Garrison Keillor: The cheerful idiot

[babylonsister]

The cheerful idiot

As the Current Occupant imagines his legacy emerging golden and shining in a hundred years after all of us are deceased, you and I go on.

By Garrison Keillor


Jan. 7, 2009 | When you look at the audience numbers for TV and then add up the incarcerated felons, Alzheimer's patients and confirmed barflies in America, it dawns on you who is watching TV these days -- people unable to lead normal productive lives -- and yet they give out awards for this stuff and the hosts of shows are driven to and fro in Lincoln Town Cars and they suffer from toxic self-esteem. TV is wallpaper nowadays and those talking heads might as well be talking to the smoked trout in Murray's Deli or the No Parking signs along Broadway, as people do from time to time, but we allow them their delusions.

And we allow the Current Occupant to leave the Mansion d'Blanc with a big grin in a couple of weeks, his self-esteem apparently fully intact, imagining that his legacy will emerge golden and shining in a hundred years after all of us are deceased. He is one of the cheerfullest idiots you ever saw, a man who could burn down his own house and be happy that the patio was still standing. Had Congress impeached him, his defense would have been that he was not capable of understanding the charges.

Laura got the publishing contract, though the world is not abuzz waiting for her to tell us that he was not as dense as he looked. Sure. Right. But she will write it and then go on TV talk shows to flog it and she will be seen by thousands of people in airport waiting areas who will think, "My, she looks familiar. She reminds me of somebody."

more...

http://www.salon.com/opinion/keillor/2009/01/07/self_esteem/

[peacefreak]

1. Mr, Keillor nails it yet again.

nt

[Demeter]

2. The Master of the Civil, Erudite Shiv

Thank you Mr. Keillor!

Why don't they save trees and let Laura write an E-book? Then nobody has to even pretend to read it.

[GCP]

3. If you read the whole column, he refers to Obama as "Mr. Mambo"

Don't know quite what he's trying to say there, but it left a nasty taste in my mouth, and I usually love GK.

[madrchsod]

5. ever watch a mambo dancer?

self confidence,grace,and beauty...at least it`s better than "texas two step bush"

youtube videos will explain all....:rofl:

[OwnedByFerrets]

6. Doing a google search for the phrase didnt come up with ANY

negative connotations.

[madrchsod]

4. mythical places are sometimes real

i never understood why my dad liked garrison until i became my dad`s age.

[OwnedByFerrets]

7. Great piece, as usual. The more things "change", the more they

stay the same.

[pipi_k]

8. When I read the phrase

"The Cheerful Idiot" in reference to W, I'm reminded of Charlie Gordon, the bakery worker, in the movie "Charly"

Only not quite as smart as Charlie the floor sweeper...

Or Algernon either, for that matter...