Mama Mia! McCain Can't Take A Chance On ABBA

Per Matt Drudge, Big Mac is having trouble with a campaign song:

He battled the Vietcong but now John McCain has apparently come a-cropper against the Swedes.

The Republican candidate, who had already been banned by John Mellencamp, the American rocker, from using his hits 'Our Country' and 'Pink Houses', found out that he has few fans in Scandinavia when he tried to adopt Abba's "Take a chance on me" as his campaign song. After running into difficulties with the Swedish supergroup, McCain lamented to reporters on board his plane that it wasn't as easy to play the song as he thought.

“It gets expensive in a big hurry and if you’re not careful you can alienate some Swedes,” he joked.“If word gets out to Stockholm that we’re using Abba music, then there’ll be a
worsening in U.S.-Swedish relations.”

Oh, come on - "Take A Chance On Me"?  That will be his Waterloo.

Fortunately, I feel a song coming on - for McCain the only real choice is "My Way", Frankie style (forget the King.)  That is no more generationally ghastly than "Take A Chance" and I know McCain has sung My Way in a boozy bar at closing time.  And how do I know this?  Uhh, because he is a white male over age 50? 

Somewhat more seriously, if McCain's advisers are semi-serious, they ought to check the Tony Bennett collection for a tune - old but hip is McCain's targeted niche.  (I advise against "Who Can I Turn To When Nobody Needs Me").  I wouldn't rule out "Jimmy Mack (When Are You Coming Back) either.

Let's see, I should spread the wealth.  If Hillary is dead set against "It's My Part (I'll Cry If I Want To), then "The Way We Were" by Babs ought to work - it captures Hillary's only demographic (aging white chicks) and plays to the backward looking angst of her whole campaign.

And for Barack?  My choice would be "Sweet Talking Guy", but I'll bet his campaign would prefer to go in a different direction.

This was all so much easier when Big Al went with the peppy "You Can Call Me Al" by Paul Simon, obvious lib.

Comments

[bgates]

On the song question, I remember Reagan used 'Born in the USA,' probably without listening to the lyrics. The press, and Springsteen, got huffy about how the song is really about how Vietnam vets are guys who were forced to fight a pointless war and turned into drifters and vagrants after being broken by the experience.

I think McCain should use that song. I'd enjoy watching the reaction.

[Rick Ballard]

"McCain and Obama are moving into the next phase."

A nine month general campaign. How delightful. We're gonna long for the harpy's screech before this is over.

[hit and run]

OK, fine. **if** the RW is done -- and TX will be the site of the final battle where the severed head will be raised up on a pike -- I want to be there.

Whose house will host the JOM celebration victory? Sue? Gmax? Porchlight? Who am I missing?

I'm so there.

Let's see...business reason, business reason....ah yes, found it. Booking a flight tomorrow.

[Patrick Tyson]

We're gonna long for the harpy's screech before this is over.

Not me.

[Sue]

I'm here. Bring your bad self on down and we'll throw a beer party!

[Topsecretk9]

Oh Hit-- you wanna come to California instead? My house is open and centralcal, maybee and OtherTom are just down the road!

---

Like how she's going to provide insurance for the young mother who's insurance company wouldn't pay for the procedure her son needs.

Weird observation. Saw 2 strapping young minority gentlemen (for sure Dem voters if they vote) at the grocery store get a foo foo cake boxed up (in the case, not the pre-fab pre-boxed pedestrian cheaper cakes) and they asked the bakery clerk if they would be able to pay for it with food stamps. She told them she was pretty sure they could.

I'll be honest and say I was a tad judgmental at first, thinking I'd not waste my food stamps on the pricey cakes, but then shamed myself for thinking that - people make choices and everyone deserves to splurge on a special occasion.

Well, we left the store at the same time and the 2 strapping young men hopped into their 07 souped up, shiny Caddy Escalade and drove off whilst I loaded up chitty, chitty bang bang (used 94 Volvo wagon).

When I started my car there was Hillary on the radio saying "I don't know how you do it, I don't know how you single moms do it"

Anyway, whatever. No more anecdotes.

[sbw]

Hmm. "I want to go before the world and say that America is back and that we are ready to lead" - Barack Obama

I have the strange sense I've heard all this before. Oh, yeah. I remember where:

"We have to do more than just elect a new President if we truly want to change this country" - Dan Quayle

"We will move forward, we will move upward, and yes, we will move onward." - Dan Quayle

“The future will be better tomorrow.” - Dan Quayle

“This President is going to lead us out of this recovery.” - Dan Quayle

My friends, no matter how rough the road may be, we can and we will, never, never surrender to what is right. - Dan Quayle

What you guys want, I'm for. - Dan Quayle

[Topsecretk9]

Good catch SBW.

[hit and run]

Sue:
I'm here. Bring your bad self on down and we'll throw a beer party!

Sold! Ok, let me not be so over the top so as not to be unrealistic. I do need to make a business trip to TX. But the people I need to see there were here just the week before last -- so it might be a little too soon to make that trip.

Tops:
Oh Hit-- you wanna come to California instead? My house is open and centralcal, maybee and OtherTom are just down the road!

Instead? Or in addition to (or too or two)!!!

You know, I was supposed to go to L.A. later this month but that trip seems to have fallen through. But a CA trip really needs to be part of my plan this year and soon. Hmmm, there is a conference in Marina Del Rey in a couple of months.

[MayBee]

sbw- that is hilarious. It really deserves huge exposure.

[hit and run]

Me:
Ok, let me not be so over the top so as not to be unrealistic

not...not...un...

Triple negative!!!

Yay me!

OK, to rewrite!!!

My friend, let me give you some straight talk.

I have no f'n idea if I can make it work.

Oh, I'll try. I'll try. And I'll lay ALL the hit and run charm on the powers that be to make it work.

But they seem as impervious to hit and run charm as does Huck to math.

But I am as determined to go (to TX) as Huck is to stay (in the race).

Loaves and fishes.

[Elliott]

I guess that is why I'm not president.

Good morning, Jane. I would be remiss if I did not point out that you had early backing, but your campaign made Fred's look frenetic.

[Jane]

I so remember that Elliott. I was very new around here and it made me feel very welcomed (even if it really had nothing to do with me).

And good morning to you too!

[PeterUK]

" The night they drove old Hillary down
And all the bells were ringin'
The night they drove old Hillary down
And all the people were singin'
They went, "Na, na, na, na, na".

[Jane]

I think it is now important to raise Hillary up again. This is just too much fun to stop now.

We are all Karl Roves at heart.

[Porchlight]

Whose house will host the JOM celebration victory? Sue? Gmax? Porchlight? Who am I missing?

Everyone is welcome in Austin! We can go out and see some music. It honestly should be interesting when the media gets here in full force. The debate tomorrow night is happening a block or so from the building where I work, so that will be a hoot.

[Jane]

"Proud to be an American" by Lee Greenwald is the only choice for McCain.

[MayBee]

I love Austin!
McCain went with Takin' Care of Business last night. Surely there's some nice Republican rock star out there that will let John have his song.

[Elliott]

Obama was quite keen to tell the world that a six-year old had led the crowd in the pledge of allegiance.

And a little child shall lead them. If he puts Hillary on the ticket there will be no more question about his messianism: and the calf and the lion and the bubba together.

[Elliott]

It works just as well with Teddy K: and the calf and the last liberal lion/fatling together.

[glasater]

I cannot imagine Obambi asking RW to be veep. Or vice versa. Too much blood in the water there.

Ted Nugent could give McCain--"Still Raising Hell"

[Sue]

I found out why Obama's speech was lacking last night. He didn't use a teleprompter. He isn't very good with his own words, it would seem.

[GMax]

We are having a party in TX? I just got the memo! Or is it an Irish wake?

Hit if you come to Texas, you most likely will fly into DFW so you will be 10 minutes from me. Of course we can get a long tall cool one and swap a story or two.

[GMax]

Funny that Obama responds to the "Where's the Beef" charges from Hill and Mac with a 45 minute litany of all things progressive.

Change means lets go back to the days of Jimmy Carter and even adopt liberal policy they could not get implemented when they held the Presidency and both Houses of Congress. That is all it means.

Now I would say that speech nails him down and unfortunately for him, its a speech that was shown on every cable network in its entirety, so he is going to have a hard time denying and claiming misquotes. Hell just roll the tape, it will be snipped and posted on Youtube as necessary.

Might have made some sense to Progs, but he wants to head right for the general, He is starting hard left and has McCain standing in the center where he would like to get.

George McGovern tried the honest Liberal thing, and made himself into tiny smoldering embers.

[Sue]

GMax,

I think the country has moved left since the days of McGovern. It might work this time.

[Patrick R. Sullivan]

Someone please teach Obama how to pronounce 'to'.

[glasater]

I can't believe the country has moved left since McGovern.
I think they're tired of hearing the MSM spouting the "leftist" drivel and are looking for a little peace and honesty.
When Congress's approval at 18%--lower then the President's--that's saying something.

[GMax]

It might work this time, you say. Well all things are possible I guess. The electorate may or may not have inched leftward. I dont see any imperical evidence to support that contention, but I do acknowledge some pundits are spouting that.

McGovern lost 49 of 50 contests. You can be quite bit more to the left and still not have a winning hand.

John McCain for all of his many faults is a very formidable candidate and will not be easy to beat in a general election. He can and will draw moderates to his side. I am betting that the Clinton/Obama bitterness will lead to a fair amount of what we used to call Reagan Democrats, crossing the aisle rather than vote for Obama. Some others will just stay home.

McCain is well positioned with Hispanics for example, and may well take over 50% of the Hispanic vote - the first time a Republican will have been able to pull off that feat.

Think about the Electoral College and places that McCain puts in play that were out of reach for Bush. Then think about places that Obama can make competitive that Kerry could not. I would say that a couple of New England states, Jersey and Pa and Washington, maybe even California plus the whole midwest are fertile ground for McCain. Obama must take Ohio or Florida and not lose any of those States just mentioned. I dont see him making anything else competitive enough that would make a difference.