David Zucker's An American Carol (2008)

[Hebs]

I think Huckabee should make a movie.  [except the religious extremism would be weird]   He's pretty self-depricating in a funny way. 

[Tripe]

Yeah Huckabee can be pretty funny at times. I know people will disagree with me here but he was probably the second most likable prospective candidate this time round.

I'd have much rather seen Obama/Huckabee debates

[Hebs]

Haha, it's funny, I disagree with Huckabee on a number of things, but I still think he's a pretty alright guy!   

If he had been the nominee/VP, there certainly wouldn't have been so much negative campaign-ing and of course, that backlash...

[Tripe]

Yeah same here, though i disagree with the Huckster on almost everything I thought he was incredibly likable.

Aside from Obama he gave a the only other really interesting talk to the Detroit Economics Forum.

[bettertomorrowamy]

I liked fat-Huckabee better.

[bettertomorrowamy]

"Should such an ignorant people lead the world? How did it come to this in the first place? 82 percent of us don't even have a passport! Just a handful can speak a language other than English (and we don't even speak that very well)."

"They are possibly the dumbest people on the planet... in thrall to conniving, thieving, smug pricks. We Americans suffer from an enforced ignorance. We don't know about anything that's happening outside our country. Our stupidity is embarrassing. National Geographic produced a survey which showed that 60 percent of 18-25 year-olds don't know where Great Britain is on a map. And 92 percent of us don't own a passport. "

"You're stuck with being connected to this country of mine, which is known for bringing sadness and misery to places around the globe."

"Should such an ignorant people lead the world? Don't go the American way when it comes to economics, jobs and services for the poor and immigrants. It is the wrong way."

''That's why we're smiling all the time. 'You can see us coming down the street. You know, 'Hey! Hi! How's it going?' We've got that big shit-eating grin on our face all the time because our brains aren't loaded down.''

"We, the United States of America, are culpable in committing so many acts of terror and bloodshed that we had better get a clue about the culture of violence in which we have been active participants.''

You should add these people and quotes to your list as well:

In every American there is an air of incorrigible innocence, which seems to conceal a diabolical cunning.
A. E. Housman (1859 - 1936)

Too many of us look upon Americans as dollar chasers. This is a cruel libel, even if it is reiterated thoughtlessly by the Americans themselves.
Albert Einstein (1879 - 1955)

Americans will put up with anything provided it doesn't block traffic.
Dan Rather (1931 - )

How much longer are we going to think it necessary to be ''American'' before (or in contradistinction to) being cultivated, being enlightened, being humane, and having the same intellectual discipline as other civilized countries?
Edith Wharton (1862 - 1937)

I sometimes think that the saving grace of America lies in the fact that the overwhelming majority of Americans are possessed of two great qualities- a sense of humor and a sense of proportion.
Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882 - 1945)

Americans adore me and will go on adoring me until I say something nice about them.
George Bernard Shaw (1856 - 1950)

Half of the American people have never read a newspaper. Half never voted for President. One hopes it is the same half.
Gore Vidal (1925 - )

Nobody ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American public.
H. L. Mencken (1880 - 1956)

The character inherent in the American people has done all that has been accomplished; and it would have done somewhat more, if the government had not sometimes got in its way.
Henry David Thoreau (1817 - 1862)

It is, I think, an indisputable fact that Americans are, as Americans, the most self- conscious people in the world, and the most addicted to the belief that the other nations are in a conspiracy to under-value them.
Henry James (1843 - 1916)

Americans are benevolently ignorant about Canada, while Canadians are malevolently well informed about the United States.
J. Bartlett Brebner

George Washington had a vision for this country. Was it three days of uninterrupted shopping?
Jeff Melvoin, Northern Exposure, Bolt from the Blue, 1994

Ninety-eight percent of the adults in this country are decent, hard-working, honest Americans. It's the other lousy two percent that get all the publicity. But then--we elected them.
Lily Tomlin (1939 - )

Sitting at the table doesn't make you a diner, unless you eat some of what's on that plate. Being here in America doesn't make you an American. Being born here in America doesn't make you an American.
Malcolm X (1925 - 1965), Malcolm X Speaks, 1965

[ScottotD]

hahahaha, you're just saying that because you hate America.



I do hope there's a more creative response than "I was just doing what he does" or the like.

[sarcasm_made_Easy]

never pegged you as an optimist before scott

[BBQ Platypus]

I call bullshit.  The reason most Americans don't have a passport isn't because they're ignorant or aren't intelligent enough to want to travel the world (though both these things might be true).  The reason is that the average American doesn't NEED a passport to go about his or her daily business.  It's the same reason most only know English - it's a large country with pretty much one culture spread from coast to coast.  Necessity is the mother of invention and of knowledge, and everything most Americans NEED to live is inside the country.  Contrast this with, say, Europe, where you encounter a new country about every 10 blocks or so, and a different language with every alternate step.  You can't get away with a lack of cultural awareness there.

All the businessmen I've ever met who have had to work in other countries know at least something of those countries with which they needed to work.  Most of them could speak the language.  I think people are about the same the whole world round when it comes to intelligence or stupidity - it's just the culture that affects the behavior of it.  Push anybody hard enough and eventually they'll push back.  America is a young nation whose first settlers were Puritans, hence the reason why religion still carries an unfortunate amount of influence in politics.  Give it time - they'll get sick of those blowhards eventually, just like Europe did.

Do Americans "deserve" to lead the world?  I don't know.  Depends on what criteria you use to define the word "deserve."  In any case, history doesn't give a shit who deserved what.  What happens happens for reasons that are often unrelated to merit.  In this case, the United States leads the world because it has the big corporations and the bombs to do it.  You can complain about it, sure, but there is nothing to be gained here from wishful thinking.

I hate broad generalizations about people and countries.  They tend to gloss over things.  Therefore, I am skeptical of ANY such claim.  Especially if it takes less than fifteen seconds to summarize it.  History and demography are far too complicated to be condensed into a few pithy quotes.

[ScottotD]

never pegged you as an optimist before scott

I'm very optimistic, look for my near-constant "I liked it" comments in the THIS MOVIE SUCKS threads.  I release all my negativity through music and movies.

[sarcasm_made_Easy]

heh i was just being sarcastic about bta response. 

and for the record im in asia and dont have a passport.  Doesnt seem to be relevant.

[daltysmilth]

I saw this movie, and, well, it had some funny parts.  Kevin Farley seemed to be channeling his brother quite a bit, but I hope this isn't the last lead role we see him in.  As for the politics, well, it didn't really explore the issues even as deeply as an episode of South Park or Family Guy.  It seemed to be little more than a conservative primer of a film.  But it's one of the few films I've seen that approaches the material from an openly conservative viewpoint, which is a shame.  I'd be interested to see someone like Mike Judge try to make a movie that's as openly conservative as this one.  I have a feeling he could pull it off.