As everyone knows, there are few things more intimately tied than great music and presidential elections. This has never been more true than during this cycle, where modern technology has made it easier than ever for musicians to blast homemade campaign anthems to voters throughout the United States and to Barack Obama’s voters in Europe.

As of yesterday, the primaries are wrapped up, and the general election has officially begun.   While I expect many, many great songs to be produced between today and the first Tuesday in November, now is the time to buy this very special retrospective collection–America’s (the Country, not the Band’s) 2008 Primary Election’s Greatest Hits!!!

You simply must own this album.  Otherwise, you might forget about such wonderful moments such as these…

Although she didn’t win, Hillary had a lot of enthusiastic supporters who put eighteen million cracks in the glass ceiling (and it’s about to start raining shards into the hearts of the American people).

Some of those noble supporters strapped on their dancin’ shoes and performed this classic number, which answers the question that’s been running through many a head for many a year–what if, in a Star Trek “Mirror, Mirror” universe, Jackson Five patriarch Joe’s opposite was Pat Boone?  And what if Pat Boone had been a Democrat, making it even more opposite? Well, the end result might have sounded a little something like this:

Senators Clinton and Obama had a very close race.  Some very nasty people have posited that negative reaction to this song may have provided Obama with the edge he needed he pull it out–music does have that sort of power, you know.  However, I haven’t seen any good, solid polling to prove that, so I dismiss the possibility.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the aisle, no one created any songs for Mike Huckabee, Rudy Giuliani, or Mitt Romney (not even Donny & Marie), although there are rumors of an underground concept album devoted to Fred Thompson.  Only one Republican candidate inspired a song of high enough quality enough to break into the general consciousness, and that candidate was the eventual nominee, Senator John McCain:

The McCain Girls would release at least one other song, “Here Comes McCain Again,” before being relegated to an undeserved oblivion.  Unfortunately for Senator McCain, his girls turned out to be an illusion, the product of a comedy act rather than sincere supporters.  The blow to his campaign was like a bamboo switch in a prison camp, as the song had inspired millions.

Of course, the breakout hit from the album America’s (the Country, not the Band’s) 2008 Primary Election’s Greatest HitZZ!!1! belonged to will.i.am:

Barack Obama, in his infinite wisdom, so much loved this song about Barack Obama that he put it on his list of top ten favorite songs of all time.  Because Senator Obama is a humble man, it was only ranked number ten, although critics generally agree that it is a much better song than “Gimme Shelter.”

will.i.am, like all brilliant artists, realized that the sequel is almost always better than the original, and so created one. However, Senator Obama, being a keen politician, cast forth his gaze upon the vast swathes of filthy humanity set before him and saw that his more fervent supporters were being unfairly maligned as obsessive, cult-like, and a bit creepy, and recognized that people endlessly chanting “O-BA-MA! O-BA-MA!” might reinforce this impression to the bitter, clingy masses, who, sadly, also have the right to vote:

So that his future minions should not become unduly alarmed, and hence vote away their opportunity to become his future minions, Senator Obama kindly requested that will.i.am stop writing Obama songs at a meeting they had near a south-side Chicago bus stop.  Mr .am hasn’t been heard from since, but the word from Tony Rezko is that he sleeps with the fishes, which I assume means that he is resting up at his manse whilst enjoying the soothing, gurgling gurgles of his many saltwater aquariums.  He is reputed to be an expert on miniature shark and octopi, and quite the collector thereof.

Another possibly over-enthusiastic Obama supporter was Ludacris.  He was kindly asked to be silent after using a very naughty word that starts with a “B” to refer to Obama’s fierce female rival, and inappropriate remarks about the handicaps of Obama’s cruelly-tortured-and-crippled-for-life war veteran rival, thereby alienating everyone in America who wasn’t named will.i.am or will.c.ayers.

Ludacris was last seen at the same Chicago bus stop, perhaps honing his pitch to become vice-president in an Obama administration.

Returning to the other side of the aisle: Once McCain’s nomination had been secured, hip-hop maestro John Rich, of Big & Rich fame, decided to get into the act.  Fearing that he could not compete with the hip-hop masterpieces already unleashed in this magical, mystical primary campaign, he opted for a more rockin’ approach.

Despite sounding a lot like the theme song to Monday Night Football, or perhaps because of that, the song was fairly well received by Sean Hannity.  However, millions of Americans wondered, “Where the hell is Cowboy Troy?” (Somewhat shockingly, that question was not asked regarding the whereabouts of “Big.”)

Alas, the primaries are now over, but fear not!  Now that the general election has begun, many more musicians have promised to write songs for Senator Obama, and it is quite certain that Senator McCain will have troubadours on his side as well.

To reward any musicians who would like to write songs for his campaign, John McCain has invited all interested to pick up their guitars and banjos and head to the new venture Cindy McCain is opening with her massive millions, John McCain’s Hanoi Hilton Huntin’ Ranch!  Guests will be treated to a big-game hunt featuring special guests Sarah Palin and Dick Cheney.  It promises to be a lot of fun–however, no phones are allowed, so visiting musicians are advised to tell their loved ones not to worry if they aren’t heard from for awhile.

At the same time, Barack Obama has earmarked funds for a giant new bus station in Chicago, and has invited all musicians interested in writing songs for his campaign to the opening ceremony.  Dave Stewart will cut the ribbon.

AmeriKKKa’z (the Country, not the Band’z) 2008 Primary Election’z Greatezt Hitz!!1!!’z is available only now and only through this special On Deaf Ears offer.  Plus, if you order now…

It was not much more than a year ago that a little video called I Got a Crush … on Obama proved that politics could be as viral as anything else on the Internet. Featuring a sexy vixen — born Amber Lee Ettinger, hereafter known as “Obama Girl” — mooning over the charismatic upstart presidential candidate, the vid exploded, scoring more than 9 million views on YouTube and getting tapped as one of 2007’s top 10 videos by People, Newsweek and the AP. And thus, Barely Political was born. Crush creator Ben Relles and his partners in crime expanded the Obama Girl franchise, pitting OG against rivals like Giuliani Girl, McCain Hulk and Joy Behar. By October 2007, aspiring media giant Next New Networks — home/partner of hits like Meth Minute, Nite Fite, and Zaproot — acquired Barely Political, cementing its reputation as source of original content to be reckoned with. Still, everybody from ReelPop to NTV’s own Karina was asking: Other than a hot girl, what exactly is Barely Political contributing to either politics or comedy?

The answer comes from Barely Political’s non-OG material. Sure, the Obama Girl vs McCain Girl Olympic series is timely, and McCain girl’s recent foray into the Enchanted Republican Forest is kind of a hoot. But the real gems on the site are found elsewhere. The Ward Room’s political survey at Comicon was just fun. And Barely Political Uncovers has the John Edwards Sex Scandal Phone Call, in which a panicked, pinned-down-by-the-Enquirer Edwards calls Bill Clinton for help. (Bill calls The Cheat Team, politicos experienced with getting caught in flagrante delecto.)

From two white guys rapping about buying a battleship just to go fishing in Stimulus Package, to Leah Kauffman’s pleading with Ann Coulter to perfect her, to Hillary angling for Obama’s VP slot with a well-timed Tom and Jerry reference, there’s a little something for everyone. It’s not all jabs at Repubs and Obama-stroking, either; with a tip to McCain’s balls and even some sympathetic Ron Paul coverage, there’s plenty of love to go around.

Barely Political isn’t really asking hard-hitting political questions. The non-OG vids tend to have a drier, more sophisticated humor — more Daily Show than JibJab — but there’s not enormous substance for the discriminating voter to chew on. But with a joyous irreverance and a canny ability to tie political content to zeitgeisty goodness like the Olympics and Comicon, the site succeeds at making political humor accessible and trendy. And in a political landscape constantly battling for the attention of the young voters, who usually avoid the polls, anything that catches new eyes has the potential to sway actual, real-life elections. So silly little videos are nothing to laugh at.

Wow… very level headed and rational take on how religion & politics should interact…

And then there’s this guy who doesn’t know what the Constitution even says… and he doesn’t know that “In God We Trust” was adopted in the 1950s (not in the Constitution by the founders of this nation)…

Why do McCain and other politicians (Romney, Bush 41, Bush 43, etc) who say these types of things want to exclude 16%+ of their constituents who are non-believers/unaffiliated with religion?

Barack has claimed to be a religious person; and while I don’t hold his views, I’m completely fine with a politician having views contrary to mine. That’s what freedom of/from religion is all about. What I like about Barack’s speech above is that it separates him from the common pandering politician. He doesn’t try to force his religion on the populace (like other legislators). Hopefully it’s not “too good to be true.” Hopefully Obama can beat McCain in November.

~Dan – np: Charlie Parker – With Strings

Experience the magic of the 2008 Presidential Campaign again and again and one more time after that with this limited edition box set (not available in any stores). Call NOW!

This just makes me cringe, haha. It is pretty funny too in an awkward way. But I like the Obama girl better!

23/6 turns out to be responsible for possibly the best piece of political performance art ever.

From their site:

The date was March 14, 2008, and a group of burgeoning Lou Pearlmans at 23/6 were about to unleash a political and musical phenomenon: the McCain Girls. This trio of musically inclined and politically active gals would make their YouTube debut, thanks to the 23/6 production team. American politics and the Internet would never be the same.

Just for fun, take a look at McCain being asked about his girls on Fox:

I’m sure that McCain shares my disappointment.

 I was all set to praise the McCain Girls newest video today when I heard the disturbing news that they are frauds.  I am beyond disgusted.  Something as important as politics is not the place for humor and there is no good reason I can think of for pretending to be something you are not simply for the sake of humor. 

It turns out that the “McCain Girls” were produced by 236.com a comedy site whose slogan is “Some of the news most of the time”.  Excuse me, but is the news something that we really should be joking about.  What about those of us Republicans who thought they were legitimately supporting McCain.  The only thing that stops me from being furious is they may just have got McCain a few extra votes from their fans and well the one with the long brunette hair is kinda hot. 

I don’t know if you’ve heard of the “McCain Girls”–a trio of ladies who have made two videos in support McCain (read more) and the “The Obama Girl” who seems to have a thing for Barack Obama. The McCain Girls, who sing “Raining McCain” and “Here Comes McCain Again” are part of the humor website 23/6, which is poking fun at campaign songs. The Obama Girl, Amber Lee Ettinger, sports a shirt reading “I’ve Got a Crush on Obama” in her video, and was voted as one of the sexiest women on the web. So, who could win in a battle of the McCain Girls vs. the Obama Girl? While the McCain Girls have the advantage of being a trio, they really can’t sing on-key, and don’t have as much sex appeal as the Obama Girl, who sings slightly better. Truth be told, the Obama Girl’s son is flat-out better lyrically and musically. Plus, that Obama Girl is scrappy–I think she could definitely beat the McCain Girls in a fight. Yet i love how the McCain Girls represent a wider demographic, and they’re not, uh, skanky. Maybe sexy sells, but I sure wish that Obama Girl would cover up. How is having hot chicks sexualize your campaign going to win votes? Not sure, but I will say this Amber Lee Ettinger seems like a nice girl, and the video is pretty amusing. I’m not sure what “girl” I am anymore. Then there’s this random rockin’ kid who likes Hilary, who’s the best of the lot. Unfortunately, I think he’s underaged (jail bait!), but man, this kid can rock. I think he can take ‘em all on. See him below…

I don’t know if you’ve heard of the “McCain Girls”–a trio of ladies who have made two videos in support McCain (read more) and the “The Obama Girl” who seems to have a thing for Barack Obama. The McCain Girls, who sing “Raining McCain” and “Here Comes McCain Again” are part of the humor website 23/6, which is poking fun at campaign songs. The Obama Girl, Amber Lee Ettinger, sports a shirt reading “I’ve Got a Crush on Obama” in her video, and was voted as one of the sexiest women on the web. So, who could win in a battle of the McCain Girls vs. the Obama Girl? While the McCain Girls have the advantage of being a trio, they really can’t sing on-key, and don’t have as much sex appeal as the Obama Girl, who sings slightly better. Truth be told, the Obama Girl’s son is flat-out better lyrically and musically. Plus, that Obama Girl is scrappy–I think she could definitely beat the McCain Girls in a fight. Yet i love how the McCain Girls represent a wider demographic, and they’re not, uh, skanky. Maybe sexy sells, but I sure wish that Obama Girl would cover up. How is having hot chicks sexualize your campaign going to win votes? Not sure, but I will say this Amber Lee Ettinger seems like a nice girl, and the video is pretty amusing. I’m not sure what “girl” I am anymore. Then there’s this random rockin’ kid who likes Hilary, who’s the best of the lot. Unfortunately, I think he’s underaged (jail bait!), but man, this kid can rock. I think he can take ‘em all on. See him below…

The McCain Girls, doing everything they can to help put John McCain into office.

So NSFW.

Seriously. You’ve been warned.

H/T Chez Bez

from www.youtube.com posted with vodpod

OYG… this is not even quite possibly… it’s quite DEFINITELY… the… worst… thing… ever… put… to… tape. EVER.

I don’t care what your political leanings are, nor what your views on the sanctity of life are… these three women should be taken out back and shot (at least in the legs).

~Dan

From the Creators of Its Raining McCain

It certainly is creative.

Were you as surprised as I was that so many people even questioned whether the first McCain Girls video was an earnest effort by genuine supporters? I was amazed that some people even went as far as to suggest that it was paid for or produced by the campaign itself.

I know the jury’s still out as to whether or not the Republican candidate has the pop cultural savvy to be our commander in chief (Was that whole “Heidi Montag is a talented actress” comment made out of utter cluelessness, or was it a knowing wink at the construction of her pseudo-reality show, The Hills?) but McCain seems smart enough to generally play away from his known weaknesses.

Plus, It’s Raining McCain simply looked too good. From the hundreds of little McCains that rained on the Girls to a green-screen gaffe caused by a certain costume, the video’s very badness had a rhythm to it that was clearly intentional. But if any doubt remains that McCain Girls is something between pure parody and Obama Girl-style, cable news-baiting performance art, the Girls’ latest video should clear that up.

Here Comes McCain Again, set to the tune of “Here Comes The Rain Again” by the Eurythmics, features the same three women who appeared in It’s Raining McCain, none of whom are credited by name. On the left, there’s the older white woman, who seems enthusiastic yet befuddled and who, in both clips, is the Girl most likely to fumble her lines or choreography. On the far right, there’s a sexy young thing who resembles Obama Girl, but OG’s winking eye twinkle is replaced by the vacant stare of Audrina Partridge. And in the middle is a largish black woman, indisputably the most confident and compelling of the McCain Girls (potentially even a break-out star?). It’s a model of demographic diversity — which, in the context of the McCain campaign, seems to be a joke in itself.

The biggest difference between the first video and the second — beyond the fact that the first could be found in YouTube’s “News and Politics” section, while the second was categorized as “Comedy” — is that in Here Comes McCain Again, the central figure steps away from the pack to become a protagonist, confronting the floating specter of a miniaturized McCain in a darkened countryside. Of the three actresses, she’s clearly the one who is the most in on/the most comprehending of the joke; last week, she appeared in this video, an ostensible response to McCain Girls haters, which seems more like an effort to maintain the illusion that McCain Girls is a “real” phenomenon, pushed by three genuinely passionate McCain supporters.

I hate to burst anyone’s bubble, but it’s not. Two weeks ago, I saw comedian Jon Benjamin at Brooklyn’s Union Hall, where he did an entire set about It’s Raining McCain, which he said he produced in conjunction with the Huffington Post’s 23/6 comedy site. Although Benjamin didn’t directly address why the video had been placed on YouTube instead of 23/6, I walked away from the show with the impression that it was done to maintain an ambiguity about where the video came from and whether or not the girls themselves were “real.” (For the record, Benjamin did say the “Girls” were found on Craig’s List, and indicated that, at least on the first clip, they were not given any sort of creative control).

This Washington Post blog entry debating the derivation of the clip is the only one I’ve seen pointing towards the 23/6 connection. Interestingly, that post also notes that the clip was virtually ignored on YouTube until the Huffington Post promoted it. That’s the funny thing about today’s YouTube climate: With the average viewer stunned into passive consumption by the sheer deluge of content, it’s fair to assume that if you’ve even heard of a video, a powerful entity has an interest in its promotion.

Were you as surprised as I was that so many people even questioned whether the first McCain Girls video was an earnest effort by genuine supporters? I was amazed that some people even went as far as to suggest that it was paid for or produced by the campaign itself.

I know the jury’s still out as to whether or not the Republican candidate has the pop cultural savvy to be our commander in chief (Was that whole “Heidi Montag is a talented actress” comment made out of utter cluelessness, or was it a knowing wink at the construction of her pseudo-reality show, The Hills?) but McCain seems smart enough to generally play away from his known weaknesses.

Plus, It’s Raining McCain simply looked too good. From the hundreds of little McCains that rained on the Girls to a green-screen gaffe caused by a certain costume, the video’s very badness had a rhythm to it that was clearly intentional. But if any doubt remains that McCain Girls is something between pure parody and Obama Girl-style, cable news-baiting performance art, the Girls’ latest video should clear that up.

Here Comes McCain Again, set to the tune of “Here Comes The Rain Again” by the Eurythmics, features the same three women who appeared in It’s Raining McCain, none of whom are credited by name. On the left, there’s the older white woman, who seems enthusiastic yet befuddled and who, in both clips, is the Girl most likely to fumble her lines or choreography. On the far right, there’s a sexy young thing who resembles Obama Girl, but OG’s winking eye twinkle is replaced by the vacant stare of Audrina Partridge. And in the middle is a largish black woman, indisputably the most confident and compelling of the McCain Girls (potentially even a break-out star?). It’s a model of demographic diversity — which, in the context of the McCain campaign, seems to be a joke in itself.

The biggest difference between the first video and the second — beyond the fact that the first could be found in YouTube’s “News and Politics” section, while the second was categorized as “Comedy” — is that in Here Comes McCain Again, the central figure steps away from the pack to become a protagonist, confronting the floating specter of a miniaturized McCain in a darkened countryside. Of the three actresses, she’s clearly the one who is the most in on/the most comprehending of the joke; last week, she appeared in this video, an ostensible response to McCain Girls haters, which seems more like an effort to maintain the illusion that McCain Girls is a “real” phenomenon, pushed by three genuinely passionate McCain supporters.

I hate to burst anyone’s bubble, but it’s not. Two weeks ago, I saw comedian Jon Benjamin at Brooklyn’s Union Hall, where he did an entire set about It’s Raining McCain, which he said he produced in conjunction with the Huffington Post’s 23/6 comedy site. Although Benjamin didn’t directly address why the video had been placed on YouTube instead of 23/6, I walked away from the show with the impression that it was done to maintain an ambiguity about where the video came from and whether or not the girls themselves were “real.” (For the record, Benjamin did say the “Girls” were found on Craig’s List, and indicated that, at least on the first clip, they were not given any sort of creative control).

This Washington Post blog entry debating the derivation of the clip is the only one I’ve seen pointing towards the 23/6 connection. Interestingly, that post also notes that the clip was virtually ignored on YouTube until the Huffington Post promoted it. That’s the funny thing about today’s YouTube climate: With the average viewer stunned into passive consumption by the sheer deluge of content, it’s fair to assume that if you’ve even heard of a video, a powerful entity has an interest in its promotion.

A friend just forwarded me this video of one of the McCain Girls (*COUGH*) getting shouty on the “haters.”

“It’s a video. You watch it, you enjoy it, you move the hell on,” says the one who seems like she actually might be able to sing. “You don’t sit there and rant and rave about it, especially since no one gives a crap about a half or an eighth of what the f—k you have to say.”

Maybe if this toothless diva didn’t want anyone hating on her music (*COUGH*) video, she ought not have PUT IT ON YOUTUBE. Just sayin’. That shit was the most horrifying thing I have seen since Bob Dylan appeared in a Victoria’s Secret ad. Only instead of just my eyes bleeding, my ears got to join in the fun. Can you guys stop? Please??

Speaking of making my eyes bleed, when is John McCain going to man up and do the Tyra Banks Show? Clinton, Edwards, Obama and Huckabee have all guested. We know McCain’s a survivor, but can he survive the big crazy that is Tyra Banks? Something to ponder, senator.

I found this funny video from the McCain Girls singing “Raining McCain.”