Clinton Hired a Goth Band? Rally Can't Fill Seats.

From Dana Milbank at the Washington Post:

On Tuesday night, Obama had packed in a capacity crowd of more than 18,000 at the Toyota Center in Houston, home of the National Basketball Association's Houston Rockets. But when Clinton emerged to speak at the 6,800-seat Dodge Arena here -- home of a minor-league hockey team -- rows and rows of empty blue seats awaited.

Organizers had pulled out all the stops: a two-dozen-piece mariachi band, Mexican dancers, a cowboy-cowgirl dancing act, a goth rock band, even a guy throwing out T-shirts and shouting "Who's excited?" But it was no use. In the top row of the arena, Jose G. Bustos, wearing a Clinton T-shirt and sticker, had Section 120 to himself. He surveyed the crowd. "We were expecting a little more," he said.

(Entire article at http://www.washingtonpost.com/...
More below.

O-kay, so the goth band isn't really the point.  I have a hard time believing that Clinton could rebound if people aren't even showing up to support her.  This is very telling if it is at all a reflection of the weakness or her ground game in general-- these speeches are where you recruit volunteers, after all.  

But I am pretty amused that she hired a goth band.    

•  Who was it?

  I can see it now...Bauhaus opening up for Hillary...with Bela Lugosi's dead blaring..hilarious!

  by indydem72 on Thu Feb 21, 2008 at 11:27:13 AM PDT

  •  I'd Pay To See That

    Bauhaus as the warm-up act is just about the only way I would ever consider going to a Clinton rally.

    Perhaps Clinton should consider an authentic Texas hardcore band for her next rally: The Butthole Surfers

    They could open with "The Shah Sleeps in Lee Harvey's Grave" - now, that would be creepy...

    by Noah Jenda on Thu Feb 21, 2008 at 11:33:08 AM PDT

    •  Reverend Horton Heat

      wouldn't be too bad either, or even Al Jourgensen with his side band RevCo.

      by indydem72 on Thu Feb 21, 2008 at 11:37:47 AM PDT

      •  I'd love to see

        Ministry at a Clinton event. The 70 year olds would love it!

        by Angry Vet on Thu Feb 21, 2008 at 11:53:23 AM PDT

        •  Yeah.....

          Could you imagine Stigmata blaring as Hillary approaches the stage.."Stronger than reason
          Stronger than lies The only truth I know
          Is the look in your eyes!" Or NWO blaring...That would be hilarious!

          by indydem72 on Thu Feb 21, 2008 at 11:58:18 AM PDT

          •  It would sound a bit like this

            Brings back memories of good ol' college days.

            by LionelEHutz on Thu Feb 21, 2008 at 12:53:10 PM PDT

            •  Same Here Lionel!!

              Some of the cool clubs that my friends and I used to frequent in Dayton, would play this, NIN, KMFDM, Nitzer Ebb, My Life with the Thrill Kill Kult

              by indydem72 on Thu Feb 21, 2008 at 05:25:55 PM PDT

        •  Something for Everyone

          Ministry could play "Jesus Built My Hotrod" - that should appeal to both the NASCAR dads and the religious conservatives.

          by Noah Jenda on Thu Feb 21, 2008 at 12:03:16 PM PDT

          •  You beat but I wasn't sure of the attribution. nt

            by duckhunter on Thu Feb 21, 2008 at 12:16:50 PM PDT

        •  Jesus built my hot rod - That's Ministry's right?

          Always loved that tune.

          by duckhunter on Thu Feb 21, 2008 at 12:16:06 PM PDT

          •  Great minds think alike...

            So what's our excuse?

            Seriously, I'm just happy to know that there are at least a few people here that share my oddball musical tastes.

            by Noah Jenda on Thu Feb 21, 2008 at 12:28:06 PM PDT

            •  I've wrecked cars to that song..... nt

              by duckhunter on Thu Feb 21, 2008 at 12:35:59 PM PDT

            •  Hell Yeah!

              Occassionally, I will bring out a little Ministry, My Life with the Thrill Kill Kult, Nitzer Ebb,Front 242, and others when I'm in the mood. I'm sorry but this blows away the crap that's out today on Alternative, I mean mainstream radio.

              by indydem72 on Fri Feb 22, 2008 at 05:51:04 AM PDT

        •  Ministry isn't exactly goth, more like

          hardcore on speed.  

          by LionelEHutz on Thu Feb 21, 2008 at 12:51:08 PM PDT

  •  Time to dial down

    the "Hillary is going nowhere" stories.  Time to give the Clinton supporters some space.  Time to act like an adult.

    by Night Runner on Thu Feb 21, 2008 at 11:33:30 AM PDT

    •  First, She's Gotta Stop Setting-Up the Jokes!

      some things are hard to resist.

      by Mr X on Thu Feb 21, 2008 at 11:37:06 AM PDT

      •  and setting up the staged cinema like the

        diner in ohio

        by TAPayne on Thu Feb 21, 2008 at 11:59:43 AM PDT

    •  I wish the primaries were over

      I'm ready for us to be back on the same page:  electing progressive dems.
      I inadvertently ticked off my hairdresser, a Clinton supporter, yesterday by telling her I'd voted for Obama here in UT.  She was lamenting that her other Dem clients had voted for Obama when he's just full of empty rhetoric; I had to disagree.  Today, my big mouth and I have a boy's haircut.
      So, yeah, Clinton supporters all over are hurting.  It's both kind and wise not to push their buttons.

      by middleagedhousewife on Thu Feb 21, 2008 at 11:40:40 AM PDT

      •  wait...are you saying she messed up your hair

        because you chose a different candidate than she did? When she brought up politics as a subject?

        I agree it's wise not to push buttons, but I would be looking for a new hairdresser :(

        by geejay on Thu Feb 21, 2008 at 11:56:35 AM PDT

        •  yeah, if it were anyone else

          I would, but
          I've known her 20 years;
          We are both political hot heads;
          I really should have known better than to argue with someone who had scissors in my hair;
          It's not that messed up, just a little more ... masculine than I prefer :)
          I'll forgive her this time.

          by middleagedhousewife on Thu Feb 21, 2008 at 12:06:19 PM PDT

          •  Battle scars ;) n/m

            by prefan on Thu Feb 21, 2008 at 12:57:00 PM PDT

          •  ok...I understand better

            a 20 year relationship with a hairdresser is a strong and powerful thing :)

            Sorry you two had a dispute, and point taken about handling those difference in opinions with care and consideration.

            by geejay on Thu Feb 21, 2008 at 02:30:42 PM PDT

      •  Vindication

        I am not defending it. But that's what it is.

        For those of us who have been Obama supporters the whole time, we've endured lots of early polls and "inevitability" and "false hope" and "empty rhetoric" memes shoved down our throats.

        We saw something back then and no one believed us. I personally was called childish, naive, and foolish. And that's just from my dad (who is still a Hillary supporter).

        I have tried as much as possible to abstain from retaliating now. But I would be lying if I said the temptation was not great.

        by MingPicket on Thu Feb 21, 2008 at 12:11:41 PM PDT

        •  I know

          but think of what Jesus/Obama would do....

          by Night Runner on Thu Feb 21, 2008 at 01:06:49 PM PDT

    •  I'll find that a lot easier to do

      after March 5. Right now there's a nomination to win. Not saying we need to bash Hillary supporters, but their candidate is still on the trail accusing Obama of plagiarism etc. So....until then I have no problem with a little bareknuckle (yet fair) politics.

      by dagnabbit on Thu Feb 21, 2008 at 11:55:27 AM PDT

    •  If HRC doesn't want to be a joke

      she needs to quit acting like one.

      by terryhutchinson on Thu Feb 21, 2008 at 12:13:45 PM PDT

  •  My guess

    is that Dana Milbank has no idea what "goth" is. He probably saw some people on stage wearing black, and filled in his mental blank with some word he'd heard his teenager use a few times.

    by Crisitunity on Thu Feb 21, 2008 at 11:49:30 AM PDT

  •  i'd go to see that!

    Athough I vote for "Silent Hedges":  What happens when the intoxication of success has evaporated?

    by vjlaqem on Thu Feb 21, 2008 at 11:58:36 AM PDT

  •  That's what I want to know

    Apart from anything, means I can play "spot the goth" by watching to see how many people instantly proclaim "But that's not a real goth band!"

    (And that's speaking as someone who owns far too many corsets and way too much eyeliner ;-) )

    by Myz Lilith on Thu Feb 21, 2008 at 12:20:43 PM PDT

  •  un-dead, un-dead, un-dead...

    the perfect campaign theme song for HRC, really.

    by RabidNation on Thu Feb 21, 2008 at 12:23:58 PM PDT

•  Hiring a goth band

  sounds like the only thing she got right at this rally.

  by ShadowSD on Thu Feb 21, 2008 at 11:27:24 AM PDT

  •  a goth band?

    is that the right entertainment choice for her target audience for this rally -- older Latinas in the Rio Grande Valley? Doesn't seem like a good match to me
    (But I'd be happy to see mariachi at any rally I'm attending)

    by terjeanderson on Thu Feb 21, 2008 at 11:29:40 AM PDT

    •  Maybe She's Trying to Make-Up for...

      that "Up With People/Jackson Five" campaign video.

      by Mr X on Thu Feb 21, 2008 at 11:33:45 AM PDT

      •  Have I not seen this one?

        Link?

        by MingPicket on Thu Feb 21, 2008 at 12:12:58 PM PDT

        •  It's In the Comments Below...

          HRC - Up With People!

          by Mr X on Thu Feb 21, 2008 at 12:43:18 PM PDT

          •  Oh, I have seen this lol

            Just haven't heard it called that.

            I refer to it as hillary for you and me

            by MingPicket on Thu Feb 21, 2008 at 12:57:08 PM PDT

            •  The Nasty Part is...

              it's hard to get that song out of your head...

              by Mr X on Thu Feb 21, 2008 at 01:00:11 PM PDT

              •  people really need to stop posting

                that. It is painful!

                by agnostic on Thu Feb 21, 2008 at 01:20:37 PM PDT

  •  My sentiment exactly n/t

    by history geek on Thu Feb 21, 2008 at 11:31:12 AM PDT

•  ouch!

  That article is kind of mean...

  I wish the media would back of Hillary and let her lose gracefully. We really don't need another New Hampshire...

  by jenontheshore on Thu Feb 21, 2008 at 11:28:09 AM PDT

  •  I don't think it was mean

    but I thought it was very sad. And I'm an Obama supporter.

    by yellowdog on Thu Feb 21, 2008 at 11:30:08 AM PDT

    •  with stories like this..

      She can cry herself a victory in Ohio.

      I'm an Obama supporter, and stories like this aren't helping at all. Maybe a little bias? I don't know - or care. All I see is this hurting everyone.

      by phillyPete on Thu Feb 21, 2008 at 11:35:47 AM PDT

      •  She can only cry herself from 35 points to 39

        That's no good in a two way election.

        by ShadowSD on Thu Feb 21, 2008 at 11:45:29 AM PDT

  •  Hillary won't lose gracefully, nor would she

    win gracefully.  She is not a graceful person, she is a street fighter.  

    She has refused to acknowledge Obama's wins against her in the primaries or has downplayed their significance.  Apparently she gave his a quick phone call after the last primary, but didn't acnkowledge the win publicly.

    Her lack of grace is telling.  There are certain rules, even in campaigning.

    by importer on Thu Feb 21, 2008 at 11:36:35 AM PDT

    •  But Obama can't win without

      her supporters.  Time to take a page from Obama himself.  he doesn't lack for grace.

      by Night Runner on Thu Feb 21, 2008 at 11:41:43 AM PDT

    •  Street fighter?

      Not quite IMO.

      She's a boardroom strategist. And a failed one at that as it's looking.

      A street fighter would have done a much better job of coming out swinging.

      She stepped into the fight already celebrating her victory.

      by thepdxbikerboy on Thu Feb 21, 2008 at 12:33:06 PM PDT

•  Goth band...heh

  Probably appropriate since her supporters will soon be wearing black too to mourn the death of her campaign.

  Maybe she should try going with something a bit more, shall we say, positive than Nine Inch Nails if she still hopes to defeat Obama.

  by cometman on Thu Feb 21, 2008 at 11:28:11 AM PDT

  •  Up With People!

    by The Dead Man on Thu Feb 21, 2008 at 11:32:50 AM PDT

    •  Thanks....

      I love that one!!  Much more positive, especially if you're going for the twelve year old demographic....

      by cometman on Thu Feb 21, 2008 at 11:38:17 AM PDT

    •  If you keep posting that, I'll go blind.

      Gawd, that's campy.

      by John Poet on Thu Feb 21, 2008 at 12:11:56 PM PDT

  •  It was sad

    Just sad, in a sad way, not a gloating way. Just sad.

    It was a brief speech but insufficiently inspiring. After she got to the part about health care ("I'm not going to leave anyone out; Senator Obama leaves out at least 15 million"), the mariachi band walked off the arena floor in single file and headed for the exit. After she passed the part about "alternative renewable energy" and announced her pleasure at having "the endorsement of the United Farmworkers Union," there was a steady flow of people from the arena floor and out the exit below Section 120.

    "There's nothing wrong with America that cannot be fixed once we have new leadership," Clinton called after them. "I will work my heart out for you and your families."

    They could have at least stayed until she was finished.

    by Grassroots Mom on Thu Feb 21, 2008 at 11:35:52 AM PDT

    •  :(

      I just want to give her a hug.

      by MingPicket on Thu Feb 21, 2008 at 12:14:56 PM PDT

      •  :)

        I just want to give her her layoff notice.

        by RabidNation on Thu Feb 21, 2008 at 12:27:16 PM PDT

•  If that was the Clinton rally in Hidalgo

  and I think it was, it bodes ill for the Clinton campaign.  The border is supposed to be her firewall, but as Obama is introduced to latino voters, they are hearing his message of hope and inclusion and he is beginning to cut into her supposed stronghold.

  Interesting times in S Texas for sure and the political activites are at a fever pitch.

  by blue armadillo on Thu Feb 21, 2008 at 11:28:36 AM PDT

  •  Yes

    It was the Hidalgo rally.

    by history geek on Thu Feb 21, 2008 at 11:30:05 AM PDT

  •  There's another article today

    on huffingtonpost covering yesterday's visit by Bill Clinton to Victoria to stump for Hillary:

    "It's a clusterfuck! Just a clusterfuck!" the Corpus Christi producer for a local news affiliate shouts into his cell phone. He's telling his boss that there will be no coverage of Bill Clinton's visit to Victoria for the 6 o'clock news. "Who's running this campaign anyway?" the producer asks, of no one in particular. "And now five hundred people have stomped away mad."

    The worst thing about an imploding campaign is that one's volunteers stop volunteering and don't show up anymore to help you do your events. Read the whole article. It was a hell of a mess.

    by GW Chimpzilla on Thu Feb 21, 2008 at 11:39:08 AM PDT

    •  Followed your link and finally read that

      Fowler piece in Huffpo.  Man, she can be a cruel writer:

      At that moment, twenty well-dressed elderly and middle-aged dignitaries and politicians exit the back of the local arts center and walk slowly for the intersection of Goodwin and Main. Presumably, they are Hillary Clinton supporters; however, given their dazed faces, they look more like commissars who have been turned out by the NKVD and cannot believe how suddenly their fortunes have changed.

      by Crashing Vor on Thu Feb 21, 2008 at 12:15:30 PM PDT

•  "We were expecting a little more"

  So were we, Jose. So were we.

  by droogie6655321 on Thu Feb 21, 2008 at 11:28:46 AM PDT

•  I'd go see the goth band

  and leave during the headliner.

  by indiemcemopants on Thu Feb 21, 2008 at 11:29:10 AM PDT

  •  Ha ha!

    Me too. Of course it depends on which goth band it is.

    by pattyp on Thu Feb 21, 2008 at 11:30:26 AM PDT

  •  Looks like they did.

    It was a brief speech but insufficiently inspiring. After she got to the part about health care ("I'm not going to leave anyone out; Senator Obama leaves out at least 15 million"), the mariachi band walked off the arena floor in single file and headed for the exit. After she passed the part about "alternative renewable energy" and announced her pleasure at having "the endorsement of the United Farmworkers Union," there was a steady flow of people from the arena floor and out the exit below Section 120.

    That's just sad; I feel bad for her.

    by sbdenmon on Thu Feb 21, 2008 at 11:31:09 AM PDT

    •  it is

      but change, positive change, doesn't mean bush, clinton, clinton, bush, bush, clinton, clinton for 7*4=28 years straight.  I was a young man before bush's and clintons monopolized our political system at the highest levels and I'm f'ing sick of it.
      Positive change means bush, clinton, clinton, bush, bush, obama, obama  though my preference was always kucinich but people hate elves for some reason.

      by FreeTradeIsYourEpitaph on Thu Feb 21, 2008 at 12:28:32 PM PDT

•  ...and Houston, Dallas, and Austin

  are where the majority of delegates will come from--not a good sign for her!!!  Maybe if Alice Cooper endorsed her, and she showed up in the whole make-up thing, or bit the head off a bat....

  by serrano on Thu Feb 21, 2008 at 11:29:43 AM PDT

  •  Please don't disparage Alice Cooper...

    He sings about Dead Babies and plays golf and was a guest on the Muppet Show.  He would never be cruel to animals.  That's Ted Nugent's schtick.  And Ozzie Ozzbourne bites the heads off bats.

    Now ends today's tutorial of past-their-prime cheesy seventies rock stars.

    by cometman on Thu Feb 21, 2008 at 11:42:11 AM PDT

    •  I'm Well Aware....

      Alice is here in Phoenix and now VERY Christian...has a very cool bbq place near Chase Field called Cooper'stown---servers are required to wear the weird make-up...

      by serrano on Thu Feb 21, 2008 at 12:09:39 PM PDT

      •  Cooper is born again now...?

        I'll never be able to watch muppet Show reruns the same way again....;)

        by cometman on Thu Feb 21, 2008 at 12:36:34 PM PDT

        •  Very Much So!!!

          He has opened a Christian Teen Center at Grand Canyon University, a Christian School....

          by serrano on Fri Feb 22, 2008 at 10:04:13 AM PDT

    •  I met Alice Cooper once

      Around the time of Wayne's World. He was very nice.

      by Oothoon on Thu Feb 21, 2008 at 02:06:45 PM PDT

•  re

  Yes we can(not fill an arena.).

  by cookiesandmilk on Thu Feb 21, 2008 at 11:29:46 AM PDT

  •  Americans Overseas Makes it Eleven....

    and counting...

    by serrano on Thu Feb 21, 2008 at 11:30:47 AM PDT

    •  re

      Fixed. Thank you!

      by cookiesandmilk on Thu Feb 21, 2008 at 11:31:31 AM PDT

    •  is that like Oceans' Eleven?

      loved the music.

      by agnostic on Thu Feb 21, 2008 at 11:35:26 AM PDT

•  Ouch

  It was a brief speech but insufficiently inspiring. After she got to the part about health care ("I'm not going to leave anyone out; Senator Obama leaves out at least 15 million"), the mariachi band walked off the arena floor in single file and headed for the exit. After she passed the part about "alternative renewable energy" and announced her pleasure at having "the endorsement of the United Farmworkers Union," there was a steady flow of people from the arena floor and out the exit below Section 120.

  "There's nothing wrong with America that cannot be fixed once we have new leadership," Clinton called after them. "I will work my heart out for you and your families."

  The Greeks weren't kidding about the price of hubris.

  by The Dead Man on Thu Feb 21, 2008 at 11:30:14 AM PDT

  •  Did she call out after them

    'Get back here if you want to remain significant!!!' ?

    by RobertInWisconsin on Thu Feb 21, 2008 at 11:40:53 AM PDT

    •  No, but Penn did n/t

      by middleagedhousewife on Thu Feb 21, 2008 at 11:41:49 AM PDT

•  Well, OK, but Hidalgo TX,

  which is where the byline is from, isn't exactly Houston.  Hidalgo has a population about about 7,000.  Hidalgo County only has a half a million people.  So, maybe not as bad as it sounds.  I mean, not great, but let's not assume Texas is Obama's just yet.  

  by Mother of Zeus on Thu Feb 21, 2008 at 11:31:36 AM PDT

•  A recording of "Signed, Sealed, Delivered" is ...

  ... much more cost-effective.

  by highfive on Thu Feb 21, 2008 at 11:31:37 AM PDT

•  Her campaign is in its death throes...

  ...so it's no real surprise that she'd get all dark and introspective on us.  

  by stevedubya on Thu Feb 21, 2008 at 11:32:10 AM PDT

  •  re

    We know where the voters are..

    They are in Houston,
    They are in Northern Texas,
    They are in and around Austin.

    Only they aren't going to vote for us...

    by cookiesandmilk on Thu Feb 21, 2008 at 11:34:41 AM PDT

•  tips. recs

  by history geek on Thu Feb 21, 2008 at 11:32:59 AM PDT

•  A goth band?

  So now she is going after the "teen angst" vote?

  Good luck with that.

  by nisleib on Thu Feb 21, 2008 at 11:34:43 AM PDT

  •  Goth is so early to mid

    90s anyway.

    If she wanted the teen angst vote she should've gone with the wrist-cuttingly bad emo bands.

    by indiemcemopants on Thu Feb 21, 2008 at 11:38:36 AM PDT

    •  OK I'm old.

      What's an emo band?

      by cometman on Thu Feb 21, 2008 at 11:42:59 AM PDT

      •  you're better off not knowing

        but if you want to get sick, just google "My Chemical Romance"

        by brocktunestudios on Thu Feb 21, 2008 at 11:50:30 AM PDT

    •  She should have brought in

      Jello Biafra..he would energize the crowds!

      by indydem72 on Thu Feb 21, 2008 at 11:46:26 AM PDT

      •  No, if she really wanted

        to excite people she would have used these people:

        by nisleib on Thu Feb 21, 2008 at 11:54:50 AM PDT

      •  jello

        could sing something off of "Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables."

        how strangely appropriate that would be.

        by RabidNation on Thu Feb 21, 2008 at 12:32:55 PM PDT

    •  Mexican kids love Goth Rock.

      odd but True. Morrisey is a favourite as well.

      by Salo on Thu Feb 21, 2008 at 11:57:07 AM PDT

      •  Morrissey

        is much more punk than goth, let alone goth rock. I'd also say it would be latinos in general since my current GF is a huge Morrissey fan.

        by Dreggas on Thu Feb 21, 2008 at 12:07:00 PM PDT

    •  Depends on the Goth

      Old-styled Marilyn Manson industrial-goth is so mid-90s. Newer stuff, which is much more metal-centric is still quite popular (see Nightwish, Lacuna Col, Kamelot and others), albeit more in Europe than in the States.

      by Practical Progressive on Thu Feb 21, 2008 at 11:57:50 AM PDT

      •  Manson isn't "goth"

        Old Style goth would be stuff like Bauhaus, Gitane Demone, Nosferatu, Christian Death, The Cult, Siouxsie & The Banshees, Alien Sex Fiend etc.

        Newer stuff such as Nightwish and Lacuna Coil are more the Dark/Doom Metal Genre (so is Type O Negative who are still around) but the newer Goth is more the Darkwave and EBM scene with groups like The Cruxshadows, Voltaire, Goth Minister, Blut Engel and others.

        I could go on and on about this. :)

        by Dreggas on Thu Feb 21, 2008 at 12:10:19 PM PDT

        •  Wow!

          I never thought I would see a WIG* on Daily Kos.

          (And especially not such a well informed one!)

          *WIG= What Is Goth? discussion... the bane of Livejournal and many other of my favourite lurking places!

          by Myz Lilith on Thu Feb 21, 2008 at 12:27:23 PM PDT

          •  hehehehe

            I also DJ and lucklily live where there's a very active scene (Los Angeles), don't get me wrong I love MM but he's not goth and even says as much.

            by Dreggas on Thu Feb 21, 2008 at 12:34:35 PM PDT

          •  It's always hilarious when DK crosses over...

            ... with other parts of the internet.  It's like a mashup, for websites!

            by vjlaqem on Thu Feb 21, 2008 at 01:34:00 PM PDT

•  Hillary

  the blue seats that were empty are going to vote Democratic anyway. You should only look at red seats. Or, wait. Whatever. I'm going to win, the nominee is going to be me. I'm Hillary Clinton.

  pssst. Mark Penn, spin this! Somehow! Anyhow!

  by The Mort Man on Thu Feb 21, 2008 at 11:35:51 AM PDT

•  Did She Have Black Fingernails?

  I could respect that...

  by Mr X on Thu Feb 21, 2008 at 11:36:01 AM PDT

•  Should have hired an Emo band...

  what with all the crying and such.

  Oh yea, I went there.

  by mtjohnson on Thu Feb 21, 2008 at 11:36:14 AM PDT

  •  Don't make me start pulling out whiny emo lyrics!

    /Linkin Snark

    by arielle on Thu Feb 21, 2008 at 12:00:33 PM PDT

  •  Emo is:

    turning down sex so you can go home and bitch about it on livejournal.

    - a friend of mine.

    by Dreggas on Thu Feb 21, 2008 at 12:10:57 PM PDT

•  The stops

  Organizers had pulled out all the stops: a two-dozen-piece mariachi band, Mexican dancers, a cowboy-cowgirl dancing act, a goth rock band, even a guy throwing out T-shirts and shouting "Who's excited?

  This I really find quite sad. It is pure political theater tailor made for what the campaign thinks their audience consists of. Completely stereotypical and almost insulting to the intelligence of the viewer. Also a huge waste of money.

  by greatn on Thu Feb 21, 2008 at 11:36:35 AM PDT

  •  And the thing is

    Sure, I'd like to see a mariachi band and a cowboy cowgirl act and mexican dancers, that would be awesome. I could deal with a goth band provided they were not the new fashionable Spencer's style of Goth.

    But the thing is the notion that because I'm a latino, because I'm texan cowboys and mariachis are what I want to see, is a little intellectually insulting.

    by greatn on Thu Feb 21, 2008 at 11:45:29 AM PDT

•  She's *in* the band, dude!

  by poblano on Thu Feb 21, 2008 at 11:37:04 AM PDT

  •  *shudder*

    I still can't watch that entire video.

    by Grass on Thu Feb 21, 2008 at 11:41:09 AM PDT

    •  I can

      mainly because I think the girl in that video is really cute.

      by greatn on Thu Feb 21, 2008 at 11:45:57 AM PDT

      •  Isn't that the girl from Dexter?

        I'd much prefer to watch that.

        by Grass on Thu Feb 21, 2008 at 11:47:48 AM PDT

•  Play nice people

  We want all of us to come together.

  by egarratt on Thu Feb 21, 2008 at 11:46:36 AM PDT

  •  I think many of us are simply laughing

    on the basis of a goth band showing up with a mariachi band at a campaign stop. To be honest, that's quite a reach for demos. If Johnny Lydon was running, I wouldn't be surprised, but I just don't see Hillary or any of the candidates having goth bands in their IPOD. I could be wrong, but it's a reach.

    by indydem72 on Thu Feb 21, 2008 at 11:51:30 AM PDT

•  Puh-Lease

  
  
  

  

  and Hidalgo ain't exactly LOS ANGELES.

  by dhonig on Thu Feb 21, 2008 at 11:48:34 AM PDT

  •  Is that LA?

    Cuz Obama lost California...

    by arquebus on Thu Feb 21, 2008 at 11:51:16 AM PDT

    •  Yup

      UCLA, in fact.

      by dhonig on Thu Feb 21, 2008 at 11:55:16 AM PDT

      •  empty seats in NJ for Obama too

        and he lost that state.

        So if events show - Obama might win Texas.
        But who knows?
        I think the Clinton campaign is making rookie mistakes right now. Very surprising to me.

        by phillyPete on Thu Feb 21, 2008 at 12:00:19 PM PDT

      •  And...

        Obama wasn't there, right?

        by RichM on Thu Feb 21, 2008 at 12:02:06 PM PDT

  •  On Superbowl Sunday

    That's pretty damn good.

    by lookit on Thu Feb 21, 2008 at 12:10:03 PM PDT

  •  Uh - please

    This was one rally where Barack Obama didn't appear.

    I'll give you an equivalent if you want one :

    Former President Bill Clinton appeared before an audience of 1,000 at the Stock Pavilion (old cow place) in Madison, WI last week.

    News reports mentioned that the audience was 'standing on hay and manure' and 'the smell of manure was in the air.'

    by RobertInWisconsin on Thu Feb 21, 2008 at 12:29:37 PM PDT

•  Looks like the end of the "Spinaltap" tour. n/t

  by jules4sail on Thu Feb 21, 2008 at 11:53:43 AM PDT

  •  "HELLO, HIDALGO!"

    by Crashing Vor on Thu Feb 21, 2008 at 12:19:05 PM PDT

    •  Easy One

      Hillary and Bill walking around the basement of the arena, unable to find the stage, with the old black janitor watching 'em with the evil eye.

      by pletzs on Thu Feb 21, 2008 at 12:46:59 PM PDT

  •  she can't afford the puppet show. n/t

    by RabidNation on Thu Feb 21, 2008 at 12:35:55 PM PDT

•  I'll feel sorry for her ...

  After she gives up, and can no longer cost us the election in the fall. And then, only for a short time.  She's Hillary Clinton, for God's sake.  Rich, famous, accomplished, a U.S. Senator.  She'll muddle through somehow.

  by Tuffie on Thu Feb 21, 2008 at 11:57:40 AM PDT

•  Dana Milbanks

  is a mean little journalist.  He's done similar jobs on Obama.

  by Hope08 on Thu Feb 21, 2008 at 11:58:03 AM PDT

  •  Mean?

    Give me a break.

    I work as a journalist and unless we are writing a column, we attempt to broker in facts.  That was a legitimate first-person account of the state of HRC's campaign in South Texas.  That is his JOB, people.  Mean or not. If that was how it was, that's how it was.

    As for that piece itself, he actually did a favor by humanizing her and her plight and succintly crystallizing an example of how the mighty can fall. It's a cautionary tale that the Obama campaign would do well to heed if he is indeed the nominee.

    by EntrWriter on Thu Feb 21, 2008 at 12:07:18 PM PDT

    •  I'll always remember him for this

      It was official: In Precinct 70, Obama's Children's Crusade defeated the Clinton machine and the Edwards populists.

      That's not brokering facts, that's trying to be funny and journalist "cool".  I find that all too common in the journalist/punditry.  Wapo

      by Hope08 on Thu Feb 21, 2008 at 01:13:21 PM PDT

      •  Punditry

        Isn't journalism.  Punditry is opinion.  It's the electronic equivalent of a columnist.  There was NOTHING out of bounds about his account of the Clinton rally.

        by EntrWriter on Thu Feb 21, 2008 at 02:42:59 PM PDT

        •  The lines are blurred

          and bleeding over.

          by Hope08 on Thu Feb 21, 2008 at 03:21:17 PM PDT

•  The band

  The band is called Vinyl Dharma. It looks like they are booked for a number of gigs with Chelsea's campaign stops.

  by Catte Nappe on Thu Feb 21, 2008 at 12:07:46 PM PDT

  •  Good Lord

    That's not "goth" in the least. I listened to a few songs on their MySpace page and they sound more like Keane than anything else: just kind of polished white-bread indie-rock. The bass is kind of high in the mix, so, to be charitable, maybe Dana Milbank thought they sounded kind of like Interpol, but I don't walk around thinking Interpol is goth either. Here's hoping he sticks to snarky political reporting and doesn't switch over to rock criticism.

    by Crisitunity on Thu Feb 21, 2008 at 12:17:04 PM PDT

  •  That's not goth!

    Unless,  y'know, everyone who sounds like Joy Division counts as goth!  (Then again, that's 80% of rock music right now.)  But thanks for figuring it out!

    by vjlaqem on Thu Feb 21, 2008 at 01:40:05 PM PDT

    •  The initial image was more fascinating

      Hillary Clinton with a goth band.

      by Catte Nappe on Thu Feb 21, 2008 at 02:21:23 PM PDT

•  As a goth

  I have to wonder just what band played there.

  by Dreggas on Thu Feb 21, 2008 at 12:13:07 PM PDT

  •  I think it was

    Stapled Eyebrow on the Edge of Glass

    by gnat on Thu Feb 21, 2008 at 12:36:18 PM PDT

    •  LOL nt

      by Dreggas on Thu Feb 21, 2008 at 12:38:47 PM PDT

•  Hubris Indeed