This is exactly what happened in 1964…
Elvis was king.
And then the Beatles wiped him off the map.
We had a decade of rock and roll. It had been whittled down to a formula. Sure, Bobby Darin had talent, but Fabian and the other Bobby – Bobby Rydell – were marginal players. But that was music, a sideshow.
And then…
A band with roots who didn’t believe in convention, who’d honed their sound off the radar, delivered an honest wallop that was undeniable.
And overnight the youth switched allegiance.
Could happen again. Probably will if Bernie Sanders is an indicator.
You know it’s not your mother’s world anymore when Gloria Steinem is on the wrong side of the issue. She famously told Bill Maher that young women were supporting Bernie because that’s where the young men were. Talk about no respect, Rodney Dangerfield‘s rolling in his grave. When the paragons of envelope-pushing are tone deaf as to what is going on your know you’re in the midst of a revolution.
The millennials were supposed to be pussies, whiners, coddled for life by their parents to the point they couldn’t survive on their own.
But with all that attention and education the youth became wise, and they realized their future was stolen. That whatever opportunity there was was slim, that the odds were stacked against them. And finally they found someone speaking the truth. Albeit a septuagenarian. But one who never wavered from his message, and didn’t put money first, but quality of life.
Tell that to the movie studios making endless comic book flicks.
Tell that to the record companies releasing paint by number, made by committee music.
They think the public wants it.
But the truth is people don’t.
They want honesty, credibility, something they can believe in.
And people believe in Bernie Sanders.
I was in the car with my octogenarian mother, who took Steinem’s side, saying all young women should line up for Hillary.
But when Hillary came on the radio she was fake and duplicitous and now spewing Bernie’s speech about coming down on Wall Street, like a rocker making a disco record in the late 70s. Her statements were unbelievable – there was no thread – she was saying what’s expedient, and that never resonates.
How did we get here? Where the entire nation believes money trumps everything?
As for Donald Trump… He’s speaking to anger and unrest, but to a Luddite crowd with the fantasy that we can jet back to the past, where America is lily white and independent from the rest of the world. Whereas Bernie is talking about climate change and college debt and listening to him after Hillary even my mother had to smile, because he’s telling the truth.
Remember the truth?
That’s why Bob Dylan became so big, not because his voice was that good, not because his records were so slick.
For decades we all knew the truth but couldn’t say it. We lived in a land of fakery, everybody swore but you couldn’t in the newspaper, or on television. We knew the game was rigged, but we felt the best thing was to buy in and try to play.
However that was before all the seats were taken from the table. Come on, if you want me to play musical chairs at least leave some chairs. But now they’re gone. And the rich have all the money and tell us they create all the jobs and they’re entitled to their lifestyle and if we just worked a little harder we could be just like them.
Hogwash.
Donald Trump was born on third base.
Hillary Clinton went to Wellesley when a middle class person could pay for it.
We need heroes. We need leaders. And to be either you have to hew to your own drummer, you must know which way the wind blows, you must be honest.
It’s the best policy, honesty that is. That’s what they taught you in school. Back before you learned everything in school was a lie. But it’s not. Our nation is built on trust. No wonder it’s crapping out, there’s none left!
I don’t know what’s gonna happen. Supposedly Bernie’s gonna nose dive down south, where blacks are solid for Hillary. But why would that be, because they’ve been lied to and sold a bill of goods for their entire lives? No wonder Killer Mike supports Sanders.
And Trump was helped by Marco Rubio’s inane debate performance, wherein he repeated the same talking point again and again. Like a robot.
We don’t want robots, we want people, warts and all.
They say beauty is king, but if that’s so shouldn’t Bernie lose?
No, the truth is it’s about what’s inside, the nougat is everything. We all know the come on is fake, that the Kardashians are plumped up by plastic surgery. We’ll buy a ticket to the circus but when it comes to our own lives…
This is the beginning. This is what happens when you take it to the limit too many times. The underclass, the repressed, get angina. And when enough people get screwed a groundswell takes over the nation.
Which side are you on?
Are you kissing butt on the Koch gravy train?
Are you begging for a seat on the tech star’s plane?
Are you busy moving on up or are you looking back, to where your people are, to where you came from?
We’re all in this together. And if you’re fighting to get ahead and have forgotten this…
You’re gonna be left behind.
“This is exactly what happened in 1964… Elvis was king. And then the Beatles wiped him off the map.”
i couldn’t help it…. it is NOT exactly what happened, bob! in 1964, yes, the beatles dominated the charts, but elvis? nowhere to be found on the charts in 1964. he’d already been displaced. Motown artists, Beach Boys, Rick Nelson and a slew of others were in control. in 1963 he charted Bossa Nova Baby, but it didn’t crack the top 20. in ’62 he had a #1 and another in the top 10. in ’64, nada.
he may have been the king of rock and roll, but by the early and mid-60s he ruled in absentia.
The American public is sending a clear message… We’re sick and tired of the same old partisan politics from both Republicans AND Democrats. We want REAL, positive change.
guy…yes we want change…but it’s too late.
What type of change do you want.?
single payer health insurance? won’t happen….insurance and pharmaceutical
industries (which control congress) won’t let it happen.
change on citizens united? won’t happen…because those who control
the legislatures don’t want It to happen because its not part of their
plan to take over the nation.
end to common core? we’ve had so many neat named programs…remember
no child left behind trying to make us believe our education system wouth
be better. But don’t listen to the pundits….our education system is the
best in the world. Name a signiiificant invention that was not developed
by americans!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
you want more police. great hire them. The cities can either waste
their tax dollars on beautiful stadiums/hotels/subways/trolleys etc.
or put more “fair” police on the streets. Maybe call in the national
guard or military to maintain peace on the streeets.
you want more jobs? real simple. We can’t fill 5 million jobs right now
because we don’t have recruits with the skills to fill them. Train more
people in “real world” jobs.
Student loans? the government makes money on student loans even with
reduced rates they charge. Write off the current trillion and start over.
Or force public universities to lower costs and better spend the tax
dollars they receive and not raise tuitions justvbecause the feds are
financing the students with loans.
How about the debt? It’s a misnomer…and the pols know it.
Europe is starting to charge amercian companies taxes on the profits
they park in Ireland etc. Change our law to not allow them to filter those
profits made here to other countries to avoid paying taxes in the u.s.
pretty simple hugh?
Positive change: It can’t be done. Our leaders can’t agree on which
ice cream to eat while they sell their votes to the highest bidders.
All this takes about 10 minutes but instead we need hearings/debates/
payoffs/and special interest iinput. We can’t even help 8000 kids in
flint Michigan…how dow we help 300 million americans??????????????
Poisitive change….trump/sanders/Clinton etc. can’t do it. It’s slow
tortuoius change that takes place because we’ve all got our own
idea of what change entails.
The world is changing…hey build a wall/that’s the tickets.
Want to end drugs: Well the pols sure came up with some great ideas
where now grade schoolers are doing heroin. You want positive change….
sorry bud. You missed the train.
One of the things that is happening to change things, not that it will be successful, is a national underground calling for a Convention of States, as put forth in Article 5 of the Constitution. As soon as 34 state legislatures call for the Convention, the Convention becomes a viable entity, which may or may not exclude the President and Congress. This convention approach has never come to fruition. It came close with a call for a balanced budget. Some 36 states, at some point or another have passed a call for a balanced budget, but many rescinded the call before a Convetion could be called. With two delgates from each state, not based on population, Conservatives have the advantage, as they hold more state legislatures. The topics involve a balanced budget, term limits for Congress, elimination of Congressional Perks, and a Supreme Court review process. In short, the public wants more say. Once the convention comes up with proposals, Congress can either ratify, or 37 states can ratify, making the Amendments part of the Constitution.
By the way lefsetz….you know music…nothing about the running of America.
stick to what you know well (if that according to mike T)
i’m sure he knows the music biz… maybe a bit fuzzy on music history. elvis was big into those cheesy movies (and soundtracks) by the mid-60s, Jailhouse Rock notwithstanding. he was still popular, but barely. he wasn’t a very good actor and critics derided his music.
it was his 1968 TV special that resurrected the elvis from the late 50s. but he still wasn’t “the king.” it was a journalist who call him that after his first performance in las vegas at the international hotel.
from there he was on a roll again, as a live performer, not so much recording artist, until after 72s Aloha from Hawaii.
It’s curious to me that the runaway leader (at this point only) for the GOP nomination would favor a single payer plan for healthcare. That puts him left of Hillary, out there on the fringe with Sanders. It should be interesting to watch how that plays in the next month or two. Who would have thought that a closet Democrat would run for the Republican nomination and kick butt?
AND, don’t count out Jeb.
Stomper: My read is that there are a lot of people who are upset with both parties. You, of course, realize that should it be Clinton, Trump, and Bloomberg, that it will be an all New York election. The other 49 states can just plain go home, or depend on New York views. As far as Trump wanting a single payer, what day is it? I’m still worried that he will attempt to con China into kidnapping or killing the Kim Jong family, and nuke China if it does not happen (Goldwater style). No matter who is elected, in terms of National Security, they will be tested within the first 30 days after election, and my read is that Clinton will do nothing, Bloomberg will not know what to do, and Trump will nuke whoever does it. None of them will be able to work with Congress. In terms of the economy, the election of a President has little effect on how the economy performs. Nobody has studied the effects of Congress, and since they have the purse strings, it might be a better indicator. In terms of the FBI investigation, they are currently going straight at Huma, Mills, and three other of Hillary’s subordinates, with the thought that any lie might give them the Scooter Libby treatment. The question is whether one of the five will roll over. Nothing personal, but I do not take any politician’s words at face value. I think Bush is still toast, as Kasich drew the first win for the establishment, even though he claims not to be establishment, and I still look for Trump to erode, especially in the South. When you talk about the Republican protest vote, you have to add Cruz to Trump, and like Democrats, they have the majority of delegates, except for the Party control. You will note that Cruz is keeping his head down, and he has the ground game. For now, we are keeping our powder dry.
Cowboy, I’ll respond to a couple of your thoughts in this comment and the rest below.
I agree with your point that the President has little effect on how the economy performs with at least one notable exception. A Democratic President can veto the partisan gyrations of a Republican Congress to influence the economy. Thank God for checks and balances. Our economy would be in total free fall if the current resident at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. was a Republican.
With regards to my thought that Bush is NOT yet toast, I approach it from a glass half empty angle. I look at who it CANNOT win the GOP nomination. If you drink my Kool-Aid about outsiders not having a shot, that eliminates Trump. I also consider Cruz to be an outsider based on his actions so far in Washington where he has alienated every member of his party in the Senate. Fiorina has bowed out and Carson has effectively done the same. That leaves Rubio, Bush, and Kasich. ( Who the hell is Jim Gilmore ??) Rubio’s debate disaster caused by Christie’s parting performance, left a crack in the door for those other two. While Kasich’s resume would play well in the general election, his acceptance of federal funds for the expansion of Medicaid in Ohio doesn’t bode well for him among the party base. That’s how I get to my position on Jeb. Plus he is now headed to South Carolina where he has the endorsement of Senator Lindsey Graham and the tacit endorsement of Governor Nicki Haley. If Haley does step out and formally endorse Jeb then he would look pretty strong in SC. It is still way, way too early but as the field continues to narrow, the supporters of those that drop out have to go somewhere. Bush has the money and the ground game to hang around to the end. Just my two cents.
Finally something Kasich said at his “victory?” speech following the New Hampshire primary caught my ear. He said that government should not be the choice of first resort, it should be the choice of last resort. I agree with that completely and that is why I consider myself to be a Democrat. In my humble opinion, with a number of critical areas in our country, we are right at the doorstep of “last resort” ( healthcare, Wall Street, clean air/water, etc.) The private sector should have the first shot but if and when they fail, government has a responsibility to act.
Interesting, but the real story is that Democrats do not believe the general voter is smart enough to pick “their” candidate. The results the primary and caucus when compared to the delegate count spell it out load and clear. Hillary has barely won one and lost the other in a landslide, and she has the most delegates, including the super delegates not up for the election. It is the Democrat Party way of saying we know best. At least, that’s how the first two contests stack up. As a past lobbyist, where old habits die hard, my thoughts are to tell voters not to vote. That way, when I approach a candidate and promise to deliver 200 votes, I have his or her attention, and I am more likely to get what I want, but now I have another reason. Your votes really do not count. Let’s just hope the candidates don’t get wind of this or they will understand that my 200 vote promise is already factored into the equation, and unless I control superdelegates, not subject to the election process, my days of lobbying will be limited to Congress and Senate only, and please do not tell Berne he can’t win because it would spoil the entertainment. How can Hillary have 15 delgates, the same as Berne, after that drubbing in New Hampshire? It kind of makes New Hampshire’s primary superfulous. And, just in case you think Republicans are any better, I can tell you that delegates are still chosen on the basis of contribution to the Party and the candidates, and any popular delegate candidate would have a steep price to pay before being considered. I know, having been to state conventions twice in two states as a voting delegate. It will be different wit the winner take all primaries coming up. Anything else, at this point is programming for Huffington, Fox, and others, so please do not vote in order to give the lobbysts their greatest power.
This from Arun Gupta. I thought it helped make Cowboy’s point.
“Sandernistas mistakenly believe better ideas and enthusiasm will shine through the muck of corrupt politics and lure the masses to Bernie’s side. In reality, whoever gets the backing of the party machinery will win the primaries. This time around it’s Hillary Clinton.”
“There is a “deep state” in the primary process that prevents insurgents from winning. To get the nomination, Sanders campaign has to win or neutralize the following: the money primary, the party machine, corporate America, the mainstream media, organized labor, and the liberal apparatus that includes major feminist, African-American, and Latino organizations.”
“Primary voters are also influenced by long-term familiarity, social networks, and support from local politicians and media, all of which favor Clinton with her high name recognition, Wall Street backing, and regional ties. No matter how much Sandernistas grumble he is the best candidate on race and criminal justice issues, it is highly unlikely he can chip away at the significant African-American support for Clinton. The South is ideal for Clinton, as renowned election forecaster Nate Silver points out, because in those states “where you have a lot of white moderates and a lot of black voters, Sanders does terribly.”
“On the ground Clinton’s campaign will mobilize women’s groups, African-American churches and organizations, and the union bureaucracies that do exist to get out the vote. Even now Sanders is bumping up against poll limits because of Clinton’s strength among African-Americans, women, and Latinos. Money also benefits Clinton at the grassroots as she has the dough to open and staff scores of offices where the grunt work of retail politicking goes on.”
“Another overlooked player is the mainstream media, which will pile on Sanders with more extreme attacks as the primaries draw closer. The New York Times, relatively gentle in its assaults, has so far painted Sanders as a political crazy, a wild sex-obsessed ’60s leftist, and his supporters as mad-as-hell revolutionaries. The media attacks are not part of some grand conspiracy. Sanders mild class warfare resonates with many voters, so profit-making conglomerates of content providers, also known as the news media, are inherently biased against him and will discredit him in any way possible. This will include “he’s out of step with America,” “he’s unelectable, “he’s wacky,” and rank fear-mongering.”
Cowboy and the Bern are right, the game is “rigged”.
I still think the most interesting push back from the electorate is a frontal attack on the 4th Estate. A vote for Trump is a vote against the condescension, failure, legerdemain and agenda of elitist so called “journalists” (You know, self anointed, self proclaimed wallahs from prestigious “J” Schools.) who heretofore determine in advance, the outcomes of elections.
The PEW Report states that 74% of Americans get their news from traditional outlets, CBS, NBC, ABC, The NYT, The Chicago Trib, The LA Times and the plethora of Progressive publications that inundate us 24/7 with instructions to adhere to the “Narrative”.
If Trump is nominated, it will not be Republican v Democrat, it will be Trump v. the 4th Estate/Democrat. Rubio was dead on the money, when he claimed that the Mainstream Media is a Super Pac for the Democrat party.
Here is the latest, from the Huffington Post.
https://twitter.com/HuffingtonPost/status/697250352505212928/photo/1?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Subtle.
Hey Stomper, I read SALON too.
http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/wp-content/uploads/salon-racist-white-men.jpg
Thanks for the shout out, Chuck. 🙂
Oops, I forgot, Seth Meyers, that Eminence Grise speaking truth to power has differentiated Trump from Sanders for we hoi polloi.
http://www.salon.com/2016/02/11/trump_is_a_demagogue_running_entirely_on_personality_seth_meyers_destroys_idea_that_sanders_and_trump_are_two_sides_of_same_coin/
Our Democrat “Dutch Uncles” in the Entertainment Industry are just as concerned as those who graduated from “J” School that we keep driving into Democrat ditches and seeking the good offices of “Sharpton’s Tow Service” to get us to a “Safe Space”. Forgoing any pretense at comedy on his late night comedy show to light the way, I am, as I am sure we all are, deeply grateful.
Cowboy, you sort of buried this at the very end of your attack on how the Democrats award delegates but you at least made a brief admission that the GOP does the same thing. GOP candidates get bonus delegates as well from states with greater party purity. The rules relating to how delegates are assigned are all over the place with both parties. You’re in a glass house here Cowboy so be careful with your rock throwing.
Arun Gupta’s points apply to the GOP primary as well. Hell yes, the system is rigged. It’s the American way. If Trump wins, Chuck is right it won’t be Republican vs. Democrat. It will be “closet” Democrat vs. Democrat.