Yes We Can
February 4, 2008, 4:31 pm
Posted by J. Peter Nixon
If there are any remaining doubts that Senator Barack Obama has entered the realm of genuine pop culture phenomenon, this music video should dispell them.
Apparently this was prepared completely at their own initiative. My only regret is that I am now so out of touch with popular music that I have no idea who any of these people are!
I recognized Kareem Abdul-Jabar (because he was in Airplane!). And John Legend is all over the place nowadays. And then there’s Harold Perrineau, Jr., from Lost. But that’s about it for me.
Here’s a news story that names most or all of the participants:
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/story?id=4231523
I think the blonde woman used to be Lawrence Welk’s “Champagne Lady.”
Maybe some of the others were backup musicians with Lester Lanin?
There also appears to possibly be a Spike Jones alumnus as well.
This is great, although I am not sure it will increase Obama’s chances in the primaries. Two quick thoughts. First, there is an interesting discussion over at Talking Points Memo (one of the headlines, not Josh Marshall’s blog) on how the superdelegates will almost certainly decide the Democratic primary (I would link it, but for some very strange reason, my computer will not let me access the site right now). The interesting question is HOW will they decide? Should they all pledge to vote for the candidate who wins the majority of delegates? Othewise, the superdelegates will be in the position to override the “will of the people.”
Second, there is just no doubting that Obama is igniting a new interest, and dare I say hope, in politics among younger voters. This seems to me like an intrinsic good, as I think the cynicism about government has contributed to its co-optation. I do not see Clinton generating nearly this same interest, although maybe she has not received fair press coverage on the issue. My question is, if Clinton wins the nomination, what should/could be done to prevent as many young Obama supporters as possible from seeing an Obama loss as proof that the system crushes hope? (BTW, I still think/hope Obama will win, but I do not see this as a foregone conclusion).
You might expect me to say which I will that this a ‘fairy tale’ video supporting a problematic candidate. I don’t get the Kennedy aura when there are very few redeeming facts about JFK in that he was a very manipulative person and president. Women were clearly objects to him as they were for Dr King. But this ad follows the tenor of the campaign which is jazzy and loud but without a lot of substance. Style does win, sometimes.
Bill, Bill, Bill, sigh, Bill. I think we will have to leave the objectification discussion for another day. For now, I will only note that you comments made me think of these lines from a rather mediocre, but still fun, musical:
Annas
What shall we do about Jesus of Nazareth?
Miracle worker, pilgrim or fool
Priest
No riots, no Romans, no fighting, no slogans
Caiaphas
One thing to say for him, Jesus is cool
Joe, as you know I am not a juridical person when it comes to morals. But I do have standards. When two men who are known for their libertine life are cited by your candidate as models, don’t you think you have some explaining to do. I realize that your guy is not advocating adultery. I suppose he will take the advantage without the whole package. You tell me or will you answer with more poetry?
Wow, Bill. That is impressive. You should ask for a job with the Clinton campaign. Media alert: Obama loves libertinism!
When Coretta Scott King received a tape recording (sent by the FBI) that made clear her husband’s activities in certain hotel rooms were not always about civil rights activism, she is reported to have laughed out loud. Why? She understood that the civil rights movement was about so much more than her marriage to Martin. What she found funny was that certain authorities thought that perhaps she would bring down or stop her husband because of his affairs. How they misunderstood her and the movement.
Joe Petit:
Jesus Christ Superstar a mediocre musical? Phantom, yes, that was mediocre … Cats, more hype than it deserved … but Superstar was new, powerful, energetic, emotional, raw–everything a rock opera ought to be and was. Hmmmm–maybe that’s Obama’s psuedo-messianic appeal as well (whereas Hillary is clearly a Evita-ianic figure)
Neither Grant nor Joe is answering the question. Jack Kennedy was a tremendous disappointment because he acted like he was such an idealistic person where he was nothing more than a hard nosed politician who lied with the best of them. His sexual attitude toward women was shameful.
With reference to King, reporters knew about his meanderings with different women and he did not deny it saying: I never said I was faithful to my wife or was perfect. –The fact he used his star power to take advantage of many women. Certainly they were willing. Nevertheless, this is a point of character.
I remind all of you that my window here is how men get away with more while Hillary is faulted because she put up with her husband While Barbara Bush, Coretta King and others did the same. They get excused because they stay in the background like good girls.
It is about gender and consciousness.
Bill, your question is inane. Do you expect Joe and I will endorse adultery? (Are you forgetting Bill Clinton’s indiscretions?) Or is this another one of your attempts to ferret out the secret misogyny of dotCommonweal readers?
I am beginning to suspect that “Bill” is really short for Wilhelmina …no man would be THAT obsessed with gender! I’d much rather ponder who slept with Marilyn the most–JFK or RFK.
Grant, It is silly to write that I am accusing you or Joe of endorsing adultery. I am accusing your candidate of manipulating and distorting history and glamorizing false heroes.
Robert,
I am not obsessed with the subject. I just allow myself to be educated. You make my point as to what you would rather….
And Marilyn was much smarter than JFK or RFK realized. Not that they were thinking with their heads. Hmmm.
Bill,
Just having a bit of fun–but seriously, JFK remains one of the most beloved presidents in post-WW2 America, and certainly one against whom most modern politicians are compared (and it’s the modern pols who come across as falling short of JFK’s stature, in most people’s minds). Very, very, very few people actually care about his sexual behavior (and probably half of those who even think about it, envy him for it rather than condemn him!) The fact that you chose toi denigrate Kennedy for his affairs in a post about Obama’s charisma was a bit obsessive whether you’re willing to recognize it or not.
I think what is galling to many (or at least to me) is that a great many people who are willing to overlook JFK’s sexual escapades are more than willing to condemn Bill Clinton for the Monica Lewinsky affair. Kennedy’s indiscretions were much more serious, I would say, including having a mistress that was also the mistress of an organized crime boss.
Of course, if we aren’t allowed to invoke former leaders because of unsavory aspects of their private lives, or even their public careers, I don’t think many of the Founding Fathers could be mentioned. They were slave owners with mistresses who waged political campaigns that make even the nastiest contemporary campaigns seem tame.
Robert,
I appreciate your diagnosis about obsessivenes. If you read my posts you will see that I believe JFK failed as a president other than his peccadilos. He escalated the Vietnam War, waffled on civil rights and generally lied during the campaign and his presidency. He was all style with little substance.
But I am sure you know what I am saying better than I do.