What Do Prometheus and Obama Have in Common?

From Flickr user jamesomalley

If there’s one thing that people hate, it’s being lied to. Promising them one thing and delivering another is a surefire way to guarantee disappointment. For example, see Prometheus.

Audiences were promised this Ridley Scott-directed picture was a prequel to Alien, the beloved 1979 sci-fi horror film. “Keen fans” would see “strands of Alien’s DNA,” Scott said during the promotional period. Posters offered echoes of the original film’s imagery. Trailers featured identical iconography, promising an origin of the titular xenomorphs. Viral marketing efforts offered a glimpse of Peter Weyland of Weyland Industries, the forebear of the wicked Weyland-Yutani Corporation from Alien and its sequels.

Instead, what they were given was a beautifully shot, strikingly paced, absolutely sodden mess that collapsed under the weight of its own questions. Rather than a prequel—a movie that promised answers—we were given question after mystery after secret, none of which made much sense. (Julian Sanchez does a good job of compiling them all here.)

Audiences were displeased.

The movie registered a B from Cinemascore. This might not seem bad, but keep in mind that the only people who are scored are those who actually make their way to the theater to see the picture in question. Pretty much anything below an A-minus is a disappointment.

Perhaps more damningly, the movie’s box office total dropped a shocking 25 percent from Friday to Saturday. Word of mouth, it seems, was less than stellar. Audiences didn’t like having a bait-and-switch pulled on them.

In this, they are kindred spirits with Barack Obama supporters.

On issue after issue, President Obama has failed to deliver on the “hope and change” that was delivered. And his voters are souring on him as a result.

Consider his take on medical marijuana. As Mike Riggs of Reason noted, Obama had long argued against the war on drugs. “As a state congressman in Illinois, Obama declared the drug war a failure. He said the same thing as a U.S. Senator. As a candidate for president, he condemned (and promised to stop) medical marijuana raids,” Riggs wrote.

Once firmly ensconced in office, however, Obama laughed off questions about persecuting pot smokers and has done nothing to reduce medical marijuana raids.

Then there’s the war on terror.

Obama promised his supporters he would shut down Guantanamo Bay. He came out against waterboarding. And he claimed that he’d quickly end our international conflicts.

Meanwhile, Guantanamo remains open. Waterboarding might—might—be done with, but the president now holds the power in his hands to kill anyone he deems fit. And he surged troops into Afghanistan, a nation still embattled.

It would be untruthful for me to say that I necessarily oppose the president’s flip-flopping. But I’m not the president’s base and I didn’t support him in 2008.There’s little doubt that his true supporters are somewhat distraught.

President Obama’s fundraising has dropped 28 percent from his 2008 pace. Almost 90 percent of the voters who donated at least $200 to his campaign last time around have failed to do so this cycle. Independent voters—who broke for Obama 52 to 44 percent—are now breaking away from the president 46 percent to 39 percent.

There’s no denying the fact that people are less excited for Barack Obama this cycle. Promised hope and change they were delivered more of the same. And, as a result, they are fleeing from the president.

Big budget blockbusters or smooth-talking politicians, people don’t like to be let down by those they put their hopes in. Prometheus was one of the most anticipated movies of the summer. Barack Obama was one of the most anticipated presidents of all time.

Disappointment stings regardless of the realm from which it originates.

Sonny Bunch is managing editor of the Washington Free Beacon. He blogs about culture and politics at SonnyBunch.com