I hope in sharing this I am not impugning your fine opinion of me.  Who am I kidding?  I could care less what you think.  I am an unabashed fan of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice.  Although I love all of Austen’s novels I relate most to the sarcastic wit and acerbic tongue of heroine Elizabeth Bennett.  Not surprisingly, I have  watched the BBC five hour mini-series too many times to count and have a particular fondness for Mr. Darcy.  Therefore whenever a comparison is drawn between P&P and… anything, friends and family are quick to pass it along.  

A recent Op-Ed piece in the New York Times compares Senator Obama to a modern day incarnation of Mr. Darcy.  Like Jane Austen’s leading man, Obama can draw "the attention of the room by his fine, tall person, handsome features, noble mien.  …he was looked at with great admiration for abouth half of the evening, till his manners gave a disgust which turned the tide of his popularity; for he was discovered to be proud, to be above his company, and above being pleased."  Of course, if Obama is Mr. Darcy, then fiery, hot-headed, stubborn, and prejudicial America is Lizzie Bennett.  Americans are oh so smart and so willing to judge based on mistaken premises, misconceptions, and racial issues.  That is until they realize that they are mistaken by their prejudgement; fall madly in love, and live happily ever after. Ummmm.  I mean, that is they realize they have a philosophical change of heart and a newfound respect for their presidential candidate, vote him into office on election day, and live happily ever after, for the next eight years that is…

In this modern day re-enactment McCain was cast as Wickham, the malevolent but beguiling soldier that attempts to steal Lizzie’s heart and instead dumps her for a wealthy prospect, when his mark sees through his ploys he drowns himself in his gambling debt and in Lizzie’s younger sister’s knickers.  As much as I would like to see McCain as the wicked Wickham, I cannot see him carousing at the ripe old age of 71.  Rather, I see him more as the bungling Mr. Collins, "a conceited, pompous, narrow-minded, silly man… one must feel, that the woman who married him cannot have a proper way of thinking."  

Of course, in this scenario we cannot fail to leave out Mrs. Bennett, dear Mrs. Bennett, a foolish woman who talks too much and is obsessed with frivolity.  She’s loud, opinionated, and completely oblivious to the embarrassment she causes her family; throw on a wig and pantaloons and you’ll have the spitting image of George W. Bush.  Also, in my scenario, I would make Cheney and Condie the foolish younger sisters; always fighting amongst themselves over trifle issues such as the season’s fashions, their silly friends, and disarmament issues.

I’ll stop this comparison here and let you draw your own parallels to your favorite characters in well worn books for no other reason than I need to pop P&P in the dvd and start a 5 hour marathon of Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle.