Obama’s Celebrity Wish List: President Courts Country Acts to Gin Up Re-Election Campaign
by AWR HawkinsDuring 2000-2008, Middle America had its fill of Julia Roberts threatening to leave the country if Bush were re-elected, and of Susan Sarandon opposing the war, and of George Clooney, Alec Baldwin and all the other critics of the red-state lifestyle. And who can forget that band, the Dixie Chicks—I think that was their name—the professional life of which was torpedoed when lead singer Natalie Maines criticized our president while overseas during a time a war.
Yet despite the backlash Baldwin, Clooney, Maines and the rest of them faced for their political pomposity, about 194 celebrities (or groups of celebrities) are being sought out to help Obama get re-elected in 2012.
From Jessica Alba to Will.i.am, from Kate Walsh to The Band Perry, and from Eva Longoria to Sarah Jessica Parker, these and others are being pursued to put their names on the dotted line for Obama. And while some of the names come as no surprise—Parker has been a longtime proponent of liberalism—a country music group like The Band Perry could be running quite a risk when one considers that their audience is full of pro-military, pro-four wheel drive, pro-2nd Amendment folks (while Obama is anti-military, anti-large vehicle, and strongly anti-2nd Amendment). We could see Dixie Chicks 2.o.
Other names on the list of potential Obama celebrity supporters include singers Train, Gwen Stefani, James Taylor (of “Fire and Rain” fame), Jack Johnson and Bruce Hornsby. The bands Wilco and Counting Crows are expected to be right there for Obama as well. It is hoped all these and more will proudly be lining up with Gloria Steinem, Oprah Winfrey, and Tom Hanks to make sure the pro-Obama votes of the Left Coast and of the upper northeast outnumber the votes that will be cast by the red states in 2012.
Oh, I almost forgot, the country music super-group Lady Antebellum is also listed as a possible “surrogate” for Obama in the upcoming election too (although, to be fair, they’ve yet to state where their political loyalties will lie come Nov.). Bottom line: It looks like the only country music stars we can be certain won’t sign on with Obama at this point are Hank Jr., Ronnie Dunn and Aaron Lewis. And I say God bless Bocephus, Dunn, and Lewis for that.
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54 Comments
no mention of The Cluck Old Hens????????
I actually read that the members of Lady Antebellum were, to put it mildly, pissed off when they found out they were on this wish list. Apparently, they don't want their fans to associate their music with any kind of political views.
I hope some of these celebs tell the white house to POUND SAND!
or maybe Hillary Scott knows it's career suicide to associate the band with liberal ideology. Just ask Nat Maines.
Best remark by a race transcending famous athlete 'Republicans wear Nike too.' So, message to entertainers of all types: Sleep with dogs, expect to get fleas. Over 50% of the general consumers have your stuff on their shelf. This may change. So thread lightly because dollars are few and you may end up on the short end of the stick with your projects. Nuff said.
"And who can forget that band, the Dixie Chicks—I think that was their name—the professional life of which was torpedoed when lead singer Natalie Maines criticized our president while overseas during a time a war."
Actually they released an album 3 years after the whole mess and it sold over 2 million copies in USA alone.
Anyway…….OBAMA 2012!!
LOL Hell, In 1998, the Dixie Chicks sold more CDs than all other country music groups combined and sold 6 million cd's in the United States alone. They sold out concert after concert.
Ticket sales for their 2006 tour (TOURS are where a band makes their $$$$) were strong in Canada (surprise!) and in some Northeastern markets, but weak in other areas. A number of shows were canceled or relocated to smaller venues due to poor sales, and in Houston, Texas, tickets never even went on sale when local radio stations refused to accept advertising for the event.
\
Lets see, where are they now?? In March, Maines made a solo recording of the Beach Boys "God Only Knows" for the final episode of Big Love. They've toured with the Eagles because they can't attract enough interest for themselves.
ANYONE but Obama 2012!!!!
And now they're — where???
Why is it that any time I see this video my Mossberg pump automatically appears………….? Just asking.
If B. Hussein O. Jr. is going to have a billion dollars to pump into his re-election, how much more needs to be figured in if the celebrities that he's going to recruit were paid their usual going rates?
Can we get Roberts, Baldwin and co. to promise to leave the country if Obama isn't re-elected? I want iron clad guarantees this time.
Write on!!
Said often: Obama's re-election campaign will cover all bets, will try to extend his tentac…his reach into every possible group.
He doesn't have to work on the libs. It's all about 'Agent Smith' type assimilation of those who wouldn't usually vote Democrat.
The candidate with a billion dollar war chest for re-election will stand with OWS against the one percenters but will also show up at Texas Rangers, Florida Marlins baseball games this Summer wearing a cowboy hat, eating mom's apple pie.
Nascar start your engines announcements (read off teleprompter)… are you ready for some football (same)… celebrating Duke Wayne Day in Iowa…
Don't confuse him with actual data.
Yes, and that's far fewer copies than they used to sell. And it took them about 2 years to get there. And, by the way, they were promoted as an "adult contemporary" (think adult pop) act…not as a country act.
Excuse me…I'm in radio. Country radio to be exact. You're correct. Some of their ticket sales were downright rotten in some cities forcing the cancellation of shows, while in others they did reasonably well. But I guarantee you NO…absolutely NO radio group refused to accept their advertising. Go ask Clear Channel (who almost begs for ad dollars these days as they face a billions of dollar covenant to pay in two years.)…Go ask Cumulus…or Citadel, whoever, or anyone who owns radio stations. No company refuses advertising unless it falls against some FCC rules.
Nolan Ryan will sooner allow Robin Ventura to throw the first pitch @ a Rangers game than associate himself with O.
If you haven't heard the song Country Boy by Aaron Lews I recommend not only listening to it but watching the video. My respect for him and Staind went up 10 fold.
How about the POS just does his JOB. All this scumbag does is try and find angles propaganda whatever to get elected. It shows how he was given everything because if his race he can't even fathom just doing a good job and actually caring for the people he serves. Everything is a plot to him an angle a game. He makes me physically ill along with his racist Amazon Ol Lady.
For clarity purposes, natalie maines critique of President Bush wasn't what set off the firestorm.
Against war? Fine. No problem. You're so brave to have such an opinion…
No, it was the comment that "we're ashamed that the President of United States is from Texas," that ruined their careers.
Criticism is not the same as childish insults.
A difference that too many here don't seem to comprehend.
I LOVE The Band Perry and sincerely hope they keep their pie holes closed on their political leanings, whatever they may be. I'm sick of being preached to and just want to listen to the music without feeling like I'm supporting a "cause". Ug.
Okay Donald-you made me laugh.
But I remember John Kerry showing up at a RSOX game right before the 2004 election. Right after he went duck hunting…and boogie boarding. He asked when the Bears would be taking the field.
After looking at that list you really have to think that left-wing politics is an artistic crutch for sucking.
Great video with a few nice comments from Charlie Daniels. And – it proves once and for all you can't judge a book by its cover. Aaron Lewis is the last guy who I would have thought to pass on the message he did in Country Boy.
Mike – if knowledge were vision you'd be Stevie Wonder. Considering (relatively speaking) where they were at their height their fame, the Dixie Chicks are bringing up the rear now. And … in 2012 Omama will join them. Why is it you seem to be unable to grasp that simple fact? Ideology? Stubbornness? Of course there will always be fans for them. Some will support them out of expediency and because of their political ideology and others because of talent. I'll take Charlie Daniels over the Dixie Chicks any day.
The following music video perfectly sums up those who worship Obama (NSFW):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IVWpi4AQtLM
Thank you Aaron McGruder (The Boondocks) for speaking truth to power instead of being yet another celebrity kiss up.
A couple a years ago, I read a commentary called "The Artist Formerly Known as Dissident." This excerpt underscore how sad celebs are for mostly and blindly supporting Obama:
It's time for the art community to return to its historical role in political affairs, which means speaking to power, not on behalf of it. Which leads me to the second case where art enters politics on a mass scale. The power of art, in combination with the suppression of free speech or a free press, has been used as a tool by authoritarian
governments to control their citizens. From Hitler, Stalin, and Mao to Saddam Hussein and Kim Jong Il, art has been used to deify leaders while preserving the position of the ruling class. Most artists would not want to be referred to as tools of the state, but in the case of Obama's administration, that's exactly what they've been so far.
http://reason.com/news/show/135293.html
I think Kimberly Perry is smart enough NOT do to that.
Taylor Swift OTOH………
I doubt celebrity endorsements mean much. If they did, Democrats would win every election.
So he's going "Country?"
That probably means that his new campaign anthem will be, "Lord it's hard to be humble when you're perfect in every way."
Easy to get celebrities who know NOTHING about politics or economics. Let's see him get some military people to support him. Maybe the man who was held by pirates, escaped, but was allowed to be recaptured. Or, the soldiers in Afghanistan who were told that their enemies needed to be read their rights.
Sounds a lot like L. Ron Hubbard's targeting of celebrities to join Scientology that continues to this day.
A cynical gimmick in both cases. Maybe the WH should open a "Celebrity Center" like scientology has in Los Angeles.
LOL! Tickets pre-purchased and agreement that they can only take 30% because we know they all want to pay more taxes for the good of the "little people".
Part of the Dixie Chicks' downfall was that, by 2003, the feminist message of their songs had struck a chord with the bi-coastal media, and they were attempting to bond with the New York-California types and expand past their core country audience. So they were already getting the mindset that they didn't need the Red State CD buyers and concert-goers to be successful, and that was when Maines (who in the ensuing years proved herself to be the Keith Olbermann of female vocalists by starting feuds with everyone, including her hometown of Lubbock) made her remark during that concert in London.
As it turned out, the liberals who were all rah-rah about Natalie's politics weren't the types to continuously buy their music or go to their concerts, which is something the current country acts need to be wary of. If they want to vocally support Obama in 2012, especially after all the Hopey-Chengy hype has gone away, they need to be prepared to face an even worse problem than the Hollywood celebs who alienate 50 percent of their potential audiences by mixing politics into the promotion of their latest movie or TV show.
You beat me to Michael Jordan's quote. Jordan is way smarter than the average bear.
I've noticed that McDonald's doesn't publicly get involved in politics. Could it be that they want to sell hamburgers to everyone and don't want to alienate anyone? As stated previously, Michael Jordan figured that out and so have most celebrity athletes. Want to make real money in endorsements? Wear our stuff and talk about your sport.
Don't forget one of the Sawx's part owners, Tom Werner, is a big-time Hollywood liberal, and the man responsible for Rosanne's attack on the National Anthem in San Diego, when he was part owner of the Padres. And one of the other part owners in Boston is the New York Times Co. So inviting John Kerry to Fenway isn't a shock; I'm just surprised they haven't offered discount ticket vouchers to the Occupy Boston full-time protesters yet for the 2012 season (but only for weeknight games against Kansas City, of course). Whether or not some of the other pro sports owners are willing to hitch their team's image to the Democratic Party and Barack Obama is another story.
I have no idea if that number is correct, but you're missing a whole lot of facts there. The Dixie Chicks were a huge band when they decided to start talking politics. After the incident, country stations stopped playing their music for a long time, and even now only play a few of their bigger hits on a rare occasion. They made that statement assuming they were a big enough crossover act that they would stay on top. They weren't. Mainstream stations stopped playing their music as well.
Things got worse. Yes they did release an album later, but it didn't really do much for them. It didn't get any airplay on radio stations. And eventually their band just stopped trying. I'm not sure what Maines is doing, but the sisters are trying to reignite their careers under a different name. It's not working. Their careers are done.
I want Obama ousted as President as much as the next guy, but I have a real problem with this article.
The first is that the only two country acts on Obama's list are The Band Perry and Lady Antebellum, so the article is somewhat misleading. This is particularly true if you consider that most of the article isn't about those country acts being "courted". (I guess that word is supposed to make the article seem more Country.) Management for Lady Antebellum openly states in the linked article that they have no intention of getting involved in politics. There's no statement by The Band Perry, but considering they only have one hit song and probably won't be around long, it matters little.
My second issue is that the writer clearly knows nothing about Country music. I'm a hard Right guy and I'm proud to say that I'm part of a crowd that's redneck and loud, but the writer is assuming a lot. Not every Country is fan is into politics. And not every country act hates Obama. Toby Kieth, a man noted for writing Right songs about loving America and publicly feuding with the Dixie Chicks, made it known he was voting for Obama in the last election. Also, Obama invited Country stars to perform at his concert series. Brad Paisley, one of the biggest Country stars on the planet, performed for him. Paisley never said whether he'd vote for Obama, but I doubt he hates the man if he's willing to play for the Emperor while Rome burns.
Anyway, that's my gripe. Do some research before you write, or hire someone who actually knows Country.
Why not sounds like POP, it sure as H-LL ain't country
Well he got Brad Paisley and Dierks Bentley already rubbing themselves up against him
Get George Strait & Alan Jackson…they will lie down with dogs (SEE Jimmy Buffett)
http://www.runawayslavemovie.com/site/
"…will also show up at Texas Rangers, Florida Marlins baseball games this Summer wearing a cowboy hat, eating mom's apple pie.
Nascar start your engines announcements (read off teleprompter)… are you ready for some football (same)… celebrating Duke Wayne Day in Iowa…"
and get roundly booed.
it was both, AND the fact those gutless Dixie Chickens***s did it abroad, knowing full flippin' well they'd be booed off the stage for such a classless stunt in the USA.
another Mac Davis fan!
Great post.
With a name like dustrider1, you could be from Lubbock. I love that town. I did some work with the Maines Brothers while I lived there and they were a great group of guys…including Nat's dad, Lloyd.
I am sick of entertainers trying to convince me to vote for O-blahblah because they support him. We should all be so stupid. Citizens need to vote based on their own gut, knowledge, beliefs, etc…which doesn't happen very often. Knowledge is Power.
Just Sayin'…
Aren't Faith Hill and her hubby, Tim McGraw big Obama supporters too? I wasn't crazy about her as a replacement for Hank Williams Jr. on Monday Night Football!
And all the Country acts that won't support Offal-ma? Slandered and demonized by the "Press",politicians,celebrities,etc, as Typical White Southerners still stuck in the past, still fighting the War Between The States, and their fans slandered in equal measure.
Let me start his speech…."Fired Up?" "Fired Up?" "Please someone get fired Up?"
If Darius Hootie Rucker can be country anybody can. Alan Jackson wrote a song about pop has beens going country.
So, there are now 194 more reasons for me not to vote for obama. Most of my favorite country artists are dead anyway, just like real country music. CM is just a mongrel noise now.
And Tim Mcgraw and Faith Hill are openly liberal democrats.
"if knowledge were vision you'd be Stevie Wonder"
LOL
Can I borrow it?
You forgot weekly or very near weekly appearances in assorted churches.
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