Re: Barack Obama, should I be worried?
 

We Millennials are a pretty worthless group. Never heard of the Decembrists band, but they can't be much worse than the God-awful jam bands my peers listen too (i.e. OAR and DMB).

If I ever won a huge cash award, I'd pull a Jeff Spicoli, and hire Van Halen to play at my birthday party. :lol:
For me, the only rock worth listening to, is Classic, particularly hard rock and heavy metal.

Re: Barack Obama, should I be worried?
 

Gah, and have the reanimated corspe of Eddie scare off everyone? I'd have the Foo Fighters for mine. Or maybe rent out the soundstage in Grant Park down town, get Henie to sponsor it and get Murhpy's to play. Make it a free event.

Re: Barack Obama, should I be worried?
 

LEEEEAVE EDDIE ALLONNNE!

Re: Barack Obama, should I be worried?
 

As a candidate, Obama seems closest to Adlai Stevenson, who ran, and lost, against Eisenhower twice. That doesn't mean he closely resembles Stevenson, because Obama differs from Stevenson greatly in background, education, length of public service and depth of experience. Also, neither Stevenson, nor any presidential candidate for a major party in the last 100 years*, claimed friendship with revolutionary bombers or others using or advocating the use of violence to overthrow the government of the United States. Big difference.

But Stevenson's supporters and some of Obama's are the closest match: those who consider themselves the educated elite. Obama's appeal is broader than to just this group, but it is a type of supporter common to both him and Stevenson. Common to some of them is a sense of superior decision-making ability: they feel that the only choice for the thinking person is their man; the only logical candidate is their man, etc.

There was a tremendous inborn arrogance on the part of much of Stevenson voters, although many would have been shocked to hear themselves so described. It is that same sense of pride in superior breeding, refined taste, intelligence and expensive education, that feeling of "specialness" and the sense of entitlement that goes with it, which I see in so many of the commentators, writers, columnists, academics and other vocal Obama backers.

It's the kind of feeling that left Stevenson supporters dumbfounded that they could have lost, twice!, to such an "obviously" inferior man as Eisenhower, who was so pedestrian and bland; who was not nearly as smooth and didn't dress nearly as elegantly as Adlai. The precise feeling that led famous mega-liberal movie critic Pauline Kael (and surely previously a supporter of Stevenson) to famously wail in shocked disbelief about Nixon's win in 1968: "I can't believe Nixon won - nobody I know voted for him!" - never realizing how disconnected she and her friends were from the rest of America, and how tiny and insular was their world.

I see that same attitude in many of the Obama supporters who have commented about their support. And I think, barring some out-of-left-field bizarre twist, they'll be wailing like Pauline Kael come November, when Obama can't take California, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Florida, Ohio or Illinois. Once again the voting map will show heavy blue around coastal urban populations, but massive swath of red between. The Dems will have ignored the fact that the majority of the voters are elsewhere. And Obama will have lost to the weakest Republican candidate since Bob Dole and Gerald Ford, who were flatly unelectable. Obama will lose in spite of the fact the Republican candidate is Republican in name only, and will have lukewarm support from his party. But Obama and his supporters will have alienated far more traditionally Democrat voters, and they will either stay home or even vote for the non-offensive Republican.



*Eugene Debs, who was at one time or another allied with, supported by or friends with all manner of anarchists, violent labor-unionists (IWW) and hardcore revolutionaries of all stripes, was a candidate of the Socialist Party in every presidential election from 1900-1920, except for 1916; but the greatest percentage of the votes he ever got was around 6% - not a major player or even a spoiler a la Ross Perot.

Re: Barack Obama, should I be worried?
 

I can only hope you are right Jumjum...just today Obama goes to Miami on Cuban independence day and gives a speech calling for negotiations with the Raul Castro regime. He then says he supports maintaining the embargo until Cuba releases all political prisoners. Nice one, Barack...

Here's a video of the intro to a Decemberists concert - the lyrics are clearly part of the performance.

I repeat, if a band playing before a John McCain campaign event opened with, say, Horst-Wessel-Lied, the entire world would be having a fit, and rightly so.

Re: Barack Obama, should I be worried?
 

You nailed it on the entitlment thing Jum, but if the O-man doens't take Illinois I will shit a brick.

Re: Barack Obama, should I be worried?
 

Indecision 2008 - West Virginia | The Daily Show With Jon Stewart | Comedy Central
:flag:


Yay Fox News?

Re: Barack Obama, should I be worried?
 

Hand to the chest, traitors to workers class and aristocrat wanabees.
Go Comrade Obama, the hope of free world is in your sex appeal!

Re: Barack Obama, should I be worried?
 

That's just me whistling past the cemetery. ;)


Now, the "Meadowlands" thing. Wikipedia says the orig was adopted in 1944, and so of course it has explicit references to the war and Great Comrade Stalin. But by 1977, and with Stalin officially declared a Cult Of Personality, lyrics were changed to omit reference to him. Here are the two versions. (Sound files can be found at Wikipedia.)

1944 version:
The unbreakable union of free republics
Great Russia has welded forever;
Created by will of the peoples,
long liveThe united, mighty Soviet Union!

CHORUS:Be renowned, our free Fatherland,
Reliable bulwark of the friendship of peoples!
Soviet flag, people's flagLet it lead from victory to victory!

Through tempests shined on us the sun of freedom,
And the great Lenin lit us the way.Stalin brought us
upon loyalty to the people,
He inspired us to labor and to heroism!

CHORUS:Be renowned, our free Fatherland,
Reliable bulwark of the happiness of peoples!
Soviet flag, people's flag
Let it lead from victory to victory!

We developed our army in battles,
We will sweep the vile aggressors from the way!
In battles we settle the fate of generations,
We will lead our Fatherland to glory!

CHORUS:Be renowned, our free Fatherland,
Reliable bulwark of the glory of peoples!
Soviet flag, people's flag
Let it lead from victory to victory!

1977 lyrics

Unbreakable Union of freeborn Republics,
Great Russia has welded forever to stand.
Created in struggle by will of the people,
United and mighty, our Soviet land!

CHORUS:
Sing to the Fatherland, home of the free,
Bulwark of peoples in brotherhood strong.
O Party of Lenin, the strength of the people,
To Communism's triumph lead us on!

2.
Through tempests the sunrays of freedom have cheered us,
Along the new path where great Lenin did lead.
To a righteous cause he raised up the peoples,
Inspired them to labour and valourous deed.

CHORUS

3.
In the victory of Communism's deathless ideal,
We see the future of our dear land.
And to her fluttering scarlet banner,
Selflessly true we always shall stand!

CHORUS

Re: Barack Obama, should I be worried?
 

There is another version, the current Russian national anthem. The funny thing is that quite a few Russians still sing the old version because they like the lyrics more (or are too lazy to learn new lyrics every few years).

For a while the Russians also considered using the melody of the march "Farewall of Slavianka", which you might want to download if you like this sort of music.

And while you're at it look for "esli zavtra woina" or "belaya armiya, chornij baron". Most of that stuff can be downloaded legally.