Posted on 10/18/2004 10:14:49 AM PDT by .cnI redruM
John F. Kerry and George W. Bush bring different and formidable personal assests to bear in their respective efforts to to capture The White House in Election 2004. Both men can perform well in the public forum, but for dramatically different reasons. In the final analysis, it is George W. Bush who will ultimately win over the public after a period of prolonged exposure.
I think of it as the difference between two CDs I purchased to keep me company on a recent road trip. One was Parachutes by Coldplay, the other was Bat Out Of Hell by Meatloaf.
The Coldplay album sounded really smooth and a had a very proficient feel to it. The muscicians really knew what they were doing and had their engineering done by a technical wizard. The album sounded good for one listen.
The second time through the diskette it sounded formulaic and boring. These guys could play well enough to join an orchestra somewhere, but they just didn't sound like there was any deep emotional significance to what they were playing.
The Meatloaf album sounded almost jarring by comparison to Coldplay. None of these guys were joining the Vienna Symphony Orchestra any time soon. The vocals grated, the instrumentation was chaotic. However, after a couple of plays, the CD began to really grow on me.
It was something about the whole concept of "The Wolf With The Red Roses" as a metaphor for a teenage guy out on a date. Highly inelegant, but so true to life. I thought of a wise-crack a coworker of mine made about being a leading member of FADD (Fathers Against Daughters Dating). Perhaps that whole concept of a wolf with red roses led to the founding of that particular organization. Here was a piece of music that connected to something everyone had to deal with in life in one form or another.
Secondly, it became apparant that for all of vocal malapropisms and musical clunkers being hit, these guys were giving it all to put a great album together. There was something of savage beauty in the struggle. Meatloaf was giving every ounce of effort he had in his body to that album and with Meatloaf, that's a very sizeable contribution.
So here's my two cents on how this relates to Election 2004. George W. Bush is analogous to Meatloaf. It ain't sexy, but he's real and he's committed to doing the best he can for all of us. He won't win any more style points than Vince Lombardi's running offense, but he's crudely effective.
John F. Kerry reminded me of Coldplay. Technical perfection, engineering brilliance and total absence of any heart and soul. He's got all the trees plotted on a map somewhere and understands the nuances of each, but if he were left in the woods for a week with Kim Il Jung, he wouldn't have the fire to walk out that forrest alive.
So Kerry's had his good run of debates, he's shown us a superior quality of diction and nuance. He's also shown us he'd rather talk about his mother than his wife when asked about his wife. That, right there, is a global test John F. Kerry just resoundingly flunked.
George W. Bush has shown us he's a dumb old dad. A founding member of FADD. He believes what he believes. It may not sound deeply philosophical or make you think of impressionistic masterpieces, but it represents reality. A reality John F. Kerry, not George W. Bush is detached from. This, in my opinion, will work in George W. Bush's favor, and ultimately push him over the top on election day.
Meatloaf SUCKS! This guy must be on drugs to make any sort of comparision. Now a John Kerry/ Edwards analogy and the Backstreet Boys on the other hand...
I'd go with Bob Seger myself.
Plus, Kerry is a willowy fairy just like the guys in Coldplay.
Sucks! Meat Loaf has stood the test of time, and "Paradise by the Dashboard Lights" and "Two out of Three Ain't Bad" are classics! Granted, "Bat out of Hell" was his only good album, but The Buying Public is what matters, and "Bat out of Hell" has proven itself with the masses.
MEATLOAF OVER COLDPLAY?!
Put the needle down and step away from the bottle!
By that standard, Britney makes good albums.
As did Air Supply.
And Richard Marx.
And - oh, yeah - Milli Vanilli.
You forgot:
Back Street Boys, N'Sync, and The New Kids on the Block.
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