- My book: Bayesian Analysis for the Social Sciences (Wiley; Amazon).
- 111th U.S. Senate ideal point estimates:
- 111th U.S. House ideal point estimates:
- Next Australian election, Centrebet prob. of ALP win: 0.78 (2010-02-10, time-series)
I never tire of this, Marvin Gaye at the 1983 NBA All-Star Game. It got an unearthing in Nike commericals during the summer Olympics, and Bruce Western and Jo McKendry reminded me of its brilliance during a recent Boston trip.
The contemporary, political resonances are unmistakable: a black man thrilling a crowd with a soulful, very personal version of the national anthem. From Obama’s nomination speech (remember that, in the pre-Palin phase of this campaign?):
So let us agree that patriotism has no party. I love this country, and so do you, and so does John McCain. The men and women who serve in our battlefields may be Democrats and Republicans and independents, but they have fought together, and bled together, and some died together under the same proud flag. They have not served a red America or a blue America; they have served the United States of America.
So I’ve got news for you, John McCain: We all put our country first.
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I can’t help but point out the contrast to “the” other famous version of the national anthem performed by a black man (wearing a white suit). Hendrix at Woodstock. A totally different feel, a totally different set of signifiers. From the 60s to the 80s to … the early part of the 21st Century … it’s an interesting question: how have black artists rendered the national anthem and why? Not a bad exam question for the musicology part of my course on America in the 1960s! There’s a lot of history there — and anyone who claims Obama is “only half black” should think about this question and listen to these pieces of music. It’s all in the identity and that — that — is constructed. Marvin Gaye had a different experiene with America than Jimi Hendrix did … than Barack Obama did … but they’re all black in America.
Comment by Lynn Vavreck — Thursday September 18, 2008 @ 10:42 pm
Doh. Hendrix!
And going in another direction (temporally, culturally), there’s Whitney Houston’s Superbowl version too. Thats a killer too. And she’s apparently effortless as she simply slays it. Add that to your exam.
Plus Beyonce.
Comment by Simon Jackman — Thursday September 18, 2008 @ 10:51 pm