Hit Parade 2
Michael Smerconish (who is often on target when he’s considering the human condition and not actually taking positions on political issues) reviews the problems Republicans have with campaign songs, namely, their tendency to use songs whose songwriters promptly tell them to stop using the songs because the songwriter’s find the Republicans’ positions pernicious and because the candidates failed to get permission to use them.
He proposes that this problem could be avoided by having a neutral third party (i. e., Smerconish) select their songs for them and suggests appropriate ditties for Mr. Obama and the Republican field. A sampling:
Sarah Palin: C’mon, let’s face it. The race will get interesting when she dukes it out with Michele Bachmann. So put the needle down on Ted Nugent’s “Cat Scratch Fever.”
It’s a cute little column.
July 5, 2011 at 1:41 pm
Problem with Smerconish here is he doesn’t seem to know what “Cat Scratch Fever” is about. Even though the lyrics are easy to grok.
Not about a cat fight, nope.
And he’s comping on after Nugent’s offer to Bachmann of “Wang Dang Sweet Poontang,” which he conceded was unworkable, and “Stranglehold.” Which would be only slightly more workable. Although thematically, you can make it sort of work as the GOP attitude toward just about everything.
Anyway, I bet Mitchell and Bowie would also oppose use of their songs because, as you’ve pointed out, Republicans currently have made the choice that being perceived as feeling human beings is too liberal and socialist. Bowie had a song once called “I’m Afraid of Americans,” I think. Maybe he’d let that one go.
July 5, 2011 at 1:55 pm
Trouble with Smerconish is that he is a decent guy who’s trying to hold on to some conservative cred, despite endorsing Obama last time round, because being a right-wing talker is his livelihood.
I agree with you that he is certainly unfamiliar with the song, but then so am I.
I’m an old Airplane freak. Never figured out the appeal of Bowie.
I think he has a point about the cat fight though. With jello added.