Happy Thanksgiving & El Cid Update

History, Rinse & Repeat will be taking a short hiatus during the Thanksgiving week. We wish all a happy and pleasant holiday. Nevertheless, to ensure that the week is not entirely without content, we are sending an update to a prior piece.

Shortly before the mid-term elections, this site explored the legend and life of the 11th Century Castilian knight, Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar, better known as El Cid.

According to the myth, El Cid relieved the Almoravid siege of Valencia even though he had died on the eve of the decisive battle. As portrayed in the 1961 film, El Cid, Rodrigo’s wife, Ximena, contrived to place his dead body, in its armor, upon his horse. In the movie’s climactic scene, the corpse of El Cid was escorted by his handlers to the forefront of his troops, whereupon he galloped at the head of a victorious charge against his stunned and terrified enemies who had believed him dead.

This site noted the many depictions by conservatives of Joe Biden as the titular Bernie in the 1989 comedy, Weekend at Bernie’s, in which two hapless underlings create the illusion that their dead boss is still alive to host a weekend party. This site suggested that the 1961 blockbuster, starring Charlton Heston and Sophia Loren, was far more analogous.

Prior to the election, however, the analogy was incomplete. Although we knew how the legend of El Cid ended, we did not know the ending of the story of Joe Biden. Now we do. Supporters of the President would argue that, like the legendary Spaniard, Joe Biden, at the head of his party, withstood the siege and assault of the Republicans, stunning his enemies who believed him dead and bringing his party a glorious victory.

Unfortunately for Joe Biden, the life of El Cid, as noted, diverged significantly from the legend. El Cid did, in fact, relieve the siege of Valencia before his death. However, after his death, the Almoravid invaders returned. King Alfonso, recognizing that the city could not be defended, withdrew his troops, at the same time burning the city to the ground. The Berbers captured Valencia, and they were to retain control of the city for the next 135 years.

Like the Almoravids, the Republicans will shortly return to the battlefield. Democrats can hope that Joe Biden reenacts the mythical ending portrayed in the film – still erect in his saddle after the entirety of the battle, and riding his horse into the sunset, serving as an inspiration to all future Spaniards (or Democrats).

However, if history repeats itself, Joe Biden’s victory will be short-lived. In that event, there will be no second act. If the facts prevail, and not the legend, the Republicans, like the Almoravids, will return stronger than before, this time in triumph.