UnPrezidented
By Khaled Diab
If Barack Obama were a pop star, he would be a jazz musician or a
rapper, not a Britney Spears. And to prove it, BaRock should release an
election rap, UnPrezidented.
August 2008
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www.barackobama.com |
John McCain, the Republican presidential
candidate, has suggested, in a campaign
ad, that Barack Obama is a celebrity of the Britney Spears or Paris Hilton
mould. Now that’s what I call Ludacris.
Not only do the two examples have little in
common – one is a self-made pop sensation, the other is an heir-head airess
whose name sounds like a branch of her family’s hotels – other than the fact
that they are young women, Obama is too smart to be an underachieving rich girl
and too cool to be a pop starlet. If Obama were a musician, he would probably
be a jazz musician or possibly a rapper.
In fact, Obama should take up McCain’s
invitation to sing and release a campaign rap song, since he is a
self-confessed rap fan. For the single, he could give himself a typically
rap-like nom de guerre. I reckon BaRock would work well because it intimates
that Barack rocks, while, for the more classically inclined, it suggests a more
timeless aspect.
His election single would be entitled
UnPrezidented and would outline his electoral platform while taking digs at
McCain. Here’s an excerpt I wrote:
My name’s BaRock
I’m UnPrezidented
I’m here to rock ’n’ shock the nation
Cuz de Repubs gave us a bad reputation
Well, I’m gonna set dat straight
’For it’s too late
Cuz the world can’t wait
Vote UnPrezidented
No, might don’t make right
We don’t want no mo’ fight
Me, I’m boff black’n’white
I’m UnPrezidented
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Given how hollow McCain’s campaign is, perhaps
he should retire from the campaign and make way for Paris Hilton, the self-professed
‘moderate Republican’. In fact, the heiress has launched her own spoof presidential campaign in
which she outlines a more sensible energy and environmental policy than the
Republicans – which isn’t saying much.
With celebrity culture the way it is, it’s not
beyond the bounds of possibility that McCain will recruit her as his running
mate. If he does, then Obama may be forced to look to the entertainment world
for his vice-presidential candidate to even the odds. Fortunately, he won’t be
short of A-list progressives: George Clooney, Susan Sarandon, Tim Robbins or
Bruce Springsteen.
Come to think of it. If Obama doesn’t make it
to the White House or once his term in office is up, he could always cash in on
his fame and become a performing artist. We’ve had Ronald Reagan as president,
why not have some reverse fertilisation?
ã2008 – Khaled Diab. Unless otherwise stated, all the content on this
website is the copyright of Khaled Diab.