Bizarre, Politics

Does Bad Music Make For Bad Politics?

Screen Shot 2014-12-04 at 3.16.16 PMBelow is the new “Stand By Hillary” song that appears an attempt to bridge the rather wide gap between Hillary Clinton (and Democratic candidates generally) and males, particularly white males. At first, I honestly thought this was a joke. I am still a bit unsure, but people are reporting that this is a real effort at reaching country music fans. My issue is not the candidate, but the music. To the constant complaint of every member of my family, I listen to country music and this is just really, really bad country music.


The group is actually called “Stand With Hillary.”. It is reportedly the product of Daniel Chavez, a longtime Democratic political operative, and media producer Miguel Orozco. It features such lines as “And now it’s 2016 and this time I’m a thinkin’, guys put your boots on and let’s smash this ceiling.” The chorus follows with such refrains as “she’s a mother, daughter and through it all she’s a loving wife.”

The video seems like it was produced by people who not only have no knowledge but a disdain for country music — and country music fans. As for country music material, the stereotypical images and canned lyrics is not what would make for a good country song. One could come up with a classic country tune, but it would be less of a Kim Jong-un/Dear Leader piece and more of a a Carrie Underwood song.

If this was intended to reach out to males, it seems likely to backfire. The cliche images and lyrics border on the insulting. It suggests that they think that you just have to throw up a few pictures of barns, horses, and a hot woman on a motorcycle and you are good to go with male voters. When I showed it to the family, everyone thought it was simply goofy and even a bit creepy. But you can be the judge (I am going back to irritating my family with some of my favorite Kenny Chesney songs to clear the palate).

From my perspective, our leaders are already giving us bad politics. They can at least not add bad music on top of it.

85 thoughts on “Does Bad Music Make For Bad Politics?”

  1. And then there was the “reset button” cringeworthy moment, the lying about dodging sniper fire which shamed her military guard, the hiding the Whitewater files with only her fingerprints and those of her secretary, the attacking the victims of Bill’s sexual harassment as well as his mistresses as liars and “Looney Tunes” knowing the whole time they were telling the truth, Hillarycare, her thesis and association with Saul Alinsky, her failure at Benghazi . . .

    In my opinion, Hillary doesn’t have much going for her besides being the first woman to become president. And we’ve all seen what happens when people voted for someone just to make an historic moment. . .

  2. I think where the urban left often makes mistakes in trying to woo country folks is this: they greatly underestimate the target audience’s sophistication. It’s easy to do – these folks don’t listen to Mozart, and don’t eat exotic trendy cuisine or watch obscure foreign films. This was brought home to many with the Bloomberg-sponsored gun registration (“background checks”) ad last year. It was obvious to most that the “country guy” sitting on the tailgate of his truck with his finger on the trigger of a shotgun (yikes! a major safety violation and there were kids playing in the background) was a NY actor dressed for the occasion and sporting a fake accent. That ad alienated as many or more voters than it attracted. I hope this Hillary ad does the same, because it, too, looks like the product of a NY ad agency.

  3. Hillary has poor choices in words. Like today she said she wants us to empathize with our enemies, Puleeze. I am all about pulling a treaty out of a hat but empathizing with the ME is beyond me right now.

    Touting an approach she calls “smart power,” Clinton urged America to use “every possible tool and partner” to advance peace.

    This, she said, includes “leaving no one on the sidelines, showing respect even for one’s enemies, trying to understand and insofar as psychologically possible, empathize with their perspective and point of view.”

    At a time when the U.S. military is launching airstrikes against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, some called the comments out of place.
    http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2014/12/05/clinton-says-america-should-empathize-with-its-enemies/

  7. Herman’s Hermits did the Henry The 8th Song. Here are their lyrics:

    I’m Henry the eighth, I am
    Henry the eighth, I am, I am
    I got married to the widow next door
    She’s been married seven times before

    And every one was an Henry (Henry)
    She wouldn’t have a Willy or a Sam (No Sam)
    I’m her eighth old man, I’m Henry
    Henry the eighth I am

    Second verse, same as the first

    I’m Henry the eighth, I am
    Henry the eighth, I am, I am
    I got married to the widow next door
    She’s been married seven times before

    And every one was an Henry (Henry)
    She wouldn’t have a Willy or a Sam (No Sam)
    I’m her eighth old man, I’m Henry
    Henry the eighth I am

    I’m Henry the eighth, I am
    Henry the eighth, I am, I am
    I got married to the widow next door
    She’s been married seven times before

    And every one was an Henry (Henry)
    She wouldn’t have a Willy or a Sam (No Sam)
    I’m her eighth old man, I’m Henry
    Henry the eighth I am

    H-E-N-R-Y
    Henry (Henry)
    Henry (Henry)
    Henry the eighth I am, I am
    Henry the eighth I am
    Yeah!

    When and if she becomes President we will need to sing this song with the Hillary word inserted. She wouldn’t have a Willy or a Sam – NO SAM!

    She needs to stay away from the dead guy choked to death story. Same with Ferguson. If she wants to be a good President she ought to seek out some person who served there and ask some hard questions. Maybe get him to consult and perhaps move into the White House. Perhaps make him Secretary of State.

    1. I hate that Henry VIII song when it came out. It was stupid then and it hasn’t improved with age. 🙂

  10. [music] To Henry the 8th I am I am

    Hillary The 8th:

    I’m Hillary The 8th I am!
    Hillary the 8th, I am I am!
    I got married to the widower next door.
    He’s been married seven times before … and
    Everyone was a Hillary!
    It wouldn’t be a Willy or a Fred.
    For, there ain’t no name like Hillary!
    Hillary The 8th I am!

  11. Where I come from they’s only 2 kindsa music: Country and Western. To top it all off, do ‘ya know what ‘ya git when ‘ya play country music backwards? ‘Ya get yer dog back, yer pickup back, yer wife back, ad infinitum.

  13. Cheesy. I suppose it’s trying to appeal to a certain group of voters. Doesn’t make me think more highly of her.

  14. And……we though the Pajama Boy ad campaign was hitting some sour notes. This tops it for being tone deaf.

    🙂

  15. Horrible music. Terrible singing. Bad lip syncing.

    Plus. I know these types of guys. This is the environment that “I” live in and I can guarantee you, they would rather eat mountain oysters, wear a pink tutu and get their chest waxed……. than vote for Hillary.

    Some hipster dude in NYC sitting trying to connect with the savages and people in the flyover country. People that he wouldn’t be caught dead actually talking to.

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