G.O.P. Plans Spectacle to Jazz Up Convention

New York Times ^ | 08/10/04 | MICHAEL SLACKMAN

[southernnorthcarolina]

I assume that the members of the Eagles are liberals, but nonetheless at least one of their songs has very conservative-sounding lyrics. Clinton's campaign organizers made Fleetwood Mac's "Don't Stop Thinking About Tomorrow" a campaign anthum of sorts in 1992; perhaps the Bush/Cheney team should consider the Eagles' "Get Over It":

I turn on the tube and what do I see
A whole lotta people cryin' "Don't blame me"
They point their crooked little fingers at everybody else
Spend all their time feelin' sorry for themselves
Victim of this, victim of that
Your momma's too thin; your daddy's too fat

Get over it
Get over it
All this whinin' and cryin' and pitchin' a fit
Get over it, get over it

You say you haven't been the same since you had your little crash
But you might feel better if I gave you some cash
The more I think about it, Old Billy was right
Let's kill all the lawyers, kill 'em tonight
You don't want to work, you want to live like a king
But the big, bad world doesn't owe you a thing

Get over it
Get over it
If you don't want to play, then you might as well split
Get over it
Get over it

It's like going to confession every time I hear you speak
You're makin' the most of your losin' streak
Some call it sick, but I call it weak

You drag it around like a ball and chain
You wallow in the guilt; you wallow in the pain
You wave it like a flag, you wear it like a crown
Got your mind in the gutter, bringin' everybody down
Complain about the present and blame it on the past
I'd like to find your inner child and kick its little ass

Get over it
Get over it
All this bitchin' and moanin' and pitchin' a fit
Get over it, get over it

Get over it
Get over it
It's gotta stop sometime, so why don't you quit
Get over it
Get over it

[Wolfhound777]

What they need to do is come out all business like with real solutions. Leave the "pompous showmanship" and fluff to the dims and hollyweird. The DNC was abominable and if the GOP just comes out meaning business and getting their talking points out to the public without all the distractions, I think it would server them better.

[sevry]

Country and gospel are really great. But I still think it wouldn't hurt to put Nugent and a few others on stage. I'd like to see what he can do with his cover of Painkiller, these days. Just doesn't seem to have the same political interest as, say, McBride singing Hannity's bump (which was really not about the country, anyway, but abuse). Make a good Monday night concert.

I see they did put Michael Reagan at the podium. But I don't know if it's prime time. Be nice to see if they produced a package with Nancy and her thoughts, sort of what was done with Lady Thatcher at the DC funeral. I would expect if they also produce a Reagan piece that Nancy would also actually be there. Hope they manage to misplace Prescott's pass.

[sevry]

I don't know if he backed the Bush campaign. But I think I'd rather hear some of those cover bands that paid tribute on Humanary Stew. Heck of an album (I really don't think that the Cold Ethyl thing is very funny, but everything else on that is well done).

[t_skoz]

late night r&r ping

[sevry]

I believe ZZ Top sent Rush

ZZ Top was good on their slide-blues fuzz especially when they started out, as recorded on Fandango. I'd love to hear that ZZ Top again.

[Tuscaloosa Goldfinch]

No offense to my white friends out there, but white people sing gospel like Irish people teetotal and Chinese people drive.

LOL! Isn't that the truth! I don't think we can even keep up on the piano. I tried to accompany a black lady on the piano once while she sang, and we both gave up real quick. She was SINGING --- and I was just playing stuffy Methodist music.

[nutmeg]

ping!

Please FReepmail me if you want on or off my infrequent ‘miscellaneous’ ping list.

[July 4th]

I think KISS could help GW put this one over the top! :) Rock on, Gene!

[Clemenza]

NO!!!! There is a reason why there hasn't been a country station in NYC for 15 years now (or gospel on anything other than AM for one hour on Sunday). PLEASE GOP, don't turn this convention into a Lawrence Welk Special from 1965!

[Clemenza]

Gene's an independent, but intensely patriotic. He was a theology major (and considered being a rabbi in his teen years), so he could converse with some of the gospel people on the OT if need be.

Since you brought up "the Tongue," "Hard Luck Woman" is the most UNDERRATED song of the 1970s.

[cmotormac44]

try it, you might like it--

[cmotormac44]

with the filth that is on tv these days, you could do much worse than a Lawrence Welk special--at least it was clean and your kids could watch with their moms and dads-

[Lexinom]

I wish you were right. But the American populace likes to be entertained. If it was purely issues and substance and not glitz and charm, Steve Forbes would have won the nomination in '96.

[CyberAnt]

Well .. it's the "jest a buncha hicks" who happen to keep this country moving. I'd rather hang around with "jest a buncha hicks" than I would a bunch of snooty, elistist snobs.

[oceanperch]

My son is stoked about the music choices...his two fave.

When he was younger I use to fill the room with Red White and Blue balloons for the convention.

Wouldn't appreciate it as an adult and balloons scare the heck out of the Labradors.

With the was things are going I hope the RNC does something different than balloons that will knock the socks off of the convention.

Shock and Awe Ya'll.

Maybe the Bush dogs will show up.

I can't wait myself.

[oceanperch]

The Taliban Song think that's Sammy Kershaw.

There is alot of Country Music songs out there right now that are about backing GW and kicking terrorists butt.

[sofaman]

You could also die of boredom watching a Lawrence Welk type show...not to mention the sheer hysterics that would greet it, particularly from the younger crowd. I would hope that we are not a party of geezers, I would hope.

Leno/ Letterman would still be talking about it in 2012.

How to lose the elction in one easy lesson.

[Tall_Texan]

Yes, if music videos and tv ads have shown anything it is that our attention spans are shrinking more and more. Don't spend ten minutes saying something when five minutes will do. Lots of images. Lots of video screens. Quick bites. Short musical interludes.

Let Bush still be Bush and Cheney still be Cheney but for all the others, let there be speeches of no more than five minutes with quick introductions and a lack of impromptu jabbering.

If we are truly to capture new voters, they aren't going to hang around for 15 minutes of Ahhnold or Pataki. Keep it short, sweet and stay on schedule.

That's how you stage a convention in the 21st century.