Right-Wing Obama Critics Obsess Over 'Rock Concert Conspiracy'

[UPDATED BELOW]

Rightward critics of Barack Obama continue to be all a-flutter over the fact that the Illinois Senator's massive rally in Portland, which drew over 75,000 people, was preceded by a free rock concert by area musicians Colin Meloy, Chris Funk, Jenny Conlee, Nate Query, and John Moen, who are better known to indie rock fans as The Decemberists (though they were not billed as such at the rally). As the National Review's Jim Geraghty says, "Now, I'm sure Obama would draw a big crowd either way, but wasn't that worth mentioning in the coverage?"

I have it on good authority that Obama nevertheless won the Oregon primary, but: perhaps! Though someone more familiar with the band might do well to point out that, as the Decemberists are a modestly successful indie outfit, more apt to perform at venues such as the 1,200-person capacity 9:30 Club, it would be more accurate to suggest that the promise of an Obama rally is a great inducement to come see the Decemberists, rather than the reverse. Additionally, there wasn't anything to prevent rock fans from leaving the concert upon its conclusion.

As Geraghty points out, the Decemberists are named for the Russian Decemberist Revolt of 1825 and have courted controversy by occasionally playing the National Anthem of the Soviet Union in concert - though that has little to do with politics and more to do with the whimsical, baroque backstory that lead singer and Victorian-era fiction enthusiast Colin Meloy has constructed as the band's backstory ("The band's official biography, keeping up their reputation for intentionally over-the-top grandiloquence, describes how they met in a Turkish bath. A footnote following the biography claims, 'The Decemberists travel exclusively by Dr. Herring's Brand Dirigible Balloons'").

Geraghty also points out that the Decemberists awesome, Rushmore-aping video for their excellent song "16 Military Wives" begins with the villain donning an American flag lapel pin:

The Decemberists also have a multiple-part song cycle about a guy who marries a bird that is still a more coherent foreign policy critique than anything the National Review has ever come up with.

UPDATE: The Decemberists will be appearing this Saturday at the Les Schwab Amphitheatre in Bend, Oregon along with Death Cab For Cutie. I sure hope major infrastructural improvements to the Amphitheater can be completed in time to accomodate the band. As the venue's capacity is a mere 8,000, it shall have to grow tenfold if the Decemberists are to have any hope in winning the presidency.

Comments

[zundra]

This is hilarious! Not taking anything away from the Decemberist but it would take a band with the notoriety of a Rolling Stones to draw a crowd that big.

[PuffAndStuff]

" 'Right-Wing Obama Critics Obsess Over 'Rock Concert Conspiracy' " ...

Hi Jason, I missed your original post on this, and now I must be missing something because I only see the 'update' to this post. The update describes the band and oncert, but says nothing pertaining to any 'Right-Wing critics'.

Nonetheless, my money's on these GOP critics just obsessing on this because they are full of envy. Envy because they and all McCain supporters want concerts with some of their favorite musicians: the hip music stylings of Perry Como and Bing Crosby.

[ann1]

It's amazing how obsessed the Repubs are with Sen Obama. What's all the fuss about.

[gregjones]

From Blacks4Barack !
Demand To DNC: Kick Hillary Out NOW !
Insinuates That Obama Could Be ASSASSINATED !

Now, things have gone way too far. Friday, in an appearance in South Dakota, Hillary Clinton justified her reason for staying in the campaign by referring to the fact that presidential hopeful 'Robert Kennedy was assasinated in June'...implying that the same could occur to senator Obama. THIS IS SICK !!! Regardless of how the pundits try to spin this as just another misspeak, the statement speaks for itself and displays the diobolical mentality of Hillary Clinton.

It is unclear as to whether she is actually hoping that Obama would be killed, therefore giving her an open path to the Democratic nomination, or if she may be signaling her desire to some sick, warp minded homicidal maniac. Whichever be the case, her statement is automatic grounds for the Democratic National Committee headed by Howard Dean to demand that she remove herself from the race. If he does not, American Democrats should demand HIS stepping down !

This can not be tolerated. ANYONE who would wish the death of another human being in order to win a political position is sick, dangerous, maniacal, deranged and totally unfit for any political position, particularly President .

CONTACT THE DNC....
HILLARY MUST BE EXPELLED NOW !!!!
FLOOD THE PHONE LINES...CALL THE DNC TODAY !!!

CALL DNC: 202-863-8000
HILLARY SHOULD BE BANNED FROM ALL POLITICS INCLUDING N.Y. SENATE !!!!!!!

Greg Jones
www.Blacks4Barack.org

[PatCroft]

This is new to me. I was there and I didn't see a rock concert. I arrived behind a line of people and I left behind a line of people. At no time did I see any one playing a musical instrument. I did see lots of people waiting to see Barack.

[nisha]

This might be the first time that a band gets a big time boost from opening for a political rally. They are good, even if not that well known. What will the Repubs do and think when Bruce Springsteen opens for Obama?

[littlepuffycloud]

They simply can't believe how many democrats have fallen in love with Senator Obama and his brilliance. It's never happened in the GOP and they can't wrap their warped demented evil little minds around it. Senator Obama is a totally new animal to them. He's smart and funny with a beautiful family and he refuses to engage in the negative crap that has become the norm in American politics.
The GOP doesn't know how to function so openly; that's why all the poor closeted gays or womanizers in the GOP continue to get busted. They don't do well with the truth. President Obama is going to usher in the new face of America. God bless and protect him.

[rpence]

The National Review was tolerant and even congenial to Obama in the early stages of the campaign, and even lauded his Iowa win without acknowledging that no black candidate in the GOP would ever get that far. But the closer Obama gets to the nomination, the more vicious and immature they've become at NRO.

Definitely among the internet's most sickening people, along with those on littlegree­nfootballs­.com

[Openeyes]

This is good. Let them think that it wasn't really Obama generating the crowd. Let them lull themselves into some complacent fantasy that he's really not that popular, and won' be hard to defeat. Let them keep thinking it was really the unpromoted rock band that got everyone there.

We know that if Obama had just said "help us out, drop $5 in the pot on your way out" that he could have raised hundreds of thousands of dollars, while McCaine is cancellng fundraisers in his own state!

Let 'em whine while we win.

[crusty]

McCain should try the same strategy. I hear Guy Lombardo has an open date.

[rpence]

The National Review prefers rallies like those documented in Triumph of the Will.

[castlerider]

Absolutely green with envy!!
Right wingers are just so besides themselves-nuts over the fact that they are the

LOSING PARTY OF THE DECADE!!!!!!!!!!!!! And now HISTORY!!! Thanks to their wonderful Chimp.

Wonder just how far they will go to defend Bush, Cheney, and Rove et al. months after they get trounced next election.

It would make sense that they would be more likely to want to see them tried for war crimes and corruption more then anyone else, after what these Axis-of-Evil losers have done to their party..... Naaaahh-

How about a good ol' Tar and Feather, then ride 'm out on a rail?

[izAriver]

You know, that Ron White is going to be famous for saying "You can't fix stupid".

[Gary47]

OK repubs, let's have McCain come to Portland's Waterfront Park and we'll give him two rock bands, and I bet he gets fewer than1,000 fans standing out in the hot sun for five hours. Go ahead, make our day!

[marthlois]

HA! (that would be a Chris Matthews HA!)
I live in Portland. There are concerts at Waterfront Park practically every weekend. But it was so hot here. No one - who sat through any concert - would hang out for another five hours to see Obama,
Clinton or McCain.
Nice try - this article was good for my Sunday a.m. laugh. I needed one after reading and viewing the latest trash that came out from Fox this weekend.

[ohbahmaoh8]

I live in Portland and I went to the rally. I can promise you that NO ONE working off a sane mind would stand in line like I did for 5+ hours to see the Decemberists - even for free. In fact they were barely noticed by all the thousands who stood in line for hours to see Obama - that was evidenced by the meager applause they received and I was close!. They are a great band, don't get me wrong - but you aren't applauding for a band after 6 hours in the sun when all you want to see is the future President. There was no question as to who people were there to see - the line stretched for blocks and blocks - and some didn't even know a band was going to be playing. I don't think I knew until I was driving to the event.

Nice try lunatic fringe! :)

[queensboro]

good look baby

[Sardonica]

I love the Decemberists - and I LOVE the deft execution of snark in your piece, Jason! Most enjoyable read of the day. Thanks!

[noamjunior]

I actually caught a little of this act flipping through the radio in the car. I honestly couldn't figure out if it was a shockingly unfunny "morning zoo" type show, or the most completely inane, irrelevant, semi-ignorant banter that ever tried to pass for political commentary.