My Temples Are Pounding

ABC News sets the stage for a few laughs:

Obama Speech Stage Resembles Ancient Greek Temple
Reuters
DENVER 

Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama's big speech on Thursday night will be delivered from an elaborate columned stage resembling a miniature Greek temple.

The stage, similar to structures used for rock concerts, has been set up at the 50-yard-line, the midpoint of Invesco Field, the stadium where the Denver Broncos' National Football League team plays.

Some 80,000 supporters will see Obama appear from between plywood columns painted off-white, reminiscent of Washington's Capitol building or even the White House, to accept the party's nomination for president.

He will stride out to a raised platform to a podium that can be raised from beneath the floor.

We are desperate to see the poster!  A suggested starting point is here:

 


Roman, Greek - don't vex me. [UPDATE:  An entrant at Powerline.]

MORE:  A show of nerves from Alex Koppelman at Salon:

I suppose there's an outside chance this could actually look good when it's finished and all the trappings are in place. But right now it just seems incredibly tone-deaf.

You'll love it when the time comes.  Can I hear a "Yes We Can"?

D'OH!  Obama will orate on the anniversary of Martin Luther King's "I Have A Dream" speech given in front of the Lincoln Memorial, so this is really a MLK tribute.  A tasteful yet subtle tribute.

HMM:  The Captain rejects the Lincoln Memorial connection because Obama's temple is rounded.  I'm guessing that the temple is rounded on the set to appear flat on television, or some such (sort of similar to the reason columns are curved to appear straight...).  Anyway, King will double-surely be invoked in The Speech, so I am sticking with the Lincoln Memorial motif.

DOUBLE HMM:  Are they saving the surprise or have they not thought of this yet?  The Obama camp does not invoke King in their own defense:

On the flight from Billings, Mont., to Denver, Colo., Obama senior strategist David Axelrod responded to the criticism.

"I know that Sen. McCain and his people have been shooting barbs about the 'opulence' of our convention from the mountaintop at Sedona at the McCain estate. I don't think it warrants a response."

OK, there is a third choice - I am all wet with this King/Lincoln Memorial thing.  Nahhhh...

Comments

[Danube of Thought]

A McCain guy said "Is this from the Onion?"

[GMax]

Iam starting to think that a pretty good blowout by McCain could be brewing up. The perfect storm is of course dependent on a whole bunch of things happening at the same time, but it sure looks like Obama hired Larry, Moe and Curly for campaign advise.

This is so mockingly tone deaf as to be something only an Obamabot could love.

[Sue]

Duvall doesn't think much of Vidal, whom he called "an American icon-slash-dilettante." It's not only John McCain who could kick Vidal's ass.

"His 96 year-old mother could beat the crap out of Gore Vidal with her shoe," Duvall says. "And you can quote me on that."

Robert Duvall. ::grin::

http://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/015/473ldzno.asp>source

[Sammy]

Here is the poster:

http://www.powerlineblog.com/worshipme.jpg

[Darby Shaw]

Every time I see references to Obamatrons stage, I can't help but thinking of the scene in Spinal Tap where they put the mini Stonehenge on the stage. I'm still laughing.

[Captain Hate]

Just when I thought I couldn't think any more of Duvall or less of Vidal...

[sbw]

Just wait until Charlton Heston strides on stage, all oiled up..

[Appalled]

If Obama had a sense of humor, he'd have some idea of when he's making himself look silly.

[Danube of Thought]

I agree, Appalled--it amazes me that we have not heard more commentary about the fact that this man has absolutely no sense of humor at all. And he is utterly incapable of laughing at himself.

[sdferr]

Come, Voter.
Come and see.
Come, come.
Come and see Barack.

Look! Barack!
Oh, look.
Look and see.
See Barack walk.

Look voter.
See the White House.
Oh! Look!
See Barack walk into the White House!

[There is no lower limit to Baracky's contempt for his supporters.]

[bad]

To reiterate: Its a FABULOUS stage. He'll look so foreign and exotic.

[bad]

UMMM, I forgot "so citizen of the worldy"

[SaveFarris]

Did they pay Bill Maher to use his old set?

[Soylent Red]

"Friends, uh...Romans, uh...countrymen - Lend me your money. I, uh...come not to praise myself, but, uh, um...to bury my campaign."

Or maybe...

"Are you not entertained?"

Perhaps he will drink a cup of hemlock or pluck his own eyes out.

[A.L.]

Yeah, Greek columns are so "foreign and exotic." Just like those crazy Greek temples called "The Capitol Building," the "White House," the "Jefferson Memorial" and the "Lincoln Memorial." Have any of you ever been to our nation's capital?

[Thomas Collins]

I actually think Zero's folks know what they are doing. Their internal polling probably indicates that they have lost a good portion of the "clinger" Democrats, especially those aged 65 and older. So, how do they make this up? By a combination of increased AA turnout (for example, in Cuyahoga County in Ohio, increased AA turnout could tip Ohio to Zero), guilty "of pallor" liberals (clearly not a big group, but at least they'll keep writing checks to Zero) and youth. I think the stadium speech and Greek temple (along with the Presidential seal) are to mesmerize the youth. I have to tell you, the young folks I have met who support Zero do seem to be mesmerized by him. I realize that depending on increased youth vote is risky, but given that Zero has so ticked off the clingers, what else can he do?

[MayBee]

For Bob Herbert, they are building the Tower of Pisa and the Washington Monument.
Then Joe Biden's hot blonde white wife is going to get on the stage and all hell is going to break loose.

[MikeS]

...this man has absolutely no sense of humor at all.

No sense of humor?
Tomorrow night the guy is going to emerge from a temple walk down a birth canal to a stage where he will preach his message of sacrifice.

Blessed are those who turn down their thermostats.
Blessed are those who eat less.
Blessed ...

That's not a joke?

[Thomas Collins]

Wait a minute! It is now clear to me. Pericles Obama is going to deliver his acceptance speech in ancient Greek in a Greek temple! Brilliant! He will have locked up the prep school classics teacher demographic!

[sbw]

Anyone other than Clarice make the association that "Zero" Mostel played Pseudolus in "A funny thing happened on the way to the forum"?

Pseudolus: Don't you think it's time we started trusting each other?
Hysterium: One of us isn't ready yet.

[redherkey]

All great leaders in history need an architectural vision that reflects the return to ancient greatness. Obama's campaign has successfully integrated the print imagery of the pinnacle of Soviet power to the architectural greatness of Speer:

http://www.nyc-architecture.com/ARCH/Notes-Fascist-GER.htm

Every great socialist movement needs the visual cues to support its ascent. Misdirection of the masses is critical to get their buy-in as their liberty and property is removed.

[Rick Ballard]

A.L.,

So, this is a mockup of the Obama Memorial? Doesn't he have to do something worthy of memorializing first? "First honest to goodness cryptocommie to lose a presidential election" probably isn't worthy of a columned memorial.

Or are you suggesting that "This is as close as I'm ever gonna get to the White House." is the theme?

[sbw]

Do something? Why? He IS!

[MayBee]

"Zero" Mostel played Pseudolus in "A funny thing happened on the way to the forum"?

No. But now I have "If I Were a Rich Man" stuck in my head.

[MayBee]

"White House,"

Maybe he's going to put an Oval Office on the stage, and speak to us from behind the desk. That's be so awesome.

[sbw]

No. No. Wait. Obama will speak in front of a White House fireplace dressed in a cardigan. So he could give us a fireside chit.

The chit being how much we'll owe for his programs. [groan]

[clarice]

Too bad Victor mature is dead--a little oiled body wrestling in the center of the stadium while O speaks would relieve the tedium.

[SWarren]

Thomas Collins,
I have to tell you, the young folks I have met who support Zero do seem to be mesmerized by him. I realize that depending on increased youth vote is risky, but given that Zero has so ticked off the clingers, what else can he do?

I too am worried about the youth vote mainly because that is a large demographic that is not really reflected in the polling right now mainly because most young people have cell phones.

[narciso]

It would be inconvenient to point out that Maximus died at the end of Gladiator. Plus he was born in Spain, like future emperor
Trajan.

[Enlightened]

I wish the RNC and McCain would make it policy number one to not even refer to The Messiah or the DNC once. Not once. Deliverately refuse to say his name. His wife's name. No mention of Biden. Not word one about them. I wish they would just be totally upbeat, admit there's fixing that needs to be done, and git 'r done without any fanfare.

And then I wake up and Hillary Clinton is wearing an orange pantsuit, and Billy Jeff is mouthing "I Love You" to her.

Cripes.

[narciso]

Speaking of conspiracy theories, Laura Rozen, is busy tryin to give form to
Susskind's allegations abour Habbush,re Richer, that the latter challenged earlier.

[PDinDetroit]

I have a different take on this.

I have been thinking about the movie "300" for a while and Barack playing Xerces:

"Where McCain requires you to stand (for something), I require only that you kneel (to everything I say)"

"For I am a generous god"

Gotta polish up on the old Video Editing Skills and make this parody happen for YouTube...

[sbw]

Laura Rozen

And Greedo was a good guy, too.

[matt]

This whole thing is being scripted and staged by Hollywood, and from what I am hearing from blue state friends, it's working on them, at least...liberals really can't be reasoned with...the act from the heart, not the brain...in the idiocracy that we've been building for the past 30 years, I don't know that there are enough people willing to challenge the hype....

[carl]

Free photoshop idea;

Obama as Xerxes on his throne (or Cleopatra maybe?) being carried into the forum.

[carl]

Or maybe a "School of Athens" riff with Dems replacing the philosophers.

[Soylent Red]

Looking at it further, it really does have a Nuremburg feeling to it.

The footage of 80K pie-eyed dolts waving their Obamamobilia and chanting "O-BA-MA" should be enough to scare away anyone who has ever watched the History Channel back when it was good.

[Al]

Is it just me, or does the Obama set bear a strong resemblance to one used about 75 years ago in Nuremburg? Backdrop for a speech by a very charismatic speaker.

[MayBee]

How can Obama stand in front of that grand set and rail against McCain's houses? He won't be able to, right?

[Cosmo Kramer]

I would have used the old stage set from the Merv Griffin TV show.

[bad]

One of my teen-agers pointed out that she would go to Invesco for the speech if they could see Bon Jovi and Bruce Springsteen in concert. She would chill during the speechifying time and text.

[bad]

they = she

[Lindak]

Spinal Tap did come to mind but rather than the Greek temple, perhaps a rock should emerge and rise. Then split and out comes BO. In a flowing white robe. A puff of smoke and the ascension begins.

This seems to me worse than the Berlin staging

[Tom Maguire]

I put in an update stating the numbingly obvious - since his speech is on the anniversary of the Martin Luther King "I have a Dream" speech given from the Lincoln Memorial at the National Mall, this is a subtle yet tasteful tribute to MLK.

[dmh]

You might want to take a look at the stage from which George Bush accepted the nomination in 2004. Columns are as American as apple pie.

[MayBee]

dmh- do the two stages look very much alike to you? Really?

[ptg]

If Barack appears in a toga, I'll die.

[PaulB]

Yes, this is just insane. Why you'd have to go all the way back to the 2004 Republican Convention, where George Bush gave a speech in front of a backdrop that was virtually the same to see something like this.

Oh, wait....

Geez, is this really the best you guys can come up with?

[exfed]

Yo dmh -

In 2004 Bush had a few columns in the background stage as opposed to Barack who has built a cheesy Hollywood Roman B-movie set.

Oh, and the minor issue that Bush was already President in 2004. Unlike Barack who just thinks he is President.

I think someone is sabotaging Obama's campaign from the inside.

On a side note, here is the link to
memo from the McCain campaign to the press on the Barackopolis

[MarkJ]

Aside from Obama feeding the entire audience with "two loaves and five fishes" after his speech, I suppose the perfect boffo finish for him would be....

"At my command, unleash HELL!"

Nahhhhhh........!

[Rusty]

Hey guys, did you see the set from Bush 2004?

Look familiar?

[Rusty]

Hey guys, did you see the set from Bush 2004?

Look familiar?

[Fred]

"No. But now I have "If I Were a Rich Man" stuck in my head."

Lucky you. I have the "Movin' On Up" theme from the the sitcom The Jeffersons stuck in my head.

[Daddy]

Well I don't know if this helps on determining whether or not Obama is a Christian or a Muslim, but the followers of Zeus ought to be ecstatic.

And if this doesn't win him the Pagen vote, nothing will.

[bad]

Daddy, you funny.

[hit and run]

dmh:
You might want to take a look at the stage from which George Bush accepted the nomination in 2004. Columns are as American as apple pie.

I think so too! Just don't tell Bob Herbert.

Rusty:
Hey guys, did you see the set from Bush 2004?

Dude. dmh has this beat covered.

[glenda waggoner]

Hit:

Thank You Mucho for the salutation! It was a nice thoughtful evening, we let the grand grandson watch Lion King so we could avoid Bill.

[efiacs]

I have no idea what you guys are talking about. Have you ever seen the architecture on the white house, the capitol, the supreme court, most of the state capital houses, the lincolm memorial, most of the old unversities in the country, wallstreet, etc. etc.? There is nothing foreign about that architecture to the U.S. in anyway. Next you'll call him out for standing beside a pine tree, because they don't grow in your own backyards (depending on your location). it will be "nice going you socialist canadian panzee, no doubt aboot it, barack is a man of the world, etc. etc"

[JM Hanes]

efiacs:

If folks on the left actually had anything resembling an ear for irony, they might have a fighting chance of understanding the right.

[Judy]

I'm sure it's set up to resemble the Lincoln memorial, but it sure has been fun reading all the snark! :)

[JM Hanes]

Judy:

LOL! I think you're probably absolutely right. Tomorrow is CHANGE YOU CAN BELIEVE IN night, and with the Lincoln Memorial as a backdrop, it suddenly doesn't seem difficult to guess what the theme of Obama's next historic speech will be. Hope you'll join in the next snark blogging yourself!

[MayBee]

I thought the Berlin speech was going to be amazing, and it wasn't. So now I'm sure this convention speech will be a bust, which in turn makes me think it will be amazing.

[cincinnatus]

if you still can't figure out what inspired Thursday night's show, check out http://TreatedAndReleased.blogspot.com/2008/08/tomorrow-belongs-to-me.html