Chris Matthews Compares Obama Speech to Troops in Afghanistan to Henry V

NewsBusters ^ | May 2, 2012 | P.J. Gladnick

[PJ-Comix]

We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;
For he today that sheds his blood with me
Shall be my brother.

I have to wonder how the St. Crispin's Day speech by Henry V as written by William Shakespeare would sound if read from a teleprompter. The reason for this strange speculation is that Chris Matthews yesterday on Hardball compared President Obama's speech to the troops in Afghanistan to Henry V as you can see on this video and below the fold.

[PJ-Comix]

Barry V delivering a St. Crispy's Day speech?

[ClearCase_guy]

If Obama had a band of brothers, they’d be kicking the snot out of some white guy in an alley.

[gov_bean_ counter]

... so says the Court Jester!!!

[circlecity]

And those at home in bed
shall think themselves accursed
They were not eating dog.

[KarlInOhio]

The only comparison is that drunken Falstaff used to be around, but is now dead.

[Don Corleone]

Wet leg!

[Farmer Dean]

Sounds like Chris needs to go to the men’s room and try to get a hold of himself.(again)

[SubMareener]

But, I thought they didn’t let any troops near him on this visit. So how could his speech inspire them?

[verga]

Yeah the big difference is that Henry V was actually leading the troops with a weapon in hand and Obozo had to be called off the golf course, while he assigned the final decision to a Navy Admiral, cause he didn't have the testicles to make the final call himself from 6000 miles away.

[PLD]

[blueunicorn6]

“Hang thyself, brave Chrissie, for we fought at Arques today, and you were not there.”

[Dr. Bogus Pachysandra]

Deady Kennedy?

[BigEdLB]

[onedoug]

Would this wimp also endorse Henry’s near agonizing reflection and prayer to God the prior evening? And the mention of “God’s will!” during the actual speech?

And then throughout:

“If they do this,—
As, if God please, they shall,—my ransom then
Will soon be levied. Herald, save thou thy labour;
Come thou no more for ransom, gentle herald:
They shall have none, I swear, but these my joints;
Which if they have as I will leave ‘em them,
Shall yield them little, tell the constable.”

And then the King himself, totally and completely unlike soetoro, led the English force into battle.

Hmm. How like Matthews and the media to frame their own context for anything and everything.

[Zhang Fei]

Considering the speech was a creation of Shakespeare’s fertile imagination, I think the analogy is appropriate - an imaginary speech for an imaginary leader.