Jim Hacker & Obama

[Flanders]

That sounds a little harsh so let me specify that, as much as I disagree with most of his policies, I haven’t joined the tin-foil hat brigade. I am not accusing the president of enacting wicked conspiracies aimed at subverting every notion of decency in a cold-blooded putsch to achieve total power as Frank does. Nor do I think he got to the White House by cheating or sabotaging his opponents as did Francis Urquhart, the protagonist of the far wittier but less darkly thrilling original British version of House of Cards.

House of Cards? Obama and Democracy
Jonathan S. Tobin | 12.18.2013 - 7:45 PM

House of Cards? Obama and Democracy « Commentary Magazine​

Frankly, the president is “. . . subverting every notion of decency in a cold-blooded putsch . . .” in his determination to consolidate all political power in his hands. Because the media deified him most people missed the fact that he is more like Jim Hacker without the intelligence or the humor than he is like Frank Underwood.

Sir Humphrey Appleby wising up Hacker is absolutely superb in this episode of Yes Minister; especially the “moral vacuum” exchange. The following episode could have been written about Fast & Furious:

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=osoF7nzSy2A&feature=player_detailpage]Yes Minister - The Whisky Priest - YouTube[/ame]​

Barack Taqiyya gets away with preaching morality because he can’t govern. When it came to selling guns to drug cartels his lies and coverup did not need a Sir Humphrey to tell him “The government isn’t about morality.”

Finally, I have not seen Kevin Spacey’s rendition of House of Cards; but I can’t imagine him being half as entertaining as the late Ian Richardson (1934 - 2007):

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=c8GFaUa-W_w]House Of Cards UK - YouTube[/ame]​

 

[Flanders]

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=PnlafTs7nos]Quotes of Congressman Francis Underwood , House of Cards - YouTube[/ame]​

I watched a few episodes of the American version of House of Cards. In my humble opinion it stinks to high heaven. Kevin Spacey is pretty good, but I think the producers grabbed the others off the street, handed them a few pages of dialogue, and said “Here, read this —— you’re now an actor.” Most were that bad. By bad I mean they were not the least bit entertaining. I’m certain they all knew how to read, but they sure as hell did not know how to speak.

Worse still, the plot in the British version was obliterated by touchy-feely subplots in the American version. Basically, it was another movie about troubled women combining their emotional needs with ambition. I couldn’t shake the feeling that a message was being aimed at women in foreign countries. The message: This is how you should behave.

Oddly enough, sex was the biggest joke of all. Every female in the cast had less feminine allure than a garden slug.

Finally, there is a lot of hand wringing about America’s loss of power and influence in the world. All of the talk focuses on foreign policy. Some of the concern should be directed at the message the crap like House of Cards sends. And it’s not just that one movie. Foreigners often get their view of America’s culture from fictional movies and TV shows. There was some justification for Hollywood bragging about its global influence back in the 1930s, ‘40s, and ‘50s. The garbage Hollywood has been producing for decades offered damn little to brag about.

Bottom line: Fictional characters in movies degrading America’s entire culture has to be at least as destructive as everything politicians do in foreign policy. Note that Democrats and their Hollywood pals are responsible for both losses.

 

[Flanders]

I’m not surprised it crashed and burned:

The Macbeth of Netflix
Turns out House of Cards’ Frank Underwood makes a distinctly awful president.
By Scott McKay – 3.4.15

The Macbeth of Netflix The American Spectator
​

NOTE: The links in the OP were wiped out after USMB updated its format.

 

[Flanders]

One look at what the federal government has been doing for the past 6 years should tell Barney Frank that West Wing should have been banned:

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April 17, 2015
Barney Frank fantasizes about banning 'House of Cards'
By Thomas Lifson

Blog Barney Frank fantasizes about banning House of Cards ​