Last week - having turned 50 - I had my first colonoscopy. Rather than get into details of that - the more pertinent thing: I watched It's a Wonderful Life with my daughter while she was sick and I was forced to take half a day off. To the point then, it was easy to see Mitt Romney serving the role of a modern day Mr. Potter: he profits from the failing businesses of others without concern for the very poor. Of course, Potter would be glorified as a king by today's GOP, particularly his disregard for the struggling. George Bailey fights Mr. Potter at every turn by using his own money to stave off the run at the savings and loan. George organizes the people with money in savings and loan to sit tight - saving their community - in the face of financial disaster. The movie is, of course, about the great things the George achieves in his life and his inability to appreciate his accomplishments or the love of the people he has helped because his heart is somewhere else. George, the community organizer, would be a rube in today's GOP. (The movie was initially a flop but has since become of the greatest holiday movies of all time).
Mitt seems a lot nicer than Mr. Potter, but he is so totally disconnected from the way poor people live, that it may be worse. George, you're doing a great job Brownie, was similarly disconnected but not as nice. Probably having grown up with money, being educated, and being financially disconnected from economic fears of most of the rest of us, Mitt probably cannot connect. But may be he should take a little reality check from George Bailey.
If the GOP wants to co-op It's a Wonderful Life, they could point out that George Bailey didn't look for the government to solve the communities problems. But they'd have to admit that Mr. Potter wasn't the solution.
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