OK - this is hilarious - Huff Post: Found Poems On The Campaign Trail

[Pirate Smile]

Check out the video of the guy watching the Hillary YouTube Video (it is the link at the end before the Huffington Post link). The reaction is a riot. I felt the same way. I couldn't watch the entire thing - too painfully embarrassing. :D

Found Poems On The Campaign Trail

The Democratic Primary, at times, seems to center around Barack Obama's preternatural rhetorical ability and Hillary Clinton's attempts to overcome it. Obama is Walt Whitman on the stump. His crowds ooh and aah even as he ticks off requisite thank yous to local politicians. You get the sense people would line up to hear him read his phone bill--and would make signs. Credit Obama's speechwriters, in part, for this. They write strong cadences into his text. Look at an excerpt from his victory speech in Iowa. The rhythms roll forward so forcefully that it almost stands as a poem:

...That is what we started here in Iowa,

and that is the message we can now carry

to New Hampshire and beyond;

the same message we had when we were up

and when we were down;

the one that can change this country

brick by brick, block by block,

calloused hand by calloused hand -

that together,

ordinary people can do extraordinary things;

because we are not a collection

of Red States and Blue States,

we are the United States of America...

It's no wonder a class called "The Poetry of Barack Obama" is now in session in the Doonesbury comic strip.

Hillary Clinton, while a solid speech giver, comes across as uninspiring and unpoetic in comparison. I imagine this must be incredibly frustrating for her. Last Sunday in Providence, Rhode Island, it seemed she finally cracked a bit, raising her voice and then her arms in a dramatic impression of Obama:

"Let's just get everybody together.

Let's get unified.

The sky will open,

the light will come down,

celestial choirs will be singing,

and everyone will know we should do the right thing,

and the world will be perfect."

Watch the performance here:

-snip-

I'm guessing the campaign prepared this, which I find a little sad. Of course, she's not trying to inspire here; she's trying to mock her opponent. But the lines aren't funny. They aren't scathing. They're just dull. They make me itch for my next Obama fix. Unfortunately for Hillary, her campaign did a far better job of mocking her, albeit accidentally, with the YouTube smash, Hillary4U&Me (choice of hip spellings theirs). Cue the trumpets and the dancers!


Hillary for you and me!

Bring back our democracy!

In this country, proud and free,

Let's stand up for Hillary.

Fighting in the war,

but we don't know what we're fighting for.

It's clear we're testing minds

But we're leaving our children all behind.

The world is getting hot,

but our global warming plan is not.

Our goals are out of range,

so whoo-hoo it's time for a change!

(spirited horn section jam session)

Now Hillary will fight

for what we all know is right.

Experience is great.

Instead of war we can negotiate.

Education health and world affairs

Hillary is the one who cares

this lady knows how to lead

In this president's race she will succeed.

Hillary for you and me!

Bring back our democracy!

Oh from sea to shining sea!

Everyone for Hillary!

Oy. If you're questioning all my exclamation points, you need to watch the video. It really does call for them. In fairness to Hillary's campaign, I could see Hillary4U&Me working on seniors. The problem is seniors aren't on YouTube. This clip sums up the youth reaction.

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-snip-

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/john-lundberg/found-poems-on-the-campai_b_89280.html