Look away now

What is your name? "MC Rove!". There's a bit of a twitter today about the performance of Karl Rove, President Bush's chief political strategist, at the Radio and Television Correspondents Association annual dinner last night in Washington. After a trickily grim interview with Brad Sherwood, the comedian host, in which Mr Rove joked about going home, having a non-alcoholic drink and tearing the heads off small animals, the planner of all things Republican was bounced through an improvised rap, in which he wawdled around, waving his arms and saying "MC Rove" a few times. Have a look.

It's embarassing for everybody, we think, and makes us wonder about the purpose of these highly stage-managed affairs in which American political figures move off message and try to appear relaxed and human. Especially when, like Mr Rove, they don't appear to be either. As this You Tube reviewer notes: "I don't know what's more terrifying; his stupidity or his old white dude moves. What a douchebag."

Is it a coincidence that the most-acclaimed recent performance at one of these occasions was by Laura Bush, a non-politician? Watch her politely move President Bush out of the way (at 1:15 into the clip) and do her Desperate Housewife skit. But of course, if you want someone to do a really good job, we recommend doing what Comic Relief did recently: get a proper actor. 

Comments

[George]

It's too bad that we have a system that forces politicians to *try* to be more accessible. It decries the disparity between the privileged and, well, everyone else.

Nice to see Mr. Rove mimicking that which he understands absolutely none of - American urban black culture.

I suppose that someone, somewhere is offended by every joke, but I agree that allowing the politicians off their corporate leashes, even for a bit, is somewhat frightening and sad.