Finding entertainment from a politically-inexperienced president

A man with no political experience finds his way into the Oval Office and becomes President of the United States of America. He’s got to learn more than just the day-to-day job at the office, which is vastly different from the day-to-day world which he’s used to.

Yeah, that sounds awfully familiar and vastly understated for the moment, doesn’t it? Perhaps it’s the previous version of the above summary that help some people give Donald Trump so much leeway to be so out-of-character and non-traditional as President? The problem with that is how the previous version wasn’t egotistical and profit driven, nor was he so ideological or politically driven that he alienated so many.

After 114 words, you may wonder who the hell I’m making reference to with this “previous version” stuff. Well, that is if you’re not versed in film. If you are a movie hound and have a good memory, it’s likely been triggered already. There’s been a movie about an instance like this – very vaguely like this – from 1993 starring Kevin Kline called Dave. It was directed by Ivan Reitman of Ghostbusters fame and had Sigourney Weaver among other notable cast-members and cameo appearances by political and entertainment personalities.

In a brief summary, Kline is playing two different people in the film: President Bill Mitchell and presidential impersonator Dave Kovic. Dave is the main character, though, even if I list Mitchell first. You’re introduced to Dave in his inner-city gig helping people out and then get to see his evening affair – impersonating Bill Mitchell, whom he is a direct resemblance of. Dave gets hired ever-so-briefly by key Mitchell Administration officials to impersonate Mitchell at an official political event Mitchell is supposed to attend… and all hell breaks loose as the President suffers an incapacitating brain injury while out of the public spotlight.  Dave’s temporary gig as Bill Mitchell becomes a much longer event.

While things have certainly changed over the years since the film came out (political tone wise at least), it’s a good film in general with a warm and innocent tone from Kovic. Mitchell, the man he’s posing as, is much colder with a deceptive hand for personal gain.

Dave’s only direct comparison to Trump is the naïveté in politics that both have… Merging Dave Kovic and Bill Mitchell together would get you something much closer to what Donald Trump embodies. Even then, though, it’d be a reach to compare the merged fictional character with Trump. The Mitchell White House is a versed political administration compared to what Trump has surrounded himself with.

If you haven’t seen Dave before and are willing to see the early work of Laura Linney and Ving Rhames, it’s worth catching. Just don’t hold fast to my reference to Trump here; I may see a generalized connection between Kovic and The Donald, but Dave learned and worked for mass benefit. We’re still waiting for as much from The Donald.