It’s been four days since HBO debuted its critically acclaimed mini-series, John Adams, but only after watching it again last night did I notice some curious parallels to a certain Illinois senator running for President.

I’m not really going to review Sunday night’s episodes; for that, check out the New Yorker’s and New York Times’ thorough recaps and reviews.

Although it wasn’t really the talk of the town (thanks a lot, Ashley Dupré!), the series did draw about 2.5 million viewers for each of its two premier episodes, making it the best mini-series debut for HBO since 2004, according to Broadcasting & Cable.

But as one of those 2.5 million viewers, I hope I’m not the only one who felt a peculiar connection between John Adams (as portrayed in the script) and Barack Obama.

First, there’s the series tagline: “He United the States of America.” Read into it what you will, but I could just as easily see that slogan on an Obama ‘08 bumper sticker.

Continuing in that vein, the series goes to rather annoying lengths to highlight Ben Franklin’s famous words, “Join, or Die.” The entire opening title sequence revolves around the phrase, and there are frequent cutaways to random colonists holding up huge “Join, or Die” banners.

Three powerful words that helped galvanize a political and ideological revolution, and all those years before Obama’s “Yes We Can” mantra… History is truly a funny thing! If only people like Will.i.am. existed in colonial times, beating the Brits would have been so much easier. It’s not too late for Will.i.am. to do a “Join, or Die” video, right?

Among other similarities, one that particularly stood out involved some of the characters’ choice of words. “War has been this administration’s policy from the beginning,” says an Adams confidante, referring to the British crown. Then there’s this gem, from Adams to some of his adversaries: “You’re trampling on the Constitution.” Don’t mistake these lines for sound bites from the Election ‘08 campaign trail. Adams says at some point: “Objects of the most stupendous magnitude are now before us.” This guy was totally the Barack Obama of colonial times!

Switching gears, there are also some entertaining parallels beyond the series itself. For one, did you know that Obama is being endorsed by John Adams, a retired Brigadier General in the Army and clearly the recipient of many an “Are you related to that John Adams?”

Also, Obama gave a big shout-out to the Founding Fathers (because they could really use the attention) in his big speech on race this week:

“We the people, in order to form a more perfect union.”
Two hundred and twenty one years ago, in a hall that still stands across the street, a group of men gathered and, with these simple words, launched America’s improbable experiment in democracy. Farmers and scholars; statesmen and patriots who had traveled across an ocean to escape tyranny and persecution finally made real their declaration of independence at a Philadelphia convention that lasted through the spring of 1787.

Finally, it turns out that Tom Hanks, the executive producer behind HBO’s John Adams, is an all-too-vocal Obama supporter. In fact, at a Capitol Hill screening of the series with several members of Congress, Hanks said, “I wish the election was being held tomorrow. I’m bored!”

Sure, you can find parallels in just about anything. That’s what four years of Core English classes at the University of Chicago will do to you. But for a series whose release couldn’t come at a more significant time in politics, I think it’s worth seeing how some dots connect.

If nothing else, I’ve realized how awesome it’d be if Obama started borrowing from Adams’ playbook; specifically, wearing one of those kick-ass wigs.