Ouch! Halperin Says Obama Sounds Like . . . Dukakis

Call it the unkindest Dukakis of all . . .

In the pre-SOTU kibitzing, Game Change co-author Mark Halperin, having read released excerpts of the speech, says it reminds him of the man in the tank, Michael Dukakis.

Halperin, who prefaced his punch by professing his respect for PBO et. al, was reacting to Andrea Mitchell, who claimed to hear echoes, of all people, of Ronald Reagan in PBO's remarks.

MARK HALPERIN: I have great respect for the President, for David Axelrod, Rahm Emanuel, Robert Gibbs.  I confess, I come here telling you I have no idea what they're doing. The way they've set this up, based on the excerpts that have been released.  If they have a strategy to change the game, I cannot discern it.

ANDREA MITCHELL: I'm suspending my disbelief, because from these excerpts, this is Barack Obama as Ronald Reagan.

HALPERIN: I see what Andrea means about the Reagan stuff in here.  I see as much Michael Dukakis in these excerpts.

CHRIS MATTHEWS: You are being mean, that is capital punishment.

MITCHELL: That is so cruel!

MATTHEWS: Mark, Mark: you are vicious!