One Moment WWE Wants You To Forget From Every Year (1985 to 2026)
19. 2008 - Bodyslamming Democrats
The title of this entry paraphrases a Kid Rock joke during his Hall Of Fame induction that drew a big pop in the room and resulted in AJ Styles' head snapping back like his neck was on a hinge. It was one of the more famous reminders of where much of pro wrestling sits politically, as if countless examples hadn't already revealed themselves throughout the decade.
To wit: Hillary Clinton Vs Barack Obama from the May 21st 2008 edition of Monday Night Raw.
With the critically acclaimed WrestleMania XXIV in the rear view, the company had already nosedived into the annual post-Mania slump when it got election fever and an excuse to have a prod at the politicians it was more than happy to mock. It always suited WWE just fine to be considered apolitical (despite the vast majority of references in promos and stories in the past leaning right) and never was the tightrope easier to walk when it came to deciding between Clinton and Obama in the race to find John McCain's electoral opponent.
Previously, all three had been given space on Raw to drum up support, but shortly after the videos had aired, "Hillary" (Lexie Fyfe) and "Barack" (Deon Davis) went out to chew up valuable television time with a risible comedy match. Agenda and gag-laden, the whole thing climaxed with Umaga decking them both in a throwback to when - as Jamal in 3-Minute Warning - he'd polish off jobbers when then-GM Eric Bischoff had gotten bored of them. The internal messaging behind the "match" was lightweight and clownish, but crystal clear.