Yes, He Did: Ahmadinejad Appropriates Obama Slogan

Seeing Barack Obama’s success in the 2008 election, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has borrowed the US president’s most famous phrase for his own reelection campaign, the Guardian reports. In a campaign video, the Iranian president stands in front of a blackboard with the Farsi words “Ma Mitavanim,” or “We Can,” written on it. The video stresses Ahmadinejad’s previous life as an academic.

Iranians go to the polls June 12. A different video details yet another similarity between the two leaders—a trip to Turkey. But while Obama’s state visit was a success, Ahmadinejad’s was rife with controversy. He was not accorded full state privileges after refusing to honor Turkey’s secular founder, and saw a pipeline deal fall through due to US pressure.