So the boy-candidate Barak Obama has chosen the phrase "Yes We Can," as his campaign slogan. Its a common enough phrase, uttered millions of times each day around the English speaking world so it would seem a fairly innocuous choice ofslogan for a campaign you might think. Well think again.
"Yes we can" is somebody else's slogan, and not somebody a man aspiring to the leadership of the world's most powerful nation should seek to associate himself with. Especially not when that aspiring leaders is trying to display some gravitas in the face of accusations of naivety and inexperience.
Bob the Builder (Can we fix it? Yes we can) is the lego-man star of an animation of the same name for under fives.
The theme song which was a particularly pukey Christmas number 1 hit a few years ago, had the call and response chorus "Can we fix it?" - "Yes we can."
When the republicans, not noted for restraint in their campaigning, latch onto this there will be some fun.
See Bob the Builder and the gang perform "Can we fix it - yes we can" at YouTube.
Download the lyric so you can sing along
ANYONE who things a British person has no business taking sides in the American election, fear not; as I post this my wife is rehearsing the voices for an audio item that will be titled "The Clinton Girls sing The Spice Girls."
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Comments: 29
(make me track you down)
Jean's going to try out for the Spice Girls -- she wants to be Old Spice.
Something about adults chanting anything has always unnerved me.
Yes it does!
That sounds like a good political analysis
My opinion is there is not one candidate I would vote for.
Unless Jello Biafra gets the nomination for The Green Party.
I heard Bush encountered a couple of magic dragons when he was young. Clinton did too of course, but he didn't inhale.
I thought Geri Halliwell was Old Spice.
Adults chanting has always unnerved you? Have you ever seen footage of the Nuremberg rallies.
I have said in more serious posts I get the impression the Democrats do not want to wind the Presidency. They may know something we do not of course.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZnYzD-LnSU&feature=related
There's more to me than meets the eye. Not only do I know him, I've been in the state described in his most famous song more than once.
Thanks, the more links the merrier. Bob the Builder for President!
That sounds suspiciously like a campaign song.
Never trust campaign songs. Tony Blair's in 1997 was Things Can Only Get Better.
It was a lie.
And a serious analyst from the western side of the pond has pointed out that a significan proportion of the white votes Barak Obama has won have come from Republican voters. Could it be, he asks, this is an organised move by the republicans because they would rather fight Obama than in the real election.
For some reason my mind thought 60s-70s idealism.
I thinkl I better take a nap or at least have a cup of hot chocolate to clear my brain.
Great article, Ian.
..
U
In Britain builders have a reputation for dodginess and wearing jeans that reveal embarrassing abounts of arse cleavage.
I'm currently working on an animation The Clinton Girls sing The Spice Girls to bolster Hillary's campaigns in Ohio and Texas. There is a risk it might have the opposite effect but I think it is worth taking :-)
Hi, I'm back!
I had no answer then, and I have no answer now.
Still think "Man with the dogs" is their best.