Ruining it For Kids 4 Obama

Mo Rocca, not long ago, wrote a very popular story about the "Sing For Change" video. Unfortunately, by the time I got to read it, the video was no longer available. It had been taken off of YouTube, and the website, singforchange.com, has been taken down. (You can still visit Singforchange.org, which seems like a good cause.) In Mo's piece, he observes that the video is "eerie," and likens the song to a prayer.

I've also been meaning to check out Kids for Obama, which a friend and Obama opponent says is some kind of cultish pediatric brainwashing academy. Her exact terms were "creepy" and "inappropriate." I haven't located the "Kids for McCain" website, but it probably has songs about moving out of the basement and remembering to fill the car up after you borrow it.

Well, I tracked down a rogue copy of "Sing For Change," I visited the Kids for Obama website, and I found a recent "news report" on the singing video. I want to break each of these down for you, but let me summarize first.

After reviewing all of the evidence, I will grant Mo his point of view. Especially through the eyes of a humorist, I can definitely see what he's talking about. As for my friend's view of the Kids for Obama site, I can also see where she's coming from, in a more measured way.

There's one point of view that I disagree with, and there's one that hasn't really been considered. The one I disagree with, and which leads me to the central theme of this piece, is Bill O'Reilly's. Let's start there.


I'll get back to Billo later. Here's the original video:



Here is a video that is featured on the Kids for Obama site.



OK, let's take this apart a little. I can see how someone who was inclined to dislike Obama would see something disturbing about the singing video. If they were singing, "McCain's gonna foster job creation through corporate tax cuts..." I'd be disturbed, too.

I can also see the same person feeling similarly disturbed about some of the things on the website. There's a separate issue that I have about that, which I'll get to later. Right now, I want to address this notion of "brainwashing," and the "Obama Youth" hyperbole.

If you don't like Barack Obama, you obviously wouldn't want your kids to participate in that singing video. But these kids weren't spirited off to that site by force. Their parents obviously approved. So, now, the question becomes "Do these parents have the right to have their kids sing a song for Barack Obama? Are they harming their kids?"

The answer to that is, "Of course not." The idea that teaching some kids a song somehow constitutes brainwashing or indoctrination is offensive, at least. In fact, I would guess that these kids admire Barack Obama, and looked forward to him hearing ther song.

The problem with the video is that it plays into the cynical and meritless narrative that Obama has some kind of Messiah complex. As sweet as Obama probably thought that video was, someone had to take that music teacher aside and say, "Sorry. Not helpful."

In reality, a lot of people have a deep admiration for Senator Obama, for a variety of very good reasons. It doesn't make them "Kool-Aid drinkers" or mindless "O-bots." If Senator Obama shares their values, it is only natural that they would share their admiration for him with their kids.

The video from the "Kids for Obama" site should disabuse the notion of "brainwashing," anyway. While the kids don't have cabinet-level chops, they make at least as good a case for Obama as Palin does for McCain.

Looking at the rest of the "Kids for Obama" site, I do have to agree with my friend a little bit. I wouldn't call it "inappropriate," but it is a little tone deaf.

Do you feel like you want to get involved in the political process but you don't know how? Do you feel like there's something important coming up in the Presidential elections? Get involved in KIDS FOR OBAMA! Studies have shown that kids can affect their parents and their siblings' opinions and even change the opinions of older family members . . . including those of voting age. Are you still with me? Great, Let's get started!

• Draw a picture of Senator Barack Obama or "an expression of Democracy". For example, the Senator sitting in the White House or working on Capitol. Hill. You can send your drawing to the Obama for America Campaign Headquarters in Chicago and it will be posted for the Senator to see.
• Implement T-Shirt Thursday. Get friends to wear an official Obama for America T-Shirt to school.
• Take an adult (voting age) to the polls on Election Day and encourage them to vote for you, by voting for Senator Obama.
• Host a Senator Barack Obama House Party or sleep-over.

I think this site suffers because it tries to speak to parents, kids, and really young kids all at the same time. Most 5 year olds would say, "Studies show that I don't know what the frak 'implement' means."

The point here is that children have very little opportunity to make their voices heard, and are given very little credit for having something to say. This can only continue the cycle of rampant apathy that has crept over the electorate over the years.

When I was in grammar school, I wrote a letter to President-elect Jimmy Carter to tell him how happy I was that he was a born-again Christian. That was an issue that I cared about. If I had been given the opportunity to buy some "cool Jimmy Carter gear," I would've been all over that.

On the flip side, the cornerstone of protecting children is the idea that they lack the capability to make certain decisions for themselves. Protecting kids from expressing admiration for aomeone who is legitimately seen as a transformative figure and a symbol for a set of beliefs is pretty low on the list.

Make fun, if you must. The kids seem to be pretty good sports. But to infer something innately sinister, just to advance a cynical political narrative, kinda ruins it for them. "Sorry, Cindy. Your song for Barack Obama hurts his candidacy because Bill O'Reilly thinks it reminds him of nazis....Who are the nazis? Well..."

That a-hole Bill O'Reilly gave up any right to a point of view here when he said that children like to be forcibly raped, as long as they get some Playstation out of the deal. To be fair, he seems to be saying that the rape is tolerable and the Playstation is the fun part that makes it all better than being with your "old parents." So raping a child makes you his parent.

Besides, what's with that "creepy, inappropriate" brainwashing tool, "The O'Reilly Factor for Kids?"

You see how this works?

In case anyone thinks this is some kind of partisan apologia, I will tell you that I also didn't like the use of those little kids pulling wagons, with tiny body bags in them, in support of SCHIP. I also couldn't stand that MoveOn "little Alex" ad.

There is legitimate ground on which to fight this battle for the White House. The candidates' policy positions, voting records, strength on the issues you care about. Trying to make hay out of some enthusiastic kids? Not so much.

Tommy Christopher co-hosts "Unusable Signal",on BlogTalkRadio, Tues through Thurs at 10pm, and Fri, and Sat at 11pm. (Eastern) Click here for the Unusable Signal homepage.