Red, White And Beyonce
Jerome Campbell on Thursday, Jun. 30th
Since taking office, and tackling a long list of issues, President Obama does not have the same dazzling presence he once had in 2008. Lending a little star power, pop diva Beyonce Knowles has started campaigning for the Obama 2012 ticket.
Beyonce recently spoke with Piers Morgan of CNN about her support for Obama’s re-election (via Rolling Stone):
“I did the first time and I will again,” the singer told CNN’s Piers Morgan, “I think he’s doing a great job. I think he’s fantastic,” she said. “I think he needs another term, he needs more time.”
With the re-election quickly approaching, Obama could use a top artist to regroup his youthful voters for his second election. Many attribute a large portion of Obama’s success in 2008 to the rallying of young Americans to voting stations. According to CIRCLE, 23 million young Americans under the age of 30 voted in the presidential election, with 66% in support of Obama.
As Obama prepares for 2012 and the growing youth voter population, he will need a couple more tricks to recruit the youth to his side.
The National Journal reports that Obama’s approval rating dropped 10 percent since 2008. According to the New York Times, this occurred because Obama may not be as “cool” as he once was in 2008. A professor of politics describes Oberlin students’ judgment of Obama after hosting a symposium on “Oberlin-based Perspectives on the Obama Presidency”:
“It started hot and heavy,” he said. “And with extremely idealized notions. Then a reality dawned in the way that a once charming laugh becomes an irritating giggle: He’s a politician who no longer corresponds to the grand ideas that many students had in their heads about him. And that’s deflating and disheartening for them.”
Now, what is better than having an international superstar to help revitalize young voters? Beyonce has over one billion albums sold, and 25+ million followers on Facebook and Twitter, the Rolling Stone article points out. With such a wide fan base, Beyonce could be a valuable tool for Obama to reconnect with the youth.
Beyonce isn’t new to campaigning. She sang at Obama’s inauguration and inaugural ball in 2009. She also remixed her club-banger “Get Me Bodied” for Michelle Obama’s “Let’s Move” campaign for childhood obesity.
Now that Obama has Beyonce in his back pocket, could the anthem queen come up with a song for Obama’s campaign? Or better, another earth-shattering music video like Single Ladies? I’ll be keeping an eye out for that.
