BS: Political Chants Wanted {Maybe}

Subject: BS: Political Chants Wanted {Maybe}
From: Azizi
Date: 30 Jan 08 - 05:47 PM

Democratic candidate for USA President Senator Barack Obama energises crowds with the call & response slogan "Fired Up!" Ready To Go". The Obama campaign also uses the slogan "Yes We Can!"
{"Si Se Puede!"}.

You probably knew this. But do you know what call & response or unison slogan/s Democratic candidate for President Senator Hillary Clinton uses? I can't think of any.

And what about the Republican Presidential contenders, what chants-if any-do they use?

Maybe the reason why I {and you?} can't think of any chants that are readily associated with these campaigns is because they don't have any.

Well, if that's the case, that's a low down, cryin' shame.
How can they energize their base and get their message out, and recruit more supporters {meaning "voters"} without chants?

[Okay there are other ways to do those things, but stay with me here.]

I'm hereby puttin out a call to Mudcatters to come to the rescue of CWS {campaigns without slogans}.

There's lots of creative people here. How 'bout some of you guys and gals helping these campaigns out?

WWHC {What would Hillary Chant?} or what would her supporters chant?

And WWMC {What would McCain Chant?}

WWRC {What would Romney Chant?}

And what about other American politicians from today and yesterday? What, for instance, could George Bush chant if he wants to motivate his base? [What base you say? Well, I'm being hypothetical here]

Of course, since Mudcat is an international forum, feel free to offer suggestions of chants for current and former politicians from other nations. However, if you think that the names of non-American politicians may not be recognizable to low-knowledge Americans such as me, please include the country where they're from.

And if you offer a suggestion for a political chant, please keep your suggestions [reasonably] politically correct? Thanks.

So, I ask you- can we come up with some great {or at least witty} chants for politicians? Yes We Can!

Okay!!

Thanks for your participation in this thread!

Subject: RE: BS: Political Chants Wanted {Maybe}
From: Azizi
Date: 30 Jan 08 - 05:51 PM

I thought about this idea for a thread while reading this comment about a rally yesterday for Barack Obama in New York City:

"The Noise from Union Square
I walked by Union Square last Saturday, and there were two groups on the south end of the square at 14th street.

The Obama people were chanting "Fired Up! Ready to Go!" with such vigor that they could be heard for blocks, even above the roar of Manhattan traffic.

The Clinton people were about as energetic as a mug of lukewarm tea. They weren't chanting anything, they barely had the strength to lift their signs, and they seemed to be mostly engaged with passing out their stickers to the kids walking by.

It was quite the contrast.

Wasn't this state supposed to be such an easy win for Hillary? It might not be as easy as she thought."
-Noah Jenda on Sat Jan 26, 2008

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/1/26/175614/544/705/443718
It may be freezing out, but New Yorkers are FIRED UP!
by casperr ; Sat Jan 26, 2008

Subject: RE: BS: Political Chants Wanted {Maybe}
From: Azizi
Date: 30 Jan 08 - 05:59 PM

Just in case you're wondering, my get up and go has got up and left and I don't have the energy to think up any chants for anybody.

But, hopefully, some folks here will make up for my lack of creative energy.

If not, it's all good.

{Well, actually it's not all good. That's just a saying that hip-hoppers say or at least they used to say it}.

Btw, if you can't think of any chants for political candidates or political office holders, how about slogans for those folks?

Share the wealth!

Please! I don't get paid till next week :o)

[See, I told you that my creative energy was low. That joke is proof}.

Subject: RE: BS: Political Chants Wanted {Maybe}
From: PoppaGator
Date: 30 Jan 08 - 06:07 PM

Speaking for myself, I would have to feel enthusiastic about supporting a candidate before I could write something like you propose.

The only one of the bunch for whom I could work up the energy is the one who already has people chanting his slogans!

Subject: RE: BS: Political Chants Wanted {Maybe}
From: Little Hawk
Date: 30 Jan 08 - 06:13 PM

We want mangos! We want mangos! We want MANGOS!!! (build up to a frenzied crescendo, and then all start hooting and screaming)

Chongo suggested that.

Subject: RE: BS: Political Chants Wanted {Maybe}
From: Rapparee
Date: 30 Jan 08 - 06:26 PM

How about

"We want out of Vietnam!"
"When do we want out?"
"NOW!!"

This was pretty popular with the guys in 'Nam....

Subject: RE: BS: Political Chants Wanted {Maybe}
From: Little Hawk
Date: 30 Jan 08 - 09:31 PM

He's still hoping to win the Vietnam War, and restore "honor".

Subject: RE: BS: Political Chants Wanted {Maybe}
From: Rapparee
Date: 30 Jan 08 - 10:27 PM

Nah, I never wanted the US there to start with. My two brothers certainly didn't want to be there!

Subject: RE: BS: Political Chants Wanted {Maybe}
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 30 Jan 08 - 10:35 PM

Or anti-chants?

McCain could have the somewhat barbed hymn line "Nearer my God to thee" (if Huckabee drops out)

Clinton, the lines from Monty Python
"Steals from the poor,
Gives to the rich
Silly bitch"

Subject: RE: BS: Political Chants Wanted {Maybe}
From: Little Hawk
Date: 30 Jan 08 - 10:45 PM

I meant McCain, Rapaire, not you. I think he longs to get another chance, and to win it this time...only the battlefield won't be in Vietnam this time. It'll be in the Middle East. I hope he does not get that chance. There is no victory to be found in such a war.

Subject: RE: BS: Political Chants Wanted {Maybe}
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 31 Jan 08 - 06:09 AM

Actually the idea that an election in a mature democracy might be won or lost by an infantile chant is pretty alarming.

Subject: RE: BS: Political Chants Wanted {Maybe}
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 31 Jan 08 - 06:31 AM

our recent election was won by Kevin Rudd's logo "KEVIN 07"

dunno if his supporters chanted it, tho.

Subject: RE: BS: Political Chants Wanted {Maybe}
From: GUEST,PMB
Date: 31 Jan 08 - 06:53 AM

I seem to recall "Liberez nos camarades" and "Vaclav na hrad" being quite effective.

It wasn't a chant, but should have been. Many years ago, I went on a demo against the National Front (English Nazi party). Someone offered me a placard, with a slogan that I vaguely agreed with, so I carried it. Unfortunately, it wasn't very well put together, and later someone asked me who I was supporting... I found the poster had dropped off, leaving me carrying a placard saying RYVITA in big blue letters.

Subject: RE: BS: Political Chants Wanted {Maybe}
From: Rapparee
Date: 31 Jan 08 - 09:16 AM

I'm quite sure John McCain didn't want to be in Vietnam. Especially after he set fire to USS Forestall.

Subject: RE: BS: Political Chants Wanted {Maybe}
From: Peace
Date: 31 Jan 08 - 12:43 PM

"I Like Ike"

Subject: RE: BS: Political Chants Wanted {Maybe}
From: Azizi
Date: 31 Jan 08 - 06:26 PM

Thanks to all who have posted to this thread thus far .

I'm glad that the subject of chants has been expanded beyond political figures to issues, and movements.

**

Rapaire, as I'm sure you're aware {but some other folks reading this thread might not be] the chant you posted is a take-off of the African American civil rights chant

What do we want?
FREEDOM!
When do we want it?
NOW!

**

GUEST,PMB, regarding your 31 Jan 08 - 06:53 AM post, I'm guessing that "Liberez nos camarades" means "Free our comrades", is that right? But I've no clue what "Vaclav na hrad" means.
What language is that and what does it mean?

**

I like the clever way that many slogans use rhyme [for example "Kevin 07"] or alliterative [for example "I like Ike"].

The call & response chants like "Fire Up!" Ready to Go!" [which I understand pre-dates the Obama campaign] provide opportunities for the audience to be directly involved in the event. Direct involvement energize individuals and help unite them. It seems to me that that kind of energy is akin to the spirit that performers and their audiences feel during good audience participation songs.

Obviously, chants alone don't win any election. But, it appears to me that it is quite helpful for a politican to have one or more chants that readily communicate his or her message/s, and help to unify and energize his or her supporters.

Barack Obama's got it.
Hillary Clinton doesn't.

Subject: RE: BS: Political Chants Wanted {Maybe}
From: Azizi
Date: 31 Jan 08 - 06:39 PM

I meant to write "The call & response chants like "Fire Up!" Ready to Go!" [which I understand pre-dates the Obama campaign] and the unison chants like "Si Se Puede [which definitely pre-dates the Obama campaign] provide opportunities for the audience to be directly involved in the event".

Subject: RE: BS: Political Chants Wanted {Maybe}
From: Donuel
Date: 31 Jan 08 - 09:25 PM

With an Aussie exuberance:

The public good is what were here to do
YES!
The public good is what were here to do
YES!
Barak Obama wants the change thats good for me and you
The good ol boys that cheated us will not know what to do.
YES!
The public good is what were here to do
YES!
The public good is what were here to do
YES!



Go BAMA! (the U of Alabama football chant.)

Subject: RE: BS: Political Chants Wanted {Maybe}
From: Donuel
Date: 31 Jan 08 - 09:36 PM

You see the public good is something that people have lost touch with.

As privatization rolls on the conservative mantra that socialism is evil has swept the nation selling conservative ranks with bveliefs that social spending give aways are evil.
Simple people have to simply be reminded that the fire dept and police dept. are purely socialist institutions for the public good.

That public good should outrank the private corporate welfare and tax breaks. That rich people won;t stimulate a damn thing in our economy since they already have bought what they want. GIve the rich more money and they will buy hedge funds, but thats not gonna help our economy.

28 years of think tanks have spent time and money to train the public to vote against their own public good and instead cheer for war and a bigger defense and oil company profit. Some even cheered for no bid contracts.

anyway yadda ydadda yadda the public good needs to be retaught in terms that people will remember like the public good of infrastructure or its failed consequences like the levees in Katrain. etc ad infinitum

Subject: RE: BS: Political Chants Wanted {Maybe}
From: Kent Davis
Date: 31 Jan 08 - 10:02 PM

Ron Paul Revolution!
We support the Constitution!

Kent

Subject: RE: BS: Political Chants Wanted {Maybe}
From: Azizi
Date: 01 Feb 08 - 01:46 PM

Donuel, thanks for that reworked University of Alabama football chant.

The listmaker instinct in me {symbolized by my astrology planets Mars in Virgo and Virgo Ascendent} prompts me to note the various strategies that have been used to make chants and slogans.

In addition to rhyming, and alliteration, playing with words {including names} is a way that slogans and chants can be composed. "Go BAMA!" is an example of that type of chant.

I've also seen "O Ba Ma! O Ba Ma!" used as a chant. This example "demonstrates" how important repetition is to chanting. It also shows that it's not just what is said but how it is said.

**

I previously noted that "I like Ike" is an example of alliteration, but maybe it is rhyming instead. Maybe "Si Se Puede" is alliteration, or is that rhyming also. {Oh, I'm so confused!}

Another type of chant or slogan is involves play on words. An example of this is the slogan or chant "Barack the vote". This is a play on the slogan "Rock The Vote!" which I believe was coined in 2004 as part of a campaign whose aim was/is to motivate young Americans to vote.

"Rock" here meaning something like "vigorous movement" and also alludes to different forms of Rock music.

Here's an example of the use of the phrase "Barack the vote":

Fired up!
It's not over til it's over!

Keep working hard! Keep talking to people.

Barack the Vote!
-by MingPicket on Fri Feb 01, 2008

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/2/1/122344/6895/11/441377
BREAKING: Obama Takes the Lead in Connecticut!
by Skulnick
Fri Feb 01, 2008 at 09:23:44 AM PST


**

Also, Kent, thanks for that example from Ron Paul's campaign.
I hadn't heard {or read} that one before.

Keep 'em comin!

Subject: RE: BS: Political Chants Wanted {Maybe}
From: Little Hawk
Date: 01 Feb 08 - 09:25 PM

Well, here's a little example that could have been used in Toronto city politics. For many, many years there was a successful councillor in Toronto named Ying Hope. Ying got re-elected numerous times over the years in one of the downtown ridings and he ran against many other people. I think he served in more than one riding, matter of fact. He was a fulltime career politician.

Anyway, it occurred to me that one of those people who ran against him could have run an aggressive campaign to unseat Ying, and he or she could have coached the crowds in the following chant:

candidate haranguing the audience: "Ying thinks he's going to get elected again! What do YOU think???"

audience chanting (ever more loudly):

"No HOPE!!! No HOPE!!! NO HOPE!!!"

It would've been a riot... Too bad I was not there to advise on strategy, eh? ;-)


And here's probably the most notorious political chant in all history:

Sigg Heil! Sigg Heil! Sigg Heil!

(Yes, it is pretty disturbing to think that an election can be won or a political balance tipped by an infantile chant.)

Subject: RE: BS: Political Chants Wanted {Maybe}
From: Azizi
Date: 01 Feb 08 - 10:11 PM

Thanks for that story, Little Hawk. Conversely, you could have been on Hope's side and led the crowd in chanting

What do we want
HOPE!
What do we need
HOPE!
H.O.P.E
HOPE!!

-snip-

I suppose it's possible that an election could be tipped by a chant, whether that chant or chanting itself is viewed as "infantile" or not. However, elections have been tipped by all sorts of things including the weather. I'm much more interested in the structure and purpose of chants, the central purpose imo being to energize and unify supporters.

Subject: RE: BS: Political Chants Wanted {Maybe}
From: Little Hawk
Date: 01 Feb 08 - 10:18 PM

Well, if it works, it works, right? And it does work.

You are quite correct that Mr Hope's name would have been very handy for his side too, and I suspect that he played on that a few times.

Subject: RE: BS: Political Chants Wanted {Maybe}
From: Azizi
Date: 02 Feb 08 - 08:55 AM

Here's a link to a powerful, creative video of Barack Obama's victory speech after winning the South Carolina Democratic primary 1/26/08.

http://www.dipdive.com/

-snip-

I found out about this video by reading http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/2/2/25117/88939/346/448161 Incredible video: Obama set to music featuring who's who of the industry
by RangerKeeper
Fri Feb 01, 2008 at 11:56:25 PM PST

**

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/2/2/04722/24305/353/448138 is another dailykos diary about this remarkable video.

Here's a quote that was included in that last diary:
"The music video "Yes We Can" premiered on ABCNewsNow's "What's the Buzz" on Friday. It was inspired, will.i.am told ABC's Alisha Davis, by Sen. Barack Obama's presidential campaign and in particular by the speech he has gave after the New Hampshire primary. *

"It made me reflect on the freedoms I have, going to school where I went to school, and the people that came before Obama like Martin Luther King, presidents like Abraham Lincoln that paved the way for me to be sitting here on ABCNews and making a song from Obama's speech," will.i.am said.

"The speech was inspiring about making change in America and I believe what it says and I hope everybody votes," Dylan said.

The music video includes excerpts from the Obama speech and appearances from a range of celebrities including: Scarlett Johansson, John Legend, Herbie Hancock, Kate Walsh, Kareem Abdul Jabbar, Adam Rodriquez, Kelly Hu, Amber Valetta and Nick Cannon."

-snip-

In addition to will.i.am, other celebrities featured in this video are:

Common
Jesse Dylan
Yael Naim

[There may be more, but these are the names that I found in those diaries]

Here's some information about will.i.am:
"William James Adams, Jr. (born March 15, 1975 in Toronto), better known by his stage name will.i.am, is an American hip hop musician, songwriter and founding member and frontman of Black Eyed Peas. He also has his own label called will.i.am music group. He is of Jamaican descent".
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Will.i.am

-snip-

Apparently this video was done with no coordination with the Obama campaign.

In this speech the crowd of Obama supporters chant "Yes We Can!", "We Want Change!", and "Race Doesn't Matter."

* As per that quote above, the video was inspired by Barack Obama's New Hampshire speech [click http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fe751kMBwms
to see a video of that speech]. However, the Yes We Can music video features Obama's South Carolina speech http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-iVAPH_EcmQ]


If you can watch online videos, dipdive's "Yes We Can" music video is one you won't want to miss!

Subject: RE: BS: Political Chants Wanted {Maybe}
From: Donuel
Date: 02 Feb 08 - 09:16 AM

Azzi , you missed my genius. The common public good is what we need to teach as Thomas Paine did over 200 years ago.


The common good is what were here to do

YES

__________________________________


If you need a universal shant this is the best:


We will we will Barak you
We will we will Barak you

Subject: RE: BS: Political Chants Wanted {Maybe}
From: Azizi
Date: 02 Feb 08 - 09:47 AM

Sorry, Donuel.

I'll try to be more alert to your genuis from now on :o)

Btw, though it's no big deal, you left out an "i" in my name.

And your "we will we will rock you" adaptation {which I like, btw} mispells Barack Obama's name.

Subject: RE: BS: Political Chants Wanted {Maybe}
From: Azizi
Date: 02 Feb 08 - 09:50 AM

Not to mention that you mispelled "chant".

But it's no big deal, right?

Write on!

:o}

Subject: RE: BS: Political Chants Wanted {Maybe}
From: Jeri
Date: 02 Feb 08 - 10:39 AM

But Azizi, he spelled it the same way here too...and here, and probably some other places. I only remember seeing these because it made me think I was spelling his name wrong, so I looked it up. You managed to figure it out on your own without me pointing it out, though.

As to chanting, I've done it, but I don't really like it. It takes a lot more of a toll on the voice than singing, and is not really fun the way singing can be. Chanting is more inclusive though, since even people only capable of shouting the same one syllable over and over can be involved. It's certainly louder than singing.

I can tolerate chanting when a speaker gets into a rhythm. 'We can do better', 'Help is on the way' were OK, but had a lot of werdz, so a lot of folks didn't pick up on them. 'Fired up/Ready to go' is a pretty good one.

Subject: RE: BS: Political Chants Wanted {Maybe}
From: van lingle
Date: 02 Feb 08 - 11:06 AM

"Hillary, Billary,
It's All So Sillary!"

"Obama, Obama,
Don't Call Him Osama!"

Subject: RE: BS: Political Chants Wanted {Maybe}
From: SINSULL
Date: 02 Feb 08 - 11:44 AM

I understand there is a chant for Bill Clinton:
"Eight more years!
Eight more years!"

Subject: RE: BS: Political Chants Wanted {Maybe}
From: Azizi
Date: 03 Feb 08 - 12:48 PM

Correction:

With regard to the "Yes We Can" music video, that video is based on Barack Obama's New Hampshire primary concession speech, and not his South Carolina victory speech as I previously wrote in this thread.

**

Here's some background information about that video:

"With just a few days to go before the critical Super Tuesday primaries, Black Eyed Peas' frontman will.i.am and director Jesse Dylan, son of legendary musician Bob Dylan, have released a new song featuring a host of celebrities and one very unlikely music video star: Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama.

"Yes We Can," released Friday, is centered around footage of the speech the Illinois senator gave after the New Hampshire primary last month.

The music video includes excerpts from that Obama speech and appearances from celebrities including jazz artist Herbie Hancock, former LA Lakers captain Kareem Abdul Jabbar, singer John Legend, model Amber Valletta, actresses Kate Walsh and Scarlett Johansson, and others...

Dylan and will.i.am told ABC News they did not coordinate the creation or release of the video with the Obama campaign, and are unsure Obama knows about the production.

http://www.thecarpetbaggerreport.com/archives/14453.html"
2/3/2008

**

Since that article was published, that Yes We Can music video has gotten so much coverage, that the Obama campaign certainly knows of it. Indeed, I've read-but haven't confirmed-that the video has been {or was} embedded on Obama's official campaign site.

Here's a link to one of the YouTube videos of that song/spoken word experience:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1yq0tMYPDJQ

Subject: RE: BS: Political Chants Wanted {Maybe}
From: Azizi
Date: 03 Feb 08 - 01:07 PM

"Fired Up Ready To Go" is another song that was inspired by a chant used by Senator Barack Obama's Presidential campaign.

Here's the link to that video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LyJ72iZ3tW4

Here's the poster's summary statement that provides information about about how that song was composed and recorded:

""Why Obama?" Three brothers share their story. Joe Bergevin watched Senator Barack Obama tell a story about one person, Edith Childs, who energized others with a "fired up, ready to go," chant at one of his campaign stops. Inspired by Obama's "One voice can change the world" speech, Joe wrote some lyrics and rough chords then called his brother Jon to help him compose and arrange the song. They named it after Edith's chant. After many phone calls, emails, and sleepless nights, they had assembled the team. Ten days later an epic recording was born with the intention of spreading Obama's hopeful message. Contributors include lead singer Reverend Pat Wright and her renowned Total Experience Gospel Choir, drummer Matt Cameron from Pearl Jam, lead singer Jake Bergevin, other top studio musicians, sound engineers, video teams, photographers, caterers, local news teams and a renovated theater with recording studio. From the first word written to the last note performed, this entirely donated and collective effort demonstrates Senator Obama's unifying message and Americans' desire to act on it. We were in awe of how freely people said, "Yes!" to this project. His words "For that is our unyielding faith-that in the face of impossible odds, people who love their country, can change it" demonstrate that great leaders motivate others. Barack is a great leader.

"I would have never imagined participating in an event like this, suddenly having a bunch of people come together on behalf of a political candidate; contributing immediately, so fully and unconditionally," said Stephan Schier, one of the project contributors.

Edith Childs said in the Greenwood Index Journal "I just had no idea that something done spontaneously would go this far -- in a good way," Childs said. "But as far as the song, I think it's cool. And I'm going to go online and see the (music) video when it comes out. But look, I did (the chant) in June, and I had no idea this is where we'd be on January 25."..."

Subject: RE: BS: Political Chants Wanted {Maybe}
From: Little Hawk
Date: 03 Feb 08 - 02:21 PM

SINSULL - LOL!!!! I love Bill's new chant.

Subject: RE: BS: Political Chants Wanted {Maybe}
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 08 Feb 08 - 01:31 PM

Actually, when it comes down to the final Republican/Democrat runoff, I think the Democrats really could be chanting against the Republicans "Four More Years?"..

And by the way Donuel, your remarks on "the public good" were, I thought, very insightful.