How Bob Dylan feels…

…about the election:

The Scary John McCain

Watching John McCain at this week’s town hall meeting was like watching the emperor from “Empire Strikes Back” or a smiling cadavour.

Slouched or upright, teeth strained and blinky-eyed, the war hero looked more like an uncomfortable soriority girl hit by a bout of ADD and rigor mortis than a world leader in-waiting. 

And what’s more, his roll-the-eyes, don’t-forget-to-wink-at-the-audience debate strategy was so badly acted out it wouldn’t make the cut at a high school play. 

He wasn’t smarter than the other guy, so he elevated his chin, puffed out his chest and pretended to know-it-all. 

It was almost sad to watch.

Economists Support Obama over McCain

According to a study, a majority of leading U.S. economists prefer Barack Obama.

The Economist magazine sent the questionaire to 683 researchers at the National Bureau of Economic Research. 163 responded. Out of 72 unaffliated with a political party, 71% believed Obama had a clearer scope of the U.S. economy.

“Even among Republicans Mr Obama has the edge: 46% versus 23% say Mr Obama has the better grasp of the subject,” according to the survey. 

A majority also preferred Obama’s tax plan.

Link: Examining the Candidates

Russia Bans South Park

 

South Park running from the KGB

The Russian government is moving to ban South Park, The Simpsons, and Family Guy for corrupting the young. 

Government prosecutors sent 2×2, the cartoon network that airs the shows, a cease and desist order early this month. And last week, 2×2 was in court, defending an episode of South Park deemed “pornographic, extremist and immoral” by the Kremlin. 

In the episode, “Mr. Hankey’s Christmas Classics”, a talking feces hops around with a Santa Claus hat, giving presents to children. Prosecutors say it promoted religious hatred and has pressed charges against the station for propagandizing  ”violence, cruelty, pornography and anti-social behaviour.”

The Russian government has an alternative: a station that would better “reflect the state position in the area of youth policy.” And one that would replace the beloved cartoon network.

Their suggestion? A government-funded TV channel to teach “patriotism” (yep), “family values” (ehhh) and “the importance of sport” (?).

McCain: “I Got a Pen”

 

Sen. Obama congratulates McCain on his pen

At last week’s debate, McCain announced he had a pen. And he’s not afraid to use it.

“I got a pen. It’s kinda old but I got one,” said McCain, waving it at the befuddled audience in context to line-item vetoes. 

The debate was almost over but he just noticed it. 

Afterwards, pundits voiced concerns over the incident. Some spoke about McCain’s penchant for stating the obvious and memory loss—both early signs of Alzheimer’s. 

As the debates ended, Barack Obama was seen escorting his greying competitor off the stage with audience members looking on sympathetically. 

“That’s right, John. It’s a pen,” soothed Obama, eyeing a stage hen who quickly fetched McCain’s wheelchair.

At least once McCain asked him where they were going.

Who Won the Debate?

McCain or Obama?

If you watched the opinion tracker on CNN.com that charted real-time feedback from viewers, the answer is Obama.

For more legitimate polling, visit the gallup polls

(and while we’re at it: who’s got the better teeth?)

The John McCain Campaign, The Debate – Review

John McCain, giving a thumbs-up to his campaign manager

In case you didn’t read the news on-line, John McCain did what everybody expected.

He smiled, boarded a plane, and headed to Mississippi after all.

His altruistic publicity stunt didn’t help legislators complete the bailout, but it did help his campaign–sort of.

It portrayed McCain as a man (a Leader if you will) so indebted to his country, he’d let his own future go in jeopardy.

Though the story is no story—”Make no mistake: John McCain did not ‘suspend’ his campaign,” said Obama spokesman Bill Burton—it was the lead everywhere—the Washington Post, the New York Times, CNN and NPR to name a few.

McCain said he suspended his campaign—mind you not off-the-cuff, out-of-breath running to a helicopter, but rather from a carefully penned script off a teleprompter aimed to squeeze as much sweaty drama from his political socks as possible—but really what did he suspended?

Fundraising?

He took 84 million in public financing and the Republic National Committee donates money to his campaign. Not a big sacrifice there.

Advertising?

Is there any better advertising than free advertising? Some news stories even hinted at ideas his commercials trumpet: John McCain: Patriotic, Unselfish, Great Leader.

(I’ll add: Politician).

But you have to give it to him. He snagged a great campaign manager: both stunts—this one and the Sarah Palin hiring—really wooed voters. Or at least tried to.

Bill O’Reily, Karl Rove on the Daily Show

Further evidence Republicans love toe jam.

 

Rock Stars Hate Republicans

Heart, not so impressed with Sarah Palin

First George Bush, now John McCain.

For the second time in two elections a rock star is threatening the Republican Presidential candidate with a lawsuit for piggybacking their tunes.

Last election, it was Tom Petty—upset with Bush for playing “I Won’t Back Down”. This election, it’s Heart—angry at McCain for using “Barracuda” as his campaign sing-along. 

Neither had the go-ahead.

“The Republican campaign did not ask for permission to use the song, nor would they have been granted that permission,” said the duo in a statement.

http://www.nme.com/news/various-artists/39537537

More on the Campaign Jiggy Jiggy

All this talk about campaign slogan songs got me thinking. How ’bout the other guys? Who’s had the best and worst? 

Well, someone beat me to it. And it’s a good list. Check out #1….

—-

How Springsteen Won the Election. Top 10 Campaign Songs

December 26th, 2007 by Karen

In the current round of campaigning, some noise has been made over Hillary Clinton’s decision to use Celine Dion’s horrendous “You and I” as her theme song, while Barack Obama is using the somewhat more hip “Better Way”by Ben Harper. 

But does it matter?

The idea of campaign songs is nothing new, with the practice dating back at least as far as George Washington (“Follow Washington”) and Thomas Jefferson (“For Jefferson and Liberty”). Since then, there have been some good and bad songs blaring on the campaign trail, so we’ve decided to take a look at a few of them with our new list:

Top 10 Presidential Campaign Theme Songs

10. Frank Sinatra—“High Hopes”
Sinatra’s hit song “High Hopes” was fitted with new Kennedy-themed lyrics to provide the optimistic theme song for John F. Kennedy’s presidential bid in 1960.

9. Simon and Garfunkel—“Bridge Over Troubled Water”
McGovern lost to Nixon in the election 1972. The pretty but depressing song probably didn’t cheer him up after the loss.

8. Bruce Springsteen—“Born in the U.S.A.”
“California Here We Come” provided the upbeat soundtrack for Ronald Reagan’s 1980 campaign, and while he won again in 1984 with Bruce Springsteen’s “Born in the U.S.A”as his anthem, Springsteen, a democrat, requested that Reagan stop using the song.

7. Woody Guthrie—“This Land is Your Land”
George H.W. Bush made it to the Oval Office in 1988 with this classic. Although it’s difficult to believe that Guthrie would’ve endorsed Bush, the President won the vote.

6. Neil Diamond—“Coming to America”
Michael Dukakis had a glitzy anthem, but that didn’t keep him from losing to the first President Bush in 1988.

5. Fleetwood Mac—“Don’t Stop Thinking About Tomorrow”
In addition to appearing on television playing his saxophone and having fun, President Clinton tore up the campaign trail with Fleetwood Mac’s “Don’t Stop.”
4. Patsy Cline—“Crazy”
In 1992 wealthy Texas businessman Ross Perot was an entertaining entry in the presidential race, but his theme song’s title may have described him a little too well.

3. Bruce Springsteen VS Brooks and Dunn
John Kerry campaigned to the tune of Bruce Springsteen’s “No Surrender,” but even the Boss couldn’t save him from George W. Bush and Brooks & Dunn’s “Only in America.”
2. Sam & Dave—“Soul Man”
A Bob Dole-themed take-off on Sam & Dave’s Stax Records classic, “Soul Man,” the reworked “Dole Man”is embarrassing for everyone involved, both politically and musically.

1. Tom Petty—“I Won’t Back Down”
George W. Bush was using Tom Petty’s song “I Won’t Back Down,” but Petty—a supporter of Bush’s opponent Al Gore— threatened to sue him if he didn’t stop using it.