Congressman Tim Ryan is firing back at haters who say Barack and Michelle Obama got lucky with their first Oscar nomination ... he says Kobe Bryant and Tom Brady went through the same process before folks finally woke up to their greatness.
We got the Ohio Rep. on Capitol Hill Wednesday and our guy asked if the Obama's were more lucky than good in getting their first film nominated for an Oscar.
The Obama's production company is behind "American Factory," a Netflix documentary that takes a deep dive into post-industrial Ohio, where a Chinese billionaire opens a new factory in the husk of an abandoned General Motors plant and hires 2,000 blue-collar Americans.
Glad to see American Factory’s Oscar nod for Best Documentary. It’s the kind of story we don’t see often enough and it’s exactly what Michelle and I hope to achieve with Higher Ground. Congrats to the incredible filmmakers and entire team!
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) January 13, 2020
Tim says the movie, which earned a nod for best documentary feature, is an accurate depiction of what's been unfolding in his State for decades ... and he's applauding the Obamas for telling a story that needs to be heard.
It's extremely rare for filmmakers and production companies to get an Oscar nod on their first project, but Tim ain't buying the luck factor as far as the Obamas are concerned.
Tim says critics used to say the same thing about Kobe and Brady early in their careers, and look how that turned out.
You don't get a fistful of championship rings by sheer luck ... and Tim clearly thinks the Obamas are in the same boat.