Triumph of The Will," I think. I think Bush had a moustache then.

[blm]

17. Bush was having an affair with BO DEREK in 88.

Gee...they left that part out.

Everyone in LA knew it at the time, but noone gave two craps about those two back then.

THAT'S the real reason Laura was going to leave him, that AND his alcoholism.

[nostamj]

18. well, was BO working on the Bush-Quayle campaign?

[Cleita]

26. What was Bo's role in the last convention?

She was introduced briefly and the news guy said she was a hostess in one of the VIP lounges in the convention. I sort of did a double take, but it wasn't interesting at that time. However, I did think later. What does a VIP hostess, who is Bo Derek, do? Does she make fascinating conversation? Does she serve drinks? Does she do lap dances? Inquiring minds want to know.

[blm]

28. Now she fancies herself to be a bright GOP mind.

I still think Laura clocked George during the "pretzel period" because it was right after the dictatortot appointed Bo to the Kennedy Center.

[Lisa]

19. please, please, let there be an alternate DVD release of that film ...

... with commentary by Jon Stewart and Molly Ivins!


This sounds so pompous and overblown that it makes "Triumph of the Will" look like a Dogme 95 production. I think it would be a hoot to watch!

[greekspeak]

20. What a cheesy, cheap, sleazy piece of crap.

First of all, every church that accepts one of these DVDs should IMMEDIATELY lose tax exempt status.

That said, only in a fucked up bizarro world like 2004 America can some b-movie melodrama with cheezy special effects pass as "the passion of Christ." No telling how many American zombie people will foam at the mouth over this chunk of histrionics.

[sffreeways]

23. A comedy ?

These crazy people take this messianic stuff very seriously. Pretty frightening. It's a good thing there are fewer fanatics in this country than sane people.

Doesn't the bible say there would be a false prophet in the end that rises to power through lies ? And then there is armegeddon and Christ returns ? There is a discription of the anti christ that more and more sounds like Bush if you believe that stuff.

Reading this story sure makes the scenario in the bible an amazing coincidence.

[Cleita]

25. About Bush comforting his mother when his sister died?

I'm reading Kitty Kelley's book and she says that GHW and Babs didn't tell George that his sister had leukemia and was dying. Babs was afraid he would tell Robin. So he didn't know. He and Jeb were left with neighbors and other baby sitters frequently while Babs coped. I can't imagine he comforted his mother over something that was being kept from him although Kitty states that he often asked Barbara why she didn't tell him.

[JohnOneillsMemory]

27. This psych evaluation of * says he was scorned for mourning sis's death

by his mother. This tells of a beaten shadowed child who became an alcoholic authoritarian fascist to get back at the world and his parents.

* is carrying out the Columbine massacre on a global scale while his handlers build a cult around him for the religiously insane.


http://www.guardian.co.uk/usa/story/0,12271,1033904,00.html
(So George, How Do You Feel About Your Mom and Dad?)

[UTUSN]

29. He's THE CHOSEN ONE, According to Ma-Babs n/t

[vetwife]

30. Do you realize how many will buy into this stuff?

Be afraid ! Be Very Afraid !
I am a person of Faith and I tell you..This is definately Anti-Christ
material. He is not the Antichrist I dont think...unless he goes back in then I am not so sure ! If he is.We have all HAD IT ! WORSE !

[Lisa]

31. some of the Bush hagiography making the rounds

http://www.snopes.com/glurge/bushpray.htm
http://www.snopes.com/glurge/birdwell.htm
http://www.snopes.com/glurge/yeskoo.htm

[Bread and Circus]

32. This is a dupe. I posted this last night.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=936711&mesg_id=936711

But I got one measly reply, and it was me kicking the thread.

:cry:

And now that I look at it, my thread got locked. What the fuck is that about mods? Is there something wrong with how I posted?

Fuck, now I am kind of pissed at DU as I feel pretty dissed.

[nostamj]

33. you can ask in the "Ask the Admin" forum....

I didn't see Rich's article until I got the link from a friend today....

don't sweat dead threads, if I did, I'd have jumped off a bridge LONG ago....

[neuvocat]

34. I just might get it.

The more I read up on these fluff pieces the more I see what a phony Bush is when it comes to religion. These idiots don't know just how useful that sort of information could be.

[nostamj]

35. saturday kick.... it really is a must read! n/t