Republicans Awkwardly Attempt Internet Humor

Earlier today, the Republican National Committee launched BarackBook.com, a Website that simultaneously attacks Barack Obama and Facebook, the popular social-networking site. On Obama’s “profile page,” he is only friends with people with whom he has been close in the past and are now political liabilities, like corrupt Chicago businessman Tony Rezko and former Weather Underground leader William Ayers. It’s kind of a weird attempt to be “hip” and “with it” (you’re trying not to remind the youth of America of Dr. Evil, guys), while trying to promulgate attack points, but it’s an awkward, confusing miss.

Not as awkward as their other attempt today to rip off a Website designed for the young of America, however. In the above video from the RNC’s YouTube site, which is a mock treatment of an “Obama ad in Berlin,” they can only be trying to riff off of Huffington Post political “humor” page 236.com. Otherwise, we have no explanation for the misguided spoof and the complete lack of comedy.* The video imagines what an on-air spot would look like if Obama bought one on German television. (Why would he do that? No idea.) There’s a techno theme and a David Hasselhoff joke, which we understand. But the rest of the patronizing xenophobia — and the Titanic reference — still mystify us.

RNC: ‘Obama TV Ad in Berlin’ [Politico]
*Okay, okay. It doesn’t completely lack comedy. It’s just not the kind of comedy the RNC intended.