The Abner Factor

Ever watch a big ball of string unravel? Not what I'd consider "must see" entertainment. But boy oh boy when the Republicans do it, it sure can be fun to watch now can't it?

Case in point: went to a production of "Li'l Abner" last night at the Goodspeed Opera House in Haddam, CT. Not my favorite show by any stretch, but we do have a season membership. I give the performance itself a 6.5 out of 10, BUT, they get a 9.5 out of 10 for TOPICAL references. When Li'l Abner goes to Washington so that Dogpatch won't be blown off the face of the earth the Evil General Bullmoose tries to steal his Yokumberry tonic secret so he can have all the money in the world. (I know, but this is based on a cartoon folks.) The actor playing Bullmoose was a dead ringer for Dick Cheney...down to the beady eyes and crooked grin. In his big musical number he took out a shotgun and proceeded to "accidentally" shoot everyone on stage. His squad of "yes men" wore Karl Rove and Condi Rice masks. Dubya even turned up later on as a waiter. There were jokes about media spin, Fox News, and Larry King. There were new lyrics with references to Abramoff and immigration reform, all of which were funny if contectually out of place for a show where the rest of the action takes place in the 1950s.

What does this have to do with the unraveling of Bush's Big Ball of String?I wasn't the only one laughing. The audience was howling...howling! In the stately gothic theatre on the banks of the Connecticut River, I felt hope for the first time in a long time. Because the audience was laughing at the joke our government has become. The audience was laughing at the references to scandals the administration likes to think the public is too stupid to understand. The audience was laughing the laugh of the well informed -- nothing got past them. And the audience was full of moms and dads with their 3.2 children -- the people the GOP like to consider their base. Moms and dads in khakis and polo shirts with SUVs in the parking lot. Moms and dads with nice homes who can afford $200 worth of theatre seats and Twizzler for everyone. Moms and dads who are finally realizing that the government owes something to those kids beyond a world of filth, destruction, and poverty.