It's all part of the Republican plan .. (4.00 / 1)

of picking on "elites" ... the Hollywood liberals .. all that stuff .. I mean .. how many non-Nashville musicians are conservatives? .. not many .. it's all part of the culture war shit the Republicans are so good at

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by: Calvin Jones and the 13th Apostle @ Fri Sep 05, 2008 at 21:37:32 PM CDT

Yup. (4.00 / 1)

Nancy Wilson is just helping rally the GOP base. Nice work.

The GOP is better at developing coded themes (community organizers is the latest) than we are at developing any themes. They play three-dimensional chess while we blunder at checkers.

Health care reform = Employer payroll savings = More hiring and more jobs!

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by: Steve in Sacto @ Fri Sep 05, 2008 at 22:55:53 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Im sorry? LOL (4.00 / 4)

If anything is an example of unbelievable incompetence its the last few days, oh yes, the last few weeks, obviously, and the last few years of complete lack, complete ineptitude. Who would better prove that 'abstinence only' policies we want, nay need to force on your children. The vetting, the checking, the venal crimes of Palin's Alaska office. The fact that she didnt just support earmarks and her own personal bridge to nowhere, even laughing about it on camera, but that she hired a lobbyist and raised his wage to reward his good works getting so much pork from her Republican buddies in Congress. Oh yeah its so competent to not these things when you want a "reformer"

The only thing the Republicans have to their advantage is a pandering class of spineless pseudo-journalists.

And now Palin, who's completely (not)ready to serve at this level, those shameful near treasonous self serving frauds. Protecting and leading America is the number one priority, and they put Sarah Palin not a just "a heart beat away" from the missiles, but "McCain's heart beat away."

I assume you were being sarcastic about their 'skill' level, but its funny in a ick way, not a hahah way.

Change
"We must break up the banks and never again let them get so big that they distort our politics and take down the economy.

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by: HousesofProgress @ Fri Sep 05, 2008 at 23:35:31 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

No, I'm dead serious (4.00 / 1)

Actually I was speaking of their theme development, message delivery, ability to embed dog-whistle coded messages within their broader messaging, to develop clever ads that generate free media and drive political discourse. Etc.

Of their courage to make bold moves without regard to how the media will react, their ability to punish and contain the media, their ability to simply not care about hypocrisy/lies and push forward with new themes/arguments -- as contrasted our constant hand-wringing over how anything/everything might be taken the wrong way by the press. Etc.

Cackle all you want about their supposed incompetence in choosing Palin, how her examples contradict her rhetoric. Etc. They don't care. They push forward. Remember, they nominated and nurtured a moron idiot from Texas. And they won. Twice. Scoreboard.

I wish we had their creativity and balls...

Health care reform = Employer payroll savings = More hiring and more jobs!

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by: Steve in Sacto @ Sat Sep 06, 2008 at 02:47:07 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

They have no creativity. Stealing someone's work is plagiarism. (4.00 / 4)

They've done it time after time in this election

The only reason YOU think they have balls is because there is no acoountability for all the times they do stuff that is outrageous.

They do have tenacity, I grant you that

Joe Biden did a good job hitting back yesterday because he called up a universal truth: he created an image that they they are a bunch of high school wise asses who strut around with vicious quips and said : THEY HAVE NOTHING ELSE.

That's how you talk about these people

They aren't so tough ...just bullshit coming out of their mouths

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by: Susan H @ Sat Sep 06, 2008 at 06:33:57 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

Winning is the only measure that matters (0.00 / 0)

Stealing, sleaze, lying etc. really doesn't matter if they win. If being right means losing, I don't want to be right...

...Adding, if there's "no accountability" that's the Democrats fault alone. The GOP is better at making us answer for things we haven't done than we are at holding them accountable for things they actually do.

Health care reform = Employer payroll savings = More hiring and more jobs!

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by: Steve in Sacto @ Sat Sep 06, 2008 at 13:25:16 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

And they use coded messages.... (4.00 / 1)

....because they know their real values are repulsive to the vast majority of Americans.

Democrats don't have to hide their values.

However, I agree Democrats have to get better at calling out the coded language and telling Americans what it really means.

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by: Bush Bites @ Sat Sep 06, 2008 at 09:21:11 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

Songs, schmongs... (0.00 / 0)

Did anyone realize that "Only In America," the song that closed Barack Obama's speech in Denver last week, was by the country songwriting duo Brooks & Dunn? Bit of trivia: They played the Republican Convention in 2004.

"This ain't for the underground. This here is for the sun." -Saul Williams

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by: tru blu @ Sat Sep 06, 2008 at 00:51:50 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

I guess Brooks has no problems with both parties using it.... (0.00 / 0)

....and one of the co-writers, Don Cook, is a founder of "Music Row Democrats"

http://www.dailyrecord.com/app...

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by: Bush Bites @ Sat Sep 06, 2008 at 09:29:00 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

No, Brooks & Dunn Asked The Dems Not To Do It Again (4.00 / 1)

That's the only example I know of the Dems doing what the Reps do all the time. (Rush Limbaugh, anyone?)

"Senate passes expanded GI bill despite Bush, McCain opposition"

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by: Paul Rosenberg @ Sat Sep 06, 2008 at 09:32:29 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

who ever listens to the lyrics? (0.00 / 0)

Michael Bloomberg, prince of corporate welfare

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by: Will @ Fri Sep 05, 2008 at 22:14:22 PM CDT

The Fans Who Sing Along, Perhaps??? (4.00 / 1)

Certainly not the suits.

"Senate passes expanded GI bill despite Bush, McCain opposition"

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by: Paul Rosenberg @ Fri Sep 05, 2008 at 22:22:44 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Let 'em have it (0.00 / 0)

They deserve it...

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by: alffy @ Fri Sep 05, 2008 at 22:14:33 PM CDT

At least they did license Barracuda for Guitar Hero (0.00 / 0)

That's one of my favorite songs to play. Wonder how the Wilsons feel about the female singer character...

"I think the economic logic behind dumping a load of toxic waste in the lowest wage country is impeccable and we should face up to that."
-Lawrence Summers

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by: kbuck @ Fri Sep 05, 2008 at 22:31:01 PM CDT

GOP Song Contest (4.00 / 2)

Since the GOP is now, what, 0 for 4 in choosing songs. They've had all four song writers contact them pronto to tell them to cease and desist. Jackson Browne, Bruce Springsteen, Heart and, I forget. There was one more. Anyway maybe they could use some suggestions about a suitable song for them to use from an artist who might allow them to use it for keeps. Bing Crosby? Pat Boone? Anita Bryant? Lawrence Welk? Ted Nugent?

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by: Kitt @ Fri Sep 05, 2008 at 22:45:22 PM CDT

actually, at least two more (4.00 / 1)

John Mellencamp - small town, pink houses, possibly others
(Rep.) John Hall, formerly of Orleans, - Still the One

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by: ched @ Sat Sep 06, 2008 at 00:38:34 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

They better stick to songs that are in the public domain...you know (4.00 / 1)

the boring OLD ones

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by: Susan H @ Sat Sep 06, 2008 at 06:35:59 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

Well... (4.00 / 1)

Considering how much you're written here about how Republicans and Democrats tend to think, and how the former tend to be limited to far more unreflective and uncritical thinking, I imagine that the irony will bounce right off them, like Stephen Colbert.

Reminds me of the movie Fletch, in which the Chevy Chase character keeps using the names of famous people for himself, and the simple-minded people he tells them to don't get the joke (Hi, I'm Igor Stravinsky--Nice to meet you, Mr. Stravinsky!).

The people for whom these songs were played are literally incapable of understanding the irony on top of irony here, and always will be. That's why they vote Republican.

Or as my imaginary folksy old grandpappy might have said, if god had intended them to have brains, he'd have made them Democrats! Yeeehah!

Teh stoopids will always vote Republican. And they breed. A lot. Sigh.

The liberal soul shall be made fat. He who waters shall be watered also himself. (Proverbs 11:25)

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by: kovie @ Sat Sep 06, 2008 at 05:28:44 AM CDT

Of Course, I Wasn't Expecting The Reps Base To Get It (0.00 / 0)

Just one more drip, drip, drip in the way of chasing the Susan Eisenhowers out of the party is all.

"Senate passes expanded GI bill despite Bush, McCain opposition"

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by: Paul Rosenberg @ Sat Sep 06, 2008 at 07:07:37 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

Susan Eisenhower is a Heart fan? (0.00 / 0)

I would have pegged her as more of an Ike and Tina Turner fan.

Heh.

But yeah, with all the talk about how Palin's energized the base (which she has) and will appeal to indies (partly, yes, but I'm unconvinced that it will be enough to make up the gap), few people have considered that it's going to lose them some moderate Repubs and right-leaning indies, which I think will more than make up for the votes she gains them.

They don't serve mooseburgers at the Greenwich country club Ski-Do drive-thru.

The liberal soul shall be made fat. He who waters shall be watered also himself. (Proverbs 11:25)

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by: kovie @ Sat Sep 06, 2008 at 07:30:02 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

Dixie Chicks (0.00 / 0)

Gee, maybe if the Republicans ask really nicely the Dixie Chicks will let them use their rendition of The Star Spangled Banner that they sang before the Superbowl in 2003. Ya think?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...

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by: Kitt @ Sat Sep 06, 2008 at 08:14:48 AM CDT

I think the Wilson sisters (0.00 / 0)

are right to raise hell, but you really can't compare the use by the GOP of Born In The USA to this. Born was a scathing rejection of Reaganomics, written by someone who understood the death of small town America that Reagan accelerated. Mellencamp's Little Pink Houses, very similar. Mellencamp was addressing the numbing of the lower middle class psyche and it's channeling into fantasies of home and family life by the GOP.

Barracuda was a response to a personal insult, plain and simple. Mushroom Records, Heart's home at the time, was NOT a media conglomerate, it was a tiny little indy label that had gotten lucky and was determined to milk it's cash cow any way it could. If it compares to another song, it's to Fogerty's Zantz Can't Dance (but he'll steal your money. Watch him or he'll rob you blind.), written about Fantasy Records head Saul Zantz. (I may have the name wrong. I think his name was Zantz, but it could have been Vantz). While feminism is there in Barracuda, it's much more a revenge thing. And, of course, the Barracuda in the song was the male execs who began the entire episode by trying to stretch a single hit into a record label.

It's once again become obvious that not only do the hardcore GOP not read, they can't even listen to a pop song and get the references right. But the political aspects of the two episodes are entirely different. Slam them for appropriating someone else's intellectual property, which obviously means little to the GOP unless the songwriter is a stupid GOP dwarf member of congress who runs into trees while skiing, but at least this time they didn't pick a highly political song written to bring attention to the evil they do to represent themselves.

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by: Silence Doesnogood @ Sat Sep 06, 2008 at 11:53:55 AM CDT