While watching a documentary about Hugo Chavez on PBS tonight, I felt the eerie sensation of déjà vu. Chavez was thrown in jail in 1992 for trying to overthrow the government in favor of a Socialist government. He was informed that in order to have Socialist success in a democratic country like Venezuela, he would have use means other than military – in other words, he would have to use the power of the media, celebrity, and persuasion. He ascended to power through television success, by passionately drawing citizens to his Socialist vision of solutions for “the people,” “the masses.” The throngs of his red-shirted devotees march in the streets, chanting like mind-numbed robots, like slaves - worshippers of their Messiah. The wear red shirts every day, just as Chavez does. Since becoming President in 1998, all of the problems that Chavez vowed to fix have been magnified – crime, poverty, distress, poor healthcare. And despite the fact that Chavez’s government controls the economy and every major industry, misery spreads like wildfire as entrepreneurship is tamped down and wealth is confiscated.

Does any of this sound familiar? It does to a female blogger named Marielmesser. As a Venezuelan transplant to the US, she immediately recognized the striking and frightening resemblances between Obama and Chavez, which she lists as “inconsistencies, lies, populism, increase taxes or the perceived wealthy, and hatred of “whites” (as expressed by his wife Michelle).” I myself think of the millions of Americans who have bought - hook, line, and sinker - this Obama media mirage – no substance, merely promises, populism, race baiting, class warfare, platitudes. I think of the millions who are going to overrun Washington DC for his inauguration, with their “YES WE DID!” t-shirts, signs, and chants. I almost sympathize with this messiah who insists that he cannot attend church due to the hoards of followers and media who will swarm him and fellow parishioners. (Why would a messiah need to go to church anyway?)

Our underground conservative movement will be keeping sharp eyes on every move of Obama and formulating our resurgence for future elections. But we have a triply high mountain to climb – we are combating not only Obama, but also the media and millions of the American version of Chavez’s “red-shirts”.