Obama to Release Country Album as Part of New Southern Strategy
By Constable Perkins
WASHINGTON — As the race against Mitt Romney solidifies, President Barack Obama is rolling out an ambitious plan to reclaim many of the so-called Reagan Democrats that were influential to his success in 2008 and that will be a key target of his opponent’s efforts this fall.
According to campaign advisors, Obama will be releasing a country and western album in late January “I Love You So Much It Hurts,” taking its name from the Patsy Cline classic that will be the first track on the album.
“The biggest threat we face is losing white Democrats in Southern swing states that have no college education, a group typically
considered part of the core of the party’s blue-collar constituency. More than half say they do not want Obama as President,” states campaign strategist David Axelrod. “So it is our goal from to give them another reason to love Barack; we decided to use the two loves from which they will never stray, country and western, to rebrand his image.”
The fifteen-track album covers a wide range of country classics including “Stand By Your Man” and “I Think I’ll Just Stay Here and Drink,” as well as more modern songs such as Toby Keith’s post 9/11 anthem “Courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue.” Obama prefaces each song with a story on how the song reflects the events of his first term. The album also features a highly anticipated duet with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in which Obama and Clinton sing the Buck Owens’ classic “Cryin’ Time.”
“Hillary is very familiar with the genre from her time in Arkansas. It was actually her idea to put it on the record and she has even floated the idea of performing it at the DNC convention in Charlotte,” said Axelrod.
Obama’s record is already being compared to another country album known not only for its genius, but its ability to change the mind of Southerners.
When Ray Charles reached the top of the album charts when he released Modern Sounds In Country and Western Music in 1962, the album was considered a gamble for a black artist at the time. But the album was a wide success, remaining on the charts for 14 consecutive weeks and thus exposing Charles to a wide audience. More importantly, according to some critics, it ushered in a greater understanding of race for many during the turbulence of the Civil Rights Era.
“I remember telling Ray at the time,” says famed producer Quincy Jones, ”that white listeners may not listen to a record by a black artist, and Ray said to me ‘Fool, I’m blind. I cannot tell if my listeners are white or black. This thing is going to show them that race ain’t a thing. They’ll love me for giving them good music.’ I’m actually quite excited to see Barack use music in a way that may actually bring the south back around to his side, just the same as Ray used it to break down the color barrier.”
Nevertheless, not everyone is a fan of the President’s new venture. A Romney spokesman dismissed the album, saying “It’s about as authentic as Mitt putting on a hardhat and going down to Harlan County, Kentucky and pretending to enjoy himself. This sort of smoke and mirrors just detracts from the real issues.”
Soon after this comment, the Romney campaign issued a new calendar of events which no longer featured a stopover in Kentucky, having been removed because of apparent scheduling conflicts.
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Posted by Constable Perkins
on Oct 1 2012. Filed under Administration.
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