By Jack Riley
John McCain's first real musical endorsement has been met with much analysis from political pundits on both sides of the Atlantic. But perhaps it's worth remembering that John Rich's contribution to the race for the White House is just the latest in what is now a crowded house of musicians desperate to make their mark on the upcoming election. Here's the newcomer, followed by the alternatives:
"Raisin' McCain" - John Rich
A riproaring barnstormer recorded by John Rich, one half of country duo Big & Rich, which is, funnily enough, a nickname for the candidate himself.
Features: An all-American guitar solo, nu-metal intro, and more whiney violins than you can shake a drunken pig at.
"Yes We Can" - will.i.am
One of the first of the now plentiful celebrity endorsements for the
Illinois Senator, "Yes We Can" was released in February by will.i.am of
Black Eyed Peas fame. Accompanied by a monochrome video directed by
Bob Dylan's son, Jesse Dylan, the song went on to win a Webby award,
and has been watched more than 20 million times worldwide.
Features: A whole lotta change
"I Got a Crush... on Obama" - Obama Girl
Obama Girl, model Amber Lee Ettinger, made her debut in June 2007 with
this internet viral shot over a few weeks in New York and intended not
for campaign fodder, but as a spoof by comedy website Barely Political.
Despite massive succes online, Obama's reaction was lukewarm; "It's
just one more example of the fertile imagination of the internet," he
said. "But it upset my daughters. I do wish people would think about
what impact their actions have on kids and families."
Features: Appaling lip-synching, the Big Apple
"Politics as Usual" - Ludacris
In any political movement there's always someone who takes it too far, and the Obama campaign is no exception, with that unenviable title going to rapper Ludacris for his recent contribution, "Politics as usual". Denounced by Obama's spokesman, Bill Burton, who claimed the rapper should be "ashamed of these lyrics", "Politics as usual" takes potshots at Reverend Jesse Jackson, Hillary Clinton and George Bush, as well as John McCain.
Features: A catchy bassline and offense, in spades
"Black President" - Nas
As far as ingratiating yourself with the hip hop community goes, having a song recorded about you by acclaimed rap star Nas, featuring samples from the work of Tupac Shakur, is about as big as endorsements gets. Nas, who happens to be Fox news' least favourite hip hop artist, features the song on his new album "Untitled".
Features: The lines "A predicate felon, a ghetto leader/ Lending my poetical genius/ To whoever may need it"
So, on the musical front at least, it's 4-1 to Obama, and that's not counting the scores of Obama-loving fan releases littered about the interweb. With viral videos now a staple of millons of Americans' daily routines, McCain is in serious need of some musical support if he wants to sway younger voters to his campaign this autumn. Then again, can anyone who uses the phrase "it's a google" really be that concerned about the impact of the internet?
I would love to put the Raisin McCain song on my Myspace profile!!!
Posted by: Sherry | 05 September 2008 at 05:13 PM