As the Vote Rocks, the Stiff Wander the White House

(Apparently, even Boris Yeltsin was cooler than W)

In his Arts (and Politics) column in the NYTimes about a half year ago, Frank Rich speculated that the biggest reelection blindspot for Bush had to do with his ignorance of popular culture. This article was written just as the wheels were coming off the Dean wagon, but at the same time people were realizing how much his sudden rise was fueled by the (populist) internet.

Despite the skill and savvy of Rove and Co., the model they operate out of is a generation behind, geared too much toward the tools (direct marketing) and constituencies (Bush Pioneers, fossil fuel industry) of pre-dot com culture and consciousness.

I realize that most of what has been attracting my blogging attention recently (and not just mine) is the backlash to Bush in the popular culture. However you care to slice it (youth culture, art culture, movie culture, music culture), Bush has catalyzed an emotional and expressive response that is building exponentially toward November.

You know what I find the most telling though?

Despite the intense level of creativity energy circulating now, it's not that Bush and Co. are failing to push back on it, it's that they don't even seem to register it!

(Pulitzer Prize winning photo: Alexander Zemlianichenko. Yeltsin Rocks In Rostov. 1996. Associated Press.)
(Newseum.org Pulitzer Prize "Capture the Moment" interactive exhibition here)

Comments

[vachon]

Check out the VoteForChange concerts comming up in the next few months. The names and places are pretty impressive.

Whoever got this off the ground did a great job.

[j.pickens]

When you go to the concerts, be sure to check out the literature of the organizing groups at the info. desks.
See if you can spot the Socialist and Communist stuff polluting the area.

As you contemplate your opposition to the war in Iraq and President Bush, in general, realize that Communism has killed more human beings than any other know human construct, and the Communists are ON YOUR SIDE!!!

[j.pickens]

sorry, know = known.

[Karen]

J.Pickens, I don't know why I bother, but: if I buy a Honda, and a Communist buys a Honda, does that mean that by buying my Honda I'm consorting with Communists?

But who exactly are these Communists you refer to? The "organizing groups" of the concerts are America Coming Together (ACT) and MoveOn.org. If you want to see who's behind them, go to http://www.actforvictory.org/act.php/home/content/about and http://www.moveon.org/about/ and see how many Communist organizations (the AFL-CIO? Silicon Valey entrepreneurs?) you can find there.

Oh, and if there are Communists attending the concerts, it's nice to know that even Commies know good music when they hear it.

[kevdog]

Screw U J. Pickens,

Another ignorant republican!!! I love how you mouth-breathers love to call everyone who disagrees with BushCo a communist!!. Nobody buys that crap anymore.

Bush has done a lousy job running the g'ment and he has systematically lied to the American People. He doesn't deserve another 4 years.

As you cretins begin to realize that this administration is crumbling under the weight of it's own bullshit, you will become more desperate

[Jerry Fallwell]

in general, realize that Communism has killed more human beings than any other know human construct

More than religion?

[EvilPundit]

Yes, Communism has killed even more human beings than religion. And in just one short century at that.

And the Communist Vietnamese regard John Kerry as a hero who helped them win the war.

http://hail.he.net/~danger/kerrylied/staticpages/index.php?page=20040711225111152

[Annoying Old Guy]

The Honda analogy is so specious I'm surprised you wrote it in public. Cars have nothing to do with politics, whereas the VoteForChange concerts are explicitly political. A better analogy would be someone selling Ford parts at a Honda dealership. Wouldn't that cause you to think there was some kind of close relationship between Honda and Ford? In the same way, if VoteForChange is selling politics at their concerts then it's reasonable to presume some relationship with others selling politics at the same venue.

[Stephen]

The Bush Team is clueless about what is going on in this election. If their supporters are stilled mired in fighting communism, as it appears many are, then they will surely lose the election. Young voters are entering into the political mainstream and they are unconcerned about fearing communism. If anything they are questioning the distribution of wealth under our system when they are unemployed and prospects don't look good for them. They believe, and with good reason, that they came late to the table. They want more than crumbs and lame rhetoric, they want opportunity. The system has failed them and they know it.