Liberal comedian John Oliver compared President Obama to a girl trying to resist getting back together with a horrible ex-boyfriend on “Last Week Tonight” Sunday in the wake of the president’s decision to order airstrikes against ISIS in Iraq.
Oliver said that, with the U.S. bombing Iraq “yet again,” Americans and the rest of the world are getting a feeling of “deja boom.” The comedian spotlighted Obama’s speech on Friday in which he both announced the airstrikes and acknowledged Americans’ concern about involvement in Iraq.
“When he announced the airstrikes, the president was anxious to make two things clear: One, how this was the right thing to do and, two, how little he wanted to do it,” said Oliver.
“I’ve got to say, the president sounds a lot like a girl who is trying to reassure her friends that she’s not getting back together with the ex-boyfriend that they all hate,” added Oliver, encouraging great laughs from the audience.
“Look guys, I’m just getting a drink with Iraq,” he mocked the hypothetical girl (or, President Obama, if you prefer). “He’s having a really tough time right now. I will not be returning back to his place. Although, you know what, text me at 10PM tonight and remind me that he was a nightmare.”
Oliver went on to say that the only “theme” reporters and news anchors took away from the president’s speech was a that of reluctance.
“Oh yes, reluctance,” reacted Oliver. “It’s always been the best tone for leaders to use when inspiring troops before battle.”
He then used Henry V’s famous line — “Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more” — to show exactly why Obama’s reluctance is problematic.
“Who can forget Henry V’s immortal words: ‘Once more unto the breach, dear friends … unfortunately, because obviously everyone would prefer not to go into the breach. Even by breach standards, this breach is ghastly. Look, we all hate breaches, but we’re going into this one. We don’t have to like it, we just have to get this s–t over with. Who’s with me?!'”
Obama’s “reluctant” speech consisted of both a defense of the airstrikes in Iraq and an insistence that American troops would not get “dragged” into another war in the country.
“I know that many of you are rightly concerned about any American military action in Iraq, even limited strikes like these,” explained Obama. “I understand that. I ran for this office in part to end our war in Iraq and welcome our troops home, and that’s what we’ve done. As Commander-in-Chief, I will not allow the United States to be dragged into fighting another war in Iraq. And so even as we support Iraqis as they take the fight to these terrorists, American combat troops will not be returning to fight in Iraq, because there’s no American military solution to the larger crisis in Iraq.”
Watch the “Last Week Tonight” clip below via The Daily Caller.
