Wednesday, October 12, 2011

From 1992 to Today, America’s Young People Clamoring for . . . ‘Stuff’

By Jim Geraghty

(National Review - The Campaign Spot) Watching the vague, contradictory, and often wildly unrealistic demands from the “Occupy Wall Street” crowd, I was reminded of this sketch on Saturday Night Live, from 1992, featuring Bill Clinton (Phil Hartman) interacting with undecided voters (Melanie Hutsell):


[Undecided Female Voter 1 steps forward ]
Ted Koppel: Ma’am? Do you have a question?
Undecided Female Voter 1: See, it’s like, you look all around, and you see all this stuff? And, everybody’s got stuff but me! Where’s mine?! Where’s MY stuff?! I’m young, man! I should have stuff, too! WHERE’S MY STUFF?!!
Bill Clinton: Well, that’s a really good point. I hear this a lot. I think if this election is about anything, it’s about . . . “stuff”. It’s about the fact that, under Reagan, Bush, Quayle, more people are working harder and harder for less stuff. [ Hillary nods and smiles ]
Undecided Female Voter 1: [ twitching ] Where’s my stuff, man?!
Bill Clinton: Exactly! Where is your stuff? We’re in danger of raising the first generation of Americans who . . . will have less stuff than their parents.
Undecided Female Voter 1: Stuff! Yeah!
Ted Koppel: So, has Gov. Clinton influenced the way you will vote?
Undecided Female Voter 1: I’m . . . not voting ‘til I get my stuff!
Ted Koppel: Your lips are moving, but I don’t understand a word you’re saying. Thank you. [she returns to her seat, as another undecided voters steps up ]
More than anything else, these protests are about . . . “stuff.”

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