Is it possible that John McCain could lose his home state of Arizona, which has only voted Democratic once in the last 50 years? A new poll from Arizona State University puts McCain ahead, but also suggests that an Obama win is not at all out of the question.
The numbers: McCain 46%, Obama 44%, within the ±3% margin of error. The previous ASU poll from a month ago put McCain up 45%-38%.
Other recent polling has shown a close race, too. Rasmussen has McCain up 51%-46%, down from a 59%-38% lead a month ago.
When I saw this I knew I wanted to post the P.E. joint. But then I rewatched the video and saw how out of touch it is with where we are today. I don't mean that as a dis--P.E. existed in the era of Rodney King, Willie Horton, crack and babies making babies. We were just so angry. Another thing that comes across in the video is the shame many of us younger folks felt, back then, when thinking about the Civil Rights movement.
I know this sounds crazy, but a lot of us weren't proud of folks like John Lewis. We saw them as extending courtesies to utter and complete savages. Sista Souljah captures the feeling when she calls King, "a black man who tried to teach white people the meaning of civilization." Living in Baltimore, watching all that old black and white tape of dogs sicced on women and children, and of Southeners spitting and cursing at black folks marching somberly, I really felt that then. Oh man, how much shit has changed. May it continue to change too.
The Beautiful Struggle: A Father, Two Sons, and an Unlikely Road to Manhood 
Oh how I miss the S1W's.
Best bass line in any song ever.
"I uriNATED on the state while i was singin this song!!!!"
ha ha. We're trying to get the guy elected dude.
The breakdowns my favorite part. I used to think those screams were the sounds of hosed civil rights protestors, riots or slave ships or something.
Turns out the sample is from a bunch of little girls screaming at a live Jackson 5 cover of "Walk on By"
awesome
You know, when I saw the polling numbers over at 538, I also thought of PE.
Main reflection, after not having seen that video since it came out when I was a teenager: That clip is amazing. Dated, sure. But still utterly invigorating.
This reminds me of one of the best (and first) mashups ever - The Evolution Control Committee's "Whipped Cream Mix" of this cut. It's over at their site (http://evolution-control.com/index.php) under mp3s.
"Arizona" came out my first year of college, and I remember being disappointed in the album, since the last two had basically redefined music for me. All in all, this stands up pretty well, though.
Obama to McCain: I'm in ur base takin ur v0tz
I haven't seen this video in years...you know what struck me? How much would those images of the S1W's gearing up completely flip out the current Rev. Wright Hate Squad? I hesitate to call this 'dated' because that makes it sound too sentimental...let's not forget that this wasn't all that long ago.
Ugh, just re-read my post and saw an easily mis-understandable line--by "Rev. Wright Hate Squad" I meant those who hate ON Rev Wright, not the Rev. himself.
I'm not trying to stir up the anger, but this has been bothering for a long time: John McCain waited twenty-five years, until 2008---during his presidential bid---to ask the black community's forgiveness for opposing the MLK holiday.
He was 48 years old when he first opposed the holiday. He's now 73. He wants us to believe the wisdom of age inspired this revelation, but to me, it looks like a cold political calculation.
Richard Nixon, Dick Cheney. John McCain.
Those of us who lived through the 60s--it's strange: VietNam was much worse than Iraq and the nation far more divided--we lived through police riots; racism was real; King, Ceasar Chavez were considered enemies of the state. The FBI hung out at Indidan reservations. Bobby Kennedy was assasinated. In Kingman Arizona forget people of color, just being white with long hair meant you wouldn't get served in a restaurant. A lot of nastiness that underlies the McCain campaign, that surfaced in the Clinton primary with Wright, goes back to those days--the ones whitewashed by Ronald Reagan. My goodness, Obama's a marxist, shoot that was shot down when there really was a communist threat. People forget King was a pacifist too. The old pecking orders are bubbling up now that the economic has hit the fan; fighting words? the right has no idea how friendly we've all become, how much we really do desire for everyone to just get along. Arizona, yes, but Georgia--we're all Georgians from now till next Tuesday.
"I shut 'em down! shut 'em down, shut 'em shut 'em down!"
any chance we'll hear that on Nov 4?! haha
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LB4D-GbQ9A4
P.E. had many songs full of righteous anger at White America. '911 is a joke', etc. It was the height of the Bush / Reagan era, and there was a seething sentiment around. And even still, the R party plays footsie with the CCC.
From yard signs and bumper stickers, I'd say the visible evidence of McCain versus Obama support in metro Phoenix is in the 1:25 range. Also saw heavy AA turnout when I went to cast my early vote, way out of proportion to the local population. Only things working against flipping Arizona blue is a gay-marriage proposition to bring the GOP base out of the woodwork, and the Obama campaign focusing on getting volunteers to go to New Mexico.
This song is about 20 years old (gulp) - and when P.E. wrote this song, MLK's assassination was just 20 years ago. It was a lot rawer, and it should have been. The other thing is that the people who did things like oppose MLK Day in Congress and in Arizona were a rump (remnant) regime of, frankly, old crackers. Powerful old crackers, but crackers nonetheless. They're gone or in retirement homes now. The Republicans still pal around with the (White) Citizens Council (I mean you, Trent Lott) which is hateful, but also an oldies act.
In Arizona it was "Civil Rights Day" for a while and now it's "MLK Civil Rights Day," they just can't let go and call it MLK Day. As this year shows, we have come far and there is still a long way to go. On the other hand, I'm glad that people are still arguing a little over the meaning of MLK and MLK Day, rather than using it like Presidents' Day to advertise dry goods sales.
It will definitely be interesting to see how McCain does in Arizona. Pima County (Tucson) is the liberal part of the state and they can elect Democrats. Maricopa County (Phoenix) is very conservative and they have significantly more population. However, Pima County Democrats know how to turn out the vote.
I live on the far east side of Pima County which tends to be more conservative. However, I'm seeing very little enthusiasm for McCain in the form of yard signs.
Last night I noticed that the cop who lives next door to me put out a McCain/Palin sign but I also noticed that it had a plastic cover over it. I laughed. In 2004 I had to take my Kerry/Edwards sign inside every night so it wouldn't be vandalized.
Let's not overestimate the power of campaign signs to predict anything.
Y'all, please be honest. Isn't it possible to think that MLK was one of the greatest Americans ever, and yet not think that a federal holiday with his name on it means all that much? I mean, aren't there better ways to honor the man, then to give a bunch of government employees a day off?
That's the one PE song I still regularly listen to. Video is good too, but i don't think his anger comes across as much as just listening to the vocals.
Chuck D. sounds like while he was recording that he probably broke a couple of mics in half clenching his fist too hard. I don't really know another example of a song where the artist sounds so genuinely furious during the recording.
Change is coming. Good change.
"Y'all, please be honest. Isn't it possible to think that MLK was one of the greatest Americans ever, and yet not think that a federal holiday with his name on it means all that much? I mean, aren't there better ways to honor the man, then to give a bunch of government employees a day off?"
Yeah, which is why McCain/Helms etc. argued for several alternative ways to honor King, like a monument or something. Oh, wait...
Any former/current headbangers here? Any of you remember Brujeria, Pito Wilson? This PE video reminds me of that. (Just to be clear, for you non-headbangers, I'm not actually advocating oppositional racist violence.)
Man, when you hear political pundits and the like talking about the good old 90's when we were on top and the economy was good etc etc, even despite the Vast Left/Right Wing Conspiracies and the Lewinsky Follies and OJ and L.A. and all that... i was growing up and there was such a mood of cynicism and despair, especially among young people, a feeling that everybody was a liar or on some hopelessly sectarian side, and that this was what was really real.. a sense of doom and hopelessness. It's really reflected in the movies and the music from the time. I grew up pissed off at everybody and never really believing that I'd ever fit in anywhere. Times ARE changing, I think, and it's interesting to find that reflected in my own personal outlook.
Point taken, TC.
Ben wrote:
This song is about 20 years old (gulp) - and when P.E. wrote this song, MLK's assassination was just 20 years ago. It was a lot rawer, and it should have been. The other thing is that the people who did things like oppose MLK Day in Congress and in Arizona were a rump (remnant) regime of, frankly, old crackers. Powerful old crackers, but crackers nonetheless. They're gone or in retirement homes now.
Well, one of them isn't gone or in a retirement home (yet)--John McCain.
I'm amazed by the incredible amount of public interest in Sarah Palin. Good or bad, she's become somewhat of a pop icon. People are dressing like her to be and/or mock her all at the same time.
For instance, I found this video on dressing like Palin:
http://www.mindbites.com/lesson/668-how-to-dress-like-sarah-palin