Holopresidents? No, Hall o' Presidents!

[Cadaverous Pallor]

What was it like when W was pres? Or Reagan?

[flippyshark]

Originally Posted by Cadaverous Pallor

What was it like when W was pres? Or Reagan?

1971 through the Reagan years - the show was a somewhat stodgy march through American history, with a lot of emphasis on Lincoln - and Abe was the only president who spoke.

"We The People" - Bill Clinton was the first pres to lend his authentic voice to the attraction, at which point it was re-written with a greater emphasis on civil rights, narrated by Maya Angelou. This same version carried over through the Dubya years. (To some, Bush seemed a more awkward finale to this version than Clinton - they both drew audible laughs and derision depending on their respective foibles.)

"Celebrating Liberty's Leaders" - For the current version, the show places its emphasis on the office of the presidency itself, and takes a whirlwind tour of selected presidents, with an emphasis on how the president is "one of us, chosen by us." Morgan Freeman narrates. Lincoln, Washington and Obama speak as animatronic figures - FDR, Kennedy, LBJ, Reagan, Clinton and Dubya have "speaking parts" in the film via historic recordings or footage. Royal Dano is back as Lincoln (after some 16 years absence, I believe!) Washington is voiced by the fellow who played that president in the John Adams miniseries.

There's no way to prove or disprove intent, but I'm in a good position to tell you that the producers of this current version went to great lengths to keep the show non-partisan and impartial. It's up to the individual viewer to decide if they succeeded - but I suspect that some would find Yee's conclusion startling. (no, I don't know if they've read it. I do know that some Florida folks close to the project were surprised by it.)