Why did Barack Obama use a song from a Republican country music group Brooks & Dunn at his acceptence speach?

Question

The song is Only In America and Bush used that song during the 2004 election.The duo's songs have been used by President George W. Bush as his official campaign songs in both his 2000 election and 2004 re-election campaigns. In 2000 then Texas Governor Bush chose the blue-collar line-dance-friending hit of the mid-1990s, "Hard Workin' Man," and in 2004 the President selected the patriotic hit, "Only in America." Brooks & Dunn both supported the President's re-election campaign, performing at a Republican rally featuring Laura Bush on the eve of the election.

Answer 1

If you've noticed, after Obama and Michelle, and all their freaky friends who came out during the campaign, spent so much time talking about evil America because of slavery and everything that is wrong with this country, they've done a strategic about-face and have now gone gung ho on oozing about how their story couldn't be possible anywhere else but in the USA.  It's been very deliberate.  If you ever revisit the campaign time line with archived articles, you'll see it.

This song fit that agenda perfectly.  But I thought it was so strange and out of place. lol

I can't believe someone referenced Obama and 'humility' in the same sentence.

Answer 2

maybe he likes the song. are you gonna jump to conclusions if he wears a suit and similar colored tie as bush too?

Answer 3

Showing that he sung for the nation, not stamping "Only in America" a 'Republican' or 'Democratic' song. Surely when the song was made, the composers and the lyricists did not have any intention that it be made the song of a certain party. Just goes to show his humility. I'd say it was pretty cool.

Answer 4

Duh..all black guys from Chicago love Brooks and Dunn..everybody knows that.

Simple manipulation for the dull and nothing more.  Man I love this land but I sure am starting to hate this country.

Answer 5

Now music belongs to parties too. People, get a life. You are sick.

Answer 6

And now, for a reality check:

Brooks & Dunn, both registered Democrats, never publicly claimed they were supporters of Bush. They were paid performers. Jay Leno, a Libertarian, gets paid to perform in Vegas. Barbara Streisand, a die-hard Democrat, gets paid to perform and doesn't ask if the people in the audience are Republican or Democrat. Brooks & Dunn are paid performers. With the exception of the Dixie Chicks, few performers let their political preferences get in the way of a paid performance.

And if Obama used the song he did so with the permission of the songwriter. They either let him use it for free or he paid royalties.

When one of my plays is performed I don't ask if the backers are Ron Paul people or McCain people. I'm happy to have it performed and have the message be seen. When I sell a painting I don't ask to see the voting record of the person buying it. That's the facts of life for self-employeed creative people.

EDIT: At the time that Don Cook, the songwriter friend who wrote the song, a song also covered by many bands, like R.E.M., Brooks & Dunn were still registered Democratcs. If they changed parties afterwards then I apologize for not knowing that. I don't follow country music enough to notice that stuff. However, this would explain why Obama was able to also use the song because the songwriter owns the rights to it.

As too Brooks & Dunn being 'a shamelessly *Republican* band' it seems more like they're just another 'shamelessly opportunistic band', the types that jump to where they think the money is.

Answer 7

Personally I hope that the democrats make a clean sweep of this election cycle, run every one of those miserable, right wing, reactionary, neo-con artists out of Washington and as many of the 50 United States as possible....then they can play 'Happy Days Are Here Again' and John Prin's, 'Your Flag Decal won't Get You Into Heaven Anymore'!  That's the ticket!

Answer 8

Why Not?

Answer 9

Whoever said they were democrats is mistaken. A direct quote here:

"Strangely, Brooks tells me, the Bush rally favourite, Only In America, was penned by a Democrat songwriter for a shamelessly *Republican* band, only to be recycled for the campaign rallies of Democrat Barack Obama."

Answer 10

Democrat musicians throw temper tantrums when Republican candidates use their music, but Republican musicians couldn't give a rat's @ss when Democrat candidates use theirs.  You won't hear one snide word from Kix or Ronnie about this.