Ok, I realize this is a U.S. politics blog, but I have to share 3 great jingles from Canada.

1. "Ted Morton is the Man". In 2006, upstart backbench member of the Alberta provincial legislature, Ted Morton (who grew up in the U.S. midwest), was running for the ruling party's leadership (and hence would be come Premier if he won). Jim Dinning, a former provincial finance minister famed for leading a fiscal turnaround in the province was the heir apparent and had been for about 10 years. The key issue in the election was what to do with the province's massive oil wealth. Dinning was seen by some to have no plan and to be wishy-washy, willing to stand for anything to be popular. Morton ran as a candidate who had a plan and had clear positions. In the end Morton finished second on the first ballot, behind Dinning. And on the second ballot, a third candidate won as everyone tried to rally around a compromise candidate. Morton's success, though, took him from the back benches into cabinet. The key lines in his jingle: "Who's going to take a stand? Ted Morton is the Man!" and "Ted Morton is the man with a plan; Ted Morton is the man".

Listen to it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZFoJGa439j4

2. "Parce Qu'on est Différents" (Translation: "Because We are different"). The Bloc Québécois is a political party that wants independence for the french-speaking provice of Quebec from Canada. It runs for the national Parliamentary seats from Quebec. In the 2004 election, it ran this incredible jingle about the Quebecois people being great, strong, and different--people who follow a unique path in the Americas like a sovereign people. It's sadly in french, but incredibly catchy even if you don't understand all of it. Best line: "Ensemble on est différénts. Différénts!" (Translation: "As a group, we are different. Different!")

Watch here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CuHuHh0Hy7g

3. "Je Me Souviens" (Translation: "I Remember"). Without question, the greatest campaign jingle EVER! In 2005, the Canadian government fell over a scandal by the ruling Liberal party that involved bribes and kick-backs in the province of Quebec. Quebecers were outraged to have been abused like that. The separatist Bloc Québécois party sought to capitalize and created the "Je Me Souviens" campaign. "Je Me Souviens" is the motto of the province of Quebec (it calls on Quebecers to remember their unique french heritage). However, in this campaign, it was used to call upon Quebecers to remember the abuses of the Liberals in the scandal (e.g. spending millions on "Liberal" branded golf balls). It was also used to ridicule Prime Minister Paul Martin's appearance before a judge who was appointed to look into the scandal. Martin claimed before the judge that he didn't know anything, and when asked specific questions, replied that he didn't remember anything. In this jingle, they show a person who looks a little like Martin saying he doesn't remember, and juxtapose it with "Je Me Souviens"--implying that the people of Quebec remember the scandal and remember the wrongs that were done even if the Prime Minister doesn't. Once again, the song is in french, but it is truly brilliant if you understand it. A sample:

Haut les mains citoyens
Martin, Chrétien, Gagliano, libéraux
Plein les poches, plein les sacoches
Ils jurent qu'ils ne sont pas croches
Facile d'avoir bonne conscience
Quand on se rappelle de rien
Facile d'oublier les gens
Quand on ne fait rien!

Translation:

Hands up!
Martin, Chretien, Gagliano, and the Liberals
Filled their pockets, filled their wallets
They swear that they aren't trembling
It's easy to have a good conscience
If you recall nothing
It's easy to forget the people
When you do nothing!

Watch it here: http://www.pointsofinformation.ca/bloc.swf

There are a couple of campaign jingles out of Boston you may want to include on your list. One supported the election of Boston's famous mayor James Michael Curley. I couldn't find "Vote Early and Often for Curley" on the Internet, but the lyrics that I can recall include "Vote early and often for Curley. He's bound to go places they say. He's going to be mayor, and the chances are fair that he'll sit in the Statehouse one day."

"Vote early and often for Curley. There never was no one like him. He'll [beat 15 men (unsure of those lyrics)] in a South Boston brawl. The very same evening, it's no trick at all, he lectures on Shakespeare at Symphony Hall. Our wild purple shamrock. So mark your ballots for him,for Jim. Just mark you ballots for Jim."

Boston also produced what may be the most famous campaign song, although most people never heard of the candidate it supported, Walter A. O'Brien, who was running for Boston mayor. (It didn't help that, when the Kingston Trio recorded it, they changed O'Brien's name, because they didn't want to be seen as promoting a "radical.") I'm talking, of course, about Charley on the MTA, which focused on fare increases on public transportation as a reason to support O'Brien.

Dude... best lyrics around... former Louisiana Commissioner of Agriculture Bob Odom. All he does is repeat his own name four times.

www.bobodom.com

THERE HAS NEVER BEEN A RULES COMMITTEE MEETING LIKE THIS IN THE HISTORY OF THE REPUBLIC

Marriott guards ready.

Obama poised to complete his STEAL of the nomination based on taking votes away from WHITES.

HILLARY NEVER SAW IT COMING.

Hillary, a former support of affirmative action, has now come out against ALL AFFIRMATIVE ACTION PROGRAMS after realizing that she too could lose her job to a black man.

Let Florida Count

White Voters in Florida and Michigan do not count half - that's worse than three fifths !!!!!

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I realize this is a bit off point but wasn't sure where else to mention it -- have you seen the new Puerto Rico TV ad (title: Soy Barack Obama) in which Barack Obama delivers his pitch to Puerto Rican voters in Spanish?

It's on Youtube here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R2T2kNxpLuE

There is just something fascinating about watching a familar figure make his way through a short, ad-length speech in another language. And he even does his familiar hand gestures. This must have taken a lot of rehearsal! I have now just watched it three times, fixated.

I sense a viral video in the making.

P.S. The Obama site has an English-language transcript.

obama is not good for america...the terrorist is rejoicing and the founding fathers are grieving in their grave...

Long-time jingle for Gene Snyder, GOP Congressman from KY 1966-1986:

Vote for Gene Snyder
Your kind of Congressman
He's a guy who gets things done
Inegrity in Washington
Vote for Gene Snyder
He's our man in Washington
He's our favorite Congressman
Gene Snyder!

Having a hard time today even finding a story on Clinton. She is already becoming irrelevant. Next week after the last primary and nothing left to run for or any reason to campaign or draw a crowd. She will be gone from the scene all together. She is left I guess just talking to herself.

Posted by: | May 29, 2008 9:54 AM

Rush Holt, "Twinkle Twinkle Kenneth Starr".

Admittedly, not a theme song per se. But without a doubt, one of the few songs one can say without a doubt changed a campaign.

In 1998, Mike Pappas, Republican Congressman from NJ, was so impressed by Kenneth Starr's Lewinski report, that he actually went to the floor of the Congress and, on the record, sang a song. To the tune of "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star", he wistfully sang, "Twinkle Twinkle Kenneth Starr, now we know how right you are!"

Possibly one of the worst misreads of consituency mood, ever. Holt made a radio ad that was little more than the recording of Pappas singing that song. The voters hated Monicagate, hated Starr, and hated that their Congressman was seemingly so happy about it. Holt beat Pappas in a close race, and still represents NJ in the US Congress today.

SO LET ME GET THIS STRAIGHT:

NOW the story is this: both the media AND McClellan knew the TRUTH all along, but they were not telling us

The ENTIRE problem was Bush was lying the whole time.

1) McClellan never "went along" with it for his own self-interest -

2) The New York Times never "went along" with the story by printing some stupid story about aluminum tubes

3) The press knew the truth all along, but somehow the administration was such a good liar that the press was helpless

4) The democrats "went along" with the war when it was in their own self-interest in the 2002 and 2004 elections

5) The democrats "went along" with the war by FUNDING it for years and years because a few people in the Bush administration were such good liars.

Is that their story now???

My comment is this: all these people let down the American public - they are all no good and rotten.

For the democrats now to say - oh it was all because Bush was a liar - that is a deception and a lie.

THE REASON BUSH WAS ABLE TO GET AWAY WITH IT IS BECAUSE ALL THOSE PEOPLE KNEW BETTER - SHOULD HAVE DONE BETTER - AND WENT ALONG WITH IT FOR THEIR OWN SELF-INTEREST - THEY ARE THE ONES WHO SOLD OUT AMERICA.

YES THEY ARE THE ONES WHO SOLD OUT THIS COUNTRY.

IN LIFE, THE SELL-OUTS ARE THE ONES WHO TIP THE BALANCE.

IF ONE ELIMINATES THE SELL-OUTS, THE BALANCE IS NOT TIPPED.

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The Sodrel jingle is god awful.

Memorable: Goldwater's 'In your heart, you know he's right'. More memorable: the Democratic response: 'In your guts, you know he's nuts'....

(Sorry, corrected the typo in the previous post)

Memorable: Goldwater's 'In your heart, you know he's right'. More memorable: the Democratic response: 'In your guts, yoo know he's nuts'....

Errr... "Only a moron wouldn't cast his vote for Monty Burns." Doh!

If you're going to invoke The Simpsons re mediocre presidents, you certainly shouldn't leave out Monty Burns's gubernatorial campaign jingle.

Best (and only) line: "Only a moron wouldn't vote for Monty Burns!"

http://www.rosswalker.co.uk/tv_sounds/sounds_files_20071111_43071896/simpsons/burns_moron_vote.wav

How about a jingle for Obama's Hypocrisy

From today's Washington Post:

The co-director of Barack Obama's presidential campaign in Puerto Rico is a Washington-based federal lobbyist for the government of Puerto Rico.

Ethics watchdogs said that the high-profile role of Francisco J. Pavía appears to contradict the Obama campaign's ethics guidelines, which forbid federal lobbyists from working on staff. But Obama spokesman Bill Burton said Pavía is an "active volunteer" -- not a paid staffer -- and can hold the job without running afoul of the campaign's rules.

Since it's time out for "fun and games" here, how about a "Where's Waldo"- like search of the prior comments section, "Clinton: The Difference Between Could and Will."

Who can tag the posts that were authored by:

-- Right-wing operatives seeking to elevate Obama and thus ensure that the weaker candidate gets the nomination;

-- Left-wing operatives seeking to tear down Hillary, leaving the Dems with no other choice but Obama;

-- Disinformation specialists, amateurs and pros, seeking to make it appear that advocates of one candidate or the other are illiterate, delusional or otherwise mentally unbalanced;
-- Frustrated writers auditioning for a columnist's slot;

-- Dedicated modern day Tom Paines seeking to influence inside the Beltway opinion, especially among members of the press who may subliminally drink up their ideas and some time later cast them forth as their own.

It's not good enough to simply ID the phony posts; you must justify your choices for each in 30 words or less.

On your marks, get set, GO!

And Then Along Came Barry

Every time we think that she's the only one to lead us on so definitely

And every time we think that she's the only one we want for prez the press just can't see

And then along came Barry.........WE eeeee

"Pass the Biscuits Pappy" W. Lee "Pappy" O'Daniel and the Light Crust Doughboys . Elected Texas governor in 1938 and 1940 and defeated future President Lyndon B. Johnson in a race for the U.S. Senate in 1941. In "Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?" they took his character and put him in the deep South instead of Texas.

Kasmir by Led Zepplin Dick Cheney themesong

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Sweet Home Alabama

Sweet Home Alabama

Obama has NO RIGHT TO SAY that McCain is going to continue Bush's policies.

PERHAPS if Obama actually did his job instead of going on a book tour:

Obama would have seen McCain opposing Bush in the Senate on issue after issue.

The reason Obama hasn't seen this is because Obama hasn't EVEN BEEN COMING TO WORK SINCE BEING ELECTED - OBAMA HAS BEEN COLLECTING A PAYCHECK BUT GOING ON BOOK TOURS AND RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT.

Instead, Obama was MIA selling books instead of WATCHING MCCAIN WORK ACROSS THE AISLE.

Seriously - Obama wasn't doing his job so he wasn't even IN THE SENATE TO BE ABLE TO WATCH MCCAIN SHOW HIM HOW ITS DONE.

Obama, if he wasn't so arrogant and uppity, could have ACTUALLY LEARNED SOMETHING FROM MCCAIN.

NOW we have the curious sight of Obama the inexperience person who knows very little about Washington attempting to find something wrong with the MAVERICK.

The truth is Obama has nothing on McCain so Obama HAS TO MAKE UP SOME SET OF LIES.

Of course, then Obama has to focus-group his lies to see which ones work the best.

Obama sickens anyone who truly wants to see this country run correctly.

Obama take your race-baiting and your lies and your false charges of "offensive remarks" and go back to Chicago.

Charge made.

Charge sticks.