This is hysterical — you remember the ad with Mittens badly singing “America the Beautiful”? The Romney campaign retorted with one of the President singing Al Green’s “Let’s Stay Together.” Gary Silverman writes in the Financial Times that the Romney ad seemed an odd choice, since the President actually sings fairly well. A supporter of Romney explained:
In an appearance on CNN with her husband, Mrs Welch suggested that Mr Obama’s personal style and choice of musical material define him as a member of a “different Americaâ€. I would imagine this is why Mr Romney’s campaign included the snippet of Mr Obama singing “Let’s Stay Together†at the Apollo Theater in Harlem. They hoped it would convey his otherness.
“It’s the difference between the songs that they’re singing,†Mrs Welch said. “Mitt Romney didn’t exactly do a beautiful job on that song, but think about what he’s singing, OK? I mean it’s that patriotic song and he goes all the way through it. Then you’ve got the very cool Barack Obama singing Al Green. That is the two different Americas. Isn’t it?â€
Silverman thinks the Romney crew are showing their age. I’m not sure age is the issue here. Let’s see — what’s so alien about Al Green?
Al Green
or President Obama?
Now, what would make somebody think these two are “alien”?
The newest version CD of Al’s greatest hits has half a dozen bonus tracks!
Al Green – how many romantic encounters has that mans records seen? My my my.. the only man hotter is the late, great Barry white (sigh, then pause for a smoke)..yeah I don’t think they considered it but oh my what it does to us middle aged hopeless romantic women…( enter raising eyebrows here)
Boomers are the majority age group now, correct? I think they are a pretty hip crowd savvy to the Al green..I bet it brings back memories of steamy car windows. Sign me up for that otherness. I bet more Americans could sing “Lets stay together” then could sing “America the beautiful”. ..I gotta go I am headed for You Tube…is it hot in here?
They’re both right. The otherness is the obvious, and I’m actually shocked that they would be so blatant in their explanation. Seriously, they came out and said they wanted to show his ‘otherness’. Why don’t they just say they wanted to show America that the President is a N*****??? (cue the Blazing Saddles horse whinny). But, yeah, I’m 50, and Romney singing America the Beautiful just seems old. Like what they’d do at the old folks home on the fourth. Al Green rocks and I’m sure a lot of people my age and younger would agree.
‘Let’s Stay Together’ was #1 on the Billboard charts for 16 weeks.
Rolling Stone named it #60 out of the 500 greatest songs of all time.
The Library of Congress named it to the National Recording Registry.
If this says anything about two Americas, it says Romney and Welch are the alien ones.
“That is the two different Americas. Isn’t it?â€
Yes, it is.
The one you guys occupy is white, and energy wasteful.
Al, is the opposite of what you are – he’s symbolic of the America you fear:
He’s brown and green.
He’s the America of the future:
Darker than you pasty, lily-white yahoo’s, and more energy efficient.
I’m tellin’ ya, sometime around their Convention – and maybe AT their Convention – some high-ranking Republican official or politician will say the “N-word” on camera.
Hell, Santorum almost uttered it a few months ago, remember?
Too bad Bull Connor is dead – he’d have been the Republican Parties perfect candidate for President this year. (For you younger readers, Bull Connor was Joe Arapio with dogs, just as massive an ego, an unleashed id, and a lot fewer constraints – not that AmreiKKKa’s Sheriff seems to have many. Think – Sheriff Joe on steroids and acid).
I think the people at the Apollo theatre ought to give Mitt a chance to play to a crowd there. Who knows, with the right high end karaoke equipment and his now famous sense of humor, Mitt could knock ’em dead as a combination crooner/comedian. You have to admit, it would be worth watching.
I keep flashing back to Pat Boone singing “Tutti Frutti.” The horror!
:))
The Mrs. Welch who made the remarks is Susan Welch, wife of Jack Welch, the former head of GE. She was the editor in chief of some important business journal, which name I’ve forgotten. I read this is the NYT, I think. I had wondered if it was her. She’s a member of .01% probably.
I keep flashing back to Pat Boone singing “Tutti Frutti.†The horror!
I kind of wish you hadn’t brought that up. Some memories are best left buried.
Age? Nice try with the fig leaf there, Mr. Silverman.
Al Green is 66. He’s been a national musical figure for more than 40 years.
And he’s OLDER than Mitt Romney.
New excuse, please …
Welch defended herself on Twitter, saying she only meant that Romney/America the Beautiful and Obama/Al Green appeal to different groups of Americans — squares and cool people, respectively.
I must thank the Romney campaign (and you too, maha) for installing a lovely Al Green tune into my mind this morning. There’s far worse things that could be running around up there.
I just love how conservatives don’t get art or music (that would require them to have empathy), and so their feeble attempts in this space – including Romney’s attempt to sing “America” – almost always backfire, on so many levels.
May I just point out that when one side does something and the other side copies them, then the first side ignores that and does something new and the other side COPIES them, then they are probably losing.
It’s true in sports and it’s true here.
This is a presidential race and they can’t come up with any of their own material? UN-buh-LEAVE-able.
@PurpleGirl
Bingo! Mrs. Welch was formerly at the Harvard Business Review and met Jack Welch while wriing a story about him. They became an item before she even submitted her article – it was quite the scandal – I think she was able to keep her job due to pressure from Welch, and politics at HBR, but the article had to be rewritten by another reporter. She became the trophy wife who replaced Welch’s last trophy wife. Kinda sleazy even in this day and age.