News Flash: The Baby Boom Generation is aging. One of the hallmarks of Boomerosity is an affection for merging music (especially 60s and 70s music). As the boomers age, many have turned inside out and become Republicans. It would be natural for the born-again GOPers to try to mix the tunes of their kidhood with their politics of today.

News Flash: There are many things that are simply beyond the grasp of people as short-sighted as Republicans. Over the next few days, here you will find at least three examples of Republicans blundering through trying to make their brand of politics seem, ummmmm, hip. In each case, there are at least 3 problems with the right-wingers' choices in publicity-oriented songs:

1. It's the lyrics, stupid. Before choosing an advertising diddy, shouldn't you listen to the words? Do the words in the song really reflect what you want the public to believe about your party or your candidate?
2. There are copyright laws in this country. Before using using copyrighted material for gain, one must first obtain permission of the copyright holder - and be prepared to pay royalties each time the copyrighted material is used for either commercial gain or purposes other than for its original intent: personal pleasure. In each case here it is obvious that the GOP did not first get permission to use. I know this because in each case, the artists sent cease and desist letters saying don't use my (our) music to promote your cause.
3. Given #2, doesn't adherence to law - "Law and Order" mean anything to these people - the ones whose zeal led them into crookhood?
   

By the way, in 1992, the Clinton Campaign wanted to use Fleetwood Mac's "Don't Stop" as a campaign theme song.

Don't stop, thinking about tomorrow,
Don't stop, it'll soon be here,
It'll be, better than before,
Yesterday's gone, yesterday's gone.

Why not think about times to come,
And not about the things that you've done,
If your life was bad to you,
Just think what tomorrow will do.

Now THAT is a positive message, no matter what the context. Not only did the writer, Christine McVie, allow the Clintons to use her masterpiece - she and the band endorsed it. That's a long way from cease and desist orders, nicht wahr?

Put on your seat belts, kiddies. We're going to take a ride down the rabbit hole.

Part 1 - Born On Some Other Planet

Springsteen's signature song is about the failed American dream. Why would anyone in politics want to use that concept as a PR diddy - one that is supposed to say "We are the real Americans. Join us in celebrating our American-ness." look at these portions of the lyrics:

Born down in a dead man's town
The first kick I took was when I hit the ground
You end up like a dog thats been beat too much
Till you spend half your life just covering up

Got in a little hometown jam
So they put a rifle in my hand
Sent me off to a foreign land
To go and kill the yellow man

Down in the shadow of the penitentiary
Out by the gas fires of the refinery
I'm ten years burning down the road
Nowhere to run ain't got nowhere to go

Now there is a positive image for the Republicans. Would you want to vote for a party so clueless - or who thinks that stomping on middle class aspirations is a good idea?

Labels: barracuda, clueless, conformity, gop, heart, mediocrity, mellencamp, music, no longer a republican, pinkhouses, politics, sarah palin, springsteen