sir_eccles

538 just compiled a list of songs used without permission. All but 2 from the GOP.

https://fivethirtyeight.com/datalab/...g-their-music/

RoadWarriorFromLP

Then there was Ronald Reagan, who lauded Bruce Springsteen for the "optimism" of "Born in the USA."

Apparently, the Gipper's staffers didn't pay attention to the lyrics, which are about a returned Vietnam veteran who had been sent off to war because he got into the trouble and now finds himself stuck in a crap town with no prospects or help from the government that had sent him away. I guess Republicans really don't do irony.

zargof

Yeah, they also seems to like Mellencamp's "Pink Houses" which isn't as patriotic as they think it is.

sir_eccles

Remember recently Rick Santorum drew a crowd of 1 (one) to a rally. Turns out he should have used the services of "Extra Mile NYC" that's where Trump got his crowd from.

https://medium.com/@GoAngelo/donald-...t-7c65e8fadea0

There's also "crowds on demand" who service "primarily but not exclusively Republican candidates"

“Rent a Crowd” Company Admits Politicians Are Using Their Service - LibertyChat.com

Is nothing sacred any more?

Boomhauer

I doubt the GOP would ever play CCR's Fortunate Son ; just too obvious even for the GOP. Can't see the Dems playing it either .

username.exe

Some suggestions for alternative campaign songs for the GOP:

- Money, Money, Money by Abba
- White Privilege by Macklemore
- It’s All About the Benjamins by P Diddy

Bonus for the Dems:
- Taxman by The Beatles
- Common People by Pulp

sir_eccles

Donald Trump 'very good candidate,' Rob Ford says | Warmington | Toronto & GTA |

This endorsement may just convince me.

username.exe

How anyone can take that crackhead buffoon seriously is beyond me.

And as for Rob Ford...

FlaviusAetius

I'm sure Hillary is taking him seriously...as a spoiler for the eventual Republican nominee. He has a role to play - the Ross Perot role, which will split the centre-right vote and have her coast to victory.

Michael

The only role that Donald Trump will play is like the color commentator for football games. He's interesting but nobody will take him seriously.

FlaviusAetius

How certain are you that The Donald's ego stretches only as far as being the equivalent of a colour commentator? When he fails to get the nomination - and he will fail, as no one on my side of the ideological fence takes him even the slightest bit seriously - he may well make it his mission to play the spoiler.

Michael

When "the Donald" said he sent a team to Hawaii to investigate Obama's birth certificate, Hawaiian officials said that nobody inquired about Obama's birth certificate.

For "the Donald" to be an official contender, he has to file federal paperwork disclosing his assets and net worth (there is a significant discrepancy between what he claims and what Bloomberg estimates) and file with each state a petition of signatures to get on the ballots.

It's all a publicity stunt and I doubt he will organize in each of the states and like Howard Stern, when he had to disclose his assets and net worth, he decided that wasn't worth it to run for governor of New York. Also like Stern, neither wants to give up their lucrative business to run for office and have a minuscule chance of winning.

Edit: Ops, he actually did file the forms with the Federal Election Commission but still not full disclosure. He's claiming the discrepancy in net worth is his brand which he values at over $3 billion. He may carry it further than I thought to build up his brand to make more money. It's all a business ploy by spending a few million to possibly make billions.

Donald Trump isn’t really running for president; he’s running to make more money and enhance a brand that’s bigger than his real-estate holdings and golf courses.

Trump’s Running—but the Joke’s on You - The Daily Beast

FlaviusAetius

You may be correct about "The Donald."

Of course, those politicians whose successful careers are firmly grounded upon the base of a poorly educated, unthinking and ill-informed electorate routinely spout populist nonsense...and it almost always works for them.

Other aids to the election of those politicians are massive, simplistic negative campaigns and stuffing the ballot box, which negates the franchise of legitimate voters.

sir_eccles

Jindal has formally joined up. Lots of commentary suggesting he won't make the cut for the debates.

I suspect any candidate that isn't polling in the top ten for the debates will quickly see their campaigns fizzle out.

Giantaxe

There's no evidence that voter-fraud is anything other than a very tiny problem. A way bigger issue is rampant gerrymandering of district boundaries to suit the incumbent party.