From CNN to the New York Times, the media hyped Barack Obama's Portland, Oregon rally on Sunday, some comparing him to a rock star.
Unmentioned in national reporting was the fact that Obama was preceded by a rare, 45-minute free concert by actual rock stars The Decemberists. The Portland-based band has drawn rave reviews from Rolling Stone magazine, which gave their 2005 album Picaresque four and a half stars (out of five), and another four and a half stars for 2007's The Crane Wife.
How many of the people showed up to hear Obama, and how many to hear the band?
Here's how the local paper The Oregonian, which estimated the crowd at 72,000, reported the rally:
"Obama was the biggest star at Sunday's gathering -- though a popular Portland band, The Decemberists, provided the warmup act. With blue skies and temperatures in the 80s, many in the crowd said Waterfront Park was simply the place to be."
CNN headlined its 10 p.m. segment on May 18 with "Barack Obama: Achieving Rock Star Status in Oregon."
The New York Times, which ran a color photo of the crowd, estimated the throng at 75,000, noting that it was "the largest crowd of his campaign so far." There was no mention of The Decemberists, and the Times described the weather as "an unseasonably hot day."
Indie rock Web sites were abuzz with news of the impending concert, which was also announced on the Obama campaign's Web site.
Here's the report from the Indie rock Web site Pitchfork:
By land and by sea, they came to see the great man speak. An estimated 75,000 in all turned out to see presidential hopeful Barack Obama at Portland's Waterfront Park yesterday afternoon-- a record crowd for Obama's own campaign, according to The New York Times, and a record crowd for Oregon political events, according to The Oregonian. Just look at them all!
And hey, they got to see a pretty sweet opening act too. Calling themselves the Decemberists and led by lovably literate Steve Novick endorser Colin Meloy, this feisty fivepiece charmed the gathered for a good 45 minutes before Senator Obama took the stump. They even closed out with a sing-along entitled "Sons & Daughters", which had the masses joining the band to declare "Here all the bombs fade away..." Something tells me this Decemberists band is going places. Just like Senator Obama.
Here's how Pitchfork primed the pump for the concert/rally:
Indie rock's #1 candidate crush Barack Obama is sittin' quite a bit prettier than he was a few weeks ago when the Arcade Fire and Bruce Springsteen went to bat for him, but the dashing junior Senator hasn't quite clinched the Democratic party nomination yet. Next up on the primary agenda are Oregon and Kentucky, whose voters hit the polls Tuesday, May 20. Should Obama win a heaping majority of the delegates up for grabs that day, he'll be within inches of securing the hotly-contested nom.
And look who's arrived to give Obama the extra push he needs to get on the ballot in November. Why, it's none other than those kings and queens of the month after, the Decemberists!
There's nothing wrong with a candidate using celebrity power to draw a crowd, but the media have a responsibility to report their presence. By ignoring the free concert, the Times and other outlets made it appear that 75,000 people were drawn only by Sen. Obama's considerable charisma.
Photo illustration via Pitchfork.tv.
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Comments Policy
Slick. Very slick.
May 20, 2008 - 17:29 ET by mattmSlick. Very slick.
A very fine edge
May 20, 2008 - 17:37 ET by ThisnThatKinda like leaving the (D) off when it suits their purpose, isn't it?
___________________________________
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Maybe they will show McCain at a baseball game with 45,000 fans
May 20, 2008 - 17:40 ET by pearlMaybe they will show McCain at a baseball game with 45,000 fans
Think they will mention the Yankees?
Obama Town
May 20, 2008 - 17:44 ET by Agrarian-DecentralistHey, I'm in Portland, and it's a big Obama town. I've seen exactly ONE Clinton lawn sign for today's primary election. On a sunny day like Sunday, Waterfront Park was the place to be, and Obama could have opened with no group at all and still drawn a huge crowd. I seriously doubt that the Decembrists---whom I'VE never heard of---were a big factor.
As if we needed more proof
May 20, 2008 - 17:59 ET by Roger the ShrubberAs if we needed more proof that you have your head firmly secured in your tuchus.
Obama rally
May 20, 2008 - 18:05 ET by Robert KnightOf course Obama would have drawn a big crowd anyway. But the point is that the media should give a clear picture of the circumstances, which included a popular rock band that certainly drew some of the folks out.
Well, well, well. Who
May 20, 2008 - 17:49 ET by motherbeltWell, well, well.
Who said Obama was the biggest star? the Oregonian. I wonder if they surveyed the crowd.
Oh, sure, they all came to see Obama. I'm sure if he spoke before the
band played, half the crowd wouldn't have stayed for the band.
They could have mentioned
May 20, 2008 - 18:12 ET by balboaThey could have mentioned it, but I don't think The Decembrists were THAT big a draw. It's not like the reunion of the Beatles was beforehand or something.
Do a Search on the Decembrists
May 20, 2008 - 18:30 ET by MearlineThey start out their concerts with the Soviet National Anthem. DOUBLE good reason for the media to conveniently forget to mention their warm up for obama. Doesn't really say much for oregonians either.
Do you know why?
May 20, 2008 - 18:44 ET by balboaDo you know why?
More than likely, they
May 20, 2008 - 18:47 ET by Clear thinkerMore than likely, they think Obama will help with the following....
http://www.nationmakers.com/com_goals.htm
"Abstain from McCain"
I'm sure that's it...
May 20, 2008 - 18:55 ET by balboaI'm sure that's it...
these Decemberists are a bit out there
May 21, 2008 - 08:54 ET by chumpoaccording to wikipedia (fwiw) , they often open concerts with the Soviet National Anthem. check out a youtube clip of the soviet anthem playing at one of their concerts.
a further youtube search (search terms "decemberists obama") includes the frontman's obama endorsement lamenting 'the bourgeosie'--you know that annoying middle class.
did obama know the loony nature of this band? or was a big crowd photo op more important?
Decemberists use Soviet anthem
May 21, 2008 - 10:55 ET by Robert KnightThank you for bringing this to my attention. Here are the lyrics, courtesy of Wikipedia:
Unbreakable Union of freeborn Republics,
Great Russia has welded forever to stand.
Created in struggle by will of the people,
United and mighty, our Soviet land!CHORUS:Sing to the Fatherland, home of the free, Bulwark of peoples in brotherhood strong. O Party of Lenin, the strength of the people, To Communism's triumph lead us on! 2.
Through tempests the sunrays of freedom have cheered us,
Along the new path where great Lenin did lead.
To a righteous cause he raised up the peoples,
Inspired them to labour and valourous deed.CHORUS 3.
In the victory of Communism's deathless ideal,
We see the future of our dear land.
And to her fluttering scarlet banner,
Selflessly true we always shall stand!
This is a piss take. Right?
May 21, 2008 - 11:09 ET by Jack BauerThis is a piss take. Right? Secretly laughing at their braindead audience?
It cannot possibly be serious. What next? The glories of Nazi Germany, and paens to the Kristellnacht?
Maybe they need to spend a year or ten in a Siberian gulag living on deaddog soup.
did obama know the loony
May 22, 2008 - 21:50 ET by mister josephdid obama know the loony nature of this band? or was a big crowd photo op more important?
yes, but he didn't inhale. whoops, i mean, he did not have sexual relations with that woman. whoa, i mean, um, now that the world is coming out, he suddenly realizes he's against it, and never knew that 'Decemberists' is an allusion to Soviet history. Had he known that, and had the world not called BS on him, he never would have had them open for him in the first place.
Just make sure to leave his wife alone, leave her out of it!
Portland makes San
May 20, 2008 - 19:16 ET by greenfairiePortland makes San Francisco look like a bastion of flag-waving conservatism by comparison and I'm sure Obama would've drawn a big crowd anyway. The Decemberists might have helped attract a few thousand college kids and coffee house employees, but they're not The Rolling Stones on yet another reunion tour either.
No, I'm thinking the real big draw here was THE WEATHER. Portland is cold, rainy, and foggy most of the time. If it's warm and sunny, people will bask in its rare glow. If Obama also just happens to be there, swell.
I had a feeling that there was something missing
May 20, 2008 - 19:50 ET by TjexciteI thought it was a fair or concert. No mater how big Obama is they do not have the logistics for everyone to hear him speak. and then shake everyones hand to show he is not a out of touch elitist.
John Mellencamp too
May 20, 2008 - 20:34 ET by forestHis big rally a few weeks back in Evansville, Indiana happened to feature John Mellencamp singing too.
At first I wondered how he got such a big crowd in a fairly small city in southern Indiana until I saw John Cougar up there with his guitar.
Thanks for Clearing that Up
May 20, 2008 - 20:42 ET by ecnirPWhen I saw that picture I was sure I was missing something. Now, I know I was. After all, wasn't it last week that it was reported that on his visit to Cape Girardeau he was greeted by only a couple dozen supporters?
Sorry, but a little Decemberists research was required here
May 20, 2008 - 21:15 ET by DobbsyCheck out the size of the venues that the Decemberists play: all of their tour dates are for halls that hold around 1,500 people. Places like Spreckels Theater in San Diego and the Wiltern Theater in L.A. In other words, intellectual honesty demands that this notion that Obama wasn't the draw, but a little critics' fave alt-rock band was the main attraction be shown for what it is: BOGUS.
Dobbsy
May 20, 2008 - 21:21 ET by Free StinkerDobbsy,
Perhaps you have some links to back that up?
FREE concert, in a
May 20, 2008 - 21:54 ET by JerryFREE concert, in a beautiful PARK, on a georgeous SUNNY day, by a popular LOCAL band. You're right. Probably didn't help at all. Don't know why Obama would tolerate such a distraction.
When asked if he went to war with Iraq to derail the impeachment vote: “I don’t think any serious person would believe that any President would do such a thing." - President Clinton (Dec 1998).
Busted.
May 23, 2008 - 09:46 ET by Mike In IndianaAll the people who claim that "no one has ever heard of this group" fail to mention that two of their albums have been reviewed by the Rolling Stones Magazine. Apparently, they are a little more popular than the army of Obama-tards are trying to make them out to be, as they desperately try to put the genie back in the bottle. Too late!
The bottom line is, the media lied and tried to make Obama appear more popular than he is. Most people are able to see the loss of credibility here - except for the moonie-like followers of Obama, it seems. I mean, he's just a two bit con man in a good suit, and his followers realize this..right?
Y'all Are Wrong
May 20, 2008 - 22:45 ET by JoelCTThe truth of the matter is that the Decemberists are huge in Portland, their home town. Sure, they play small halls in Scranton, but they have three popular albums out with Capitol Records, not some small indie label. They come here to Austin for our festivals and pull large crowds. If they came here and played Zilker Park for FREE, you couldn't get within 20 miles of the Park.
I remember this guy from Austin who used to sell out anything he played in around here, long before anyone had heard of the band Double Trouble. I think in Portland, The Decemberists probably pull a similar crowd to those that Stevie Ray Vaughn used to pull in the late 70's in Austin.
No sir, that crowd came to hear the band. They hung around for the other stuff. And the media, especially the Associated Press, showed flagrant bias by not mentioning it. Here is an example of how the AP made it sound like it was just another rally for 'O':
http://news.yahoo.com/nphotos/slideshow/photo//080520/480/b3aef91f20aa4b02adcfa32f612f3106/
"Democratic presidential hopeful, Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., waves to supporters at Waterfront Park in Portland, Ore., Sunday, May 18, 2008. Obama is well known for his ability to draw a large crowd. But 75,000? In Portland, Oregon? The sea of people who converged in the park on the Willamette River was the largest rally for the Democratic presidential hopeful to date."
These people have NO shame when it comes to getting their guy elected.
Y'all can't count
May 21, 2008 - 16:54 ET by DobbsyDecemberists did three shows in Portland last year at the Crystal Ballroom for a total of 3,000 tickets sold. Either they are terrible capitalists or...Obama drew the crowd. Like the 15,000 folks who came to see him in Boise and 45,000 folks he drew in Philly. Oh, I think Hasselhoff might have been at those, hence the big numbers.
You can thump his policies and beliefs if you like, but don't fudge the stats to make your case. Just looks dumb.
The Decemberists are not capitalists.
May 22, 2008 - 08:15 ET by dios PrometheusThe Decemberists are not capitalists. They are anti-capitalists. Check out the YouTube of them singing words of the American Anthem to the tune of the Soviet Anthem.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zuV4iHakw50&feature=related
You'll get a better idea what Colin Meloy and his merry band members are about. The band has a musical history of mocking America and American ideals while using the imagery and language of Communism. Note the picture of Che on the Dollar bill in the Video.
yeah, right
May 22, 2008 - 08:16 ET by OldSailor88I'd be willing to bet my next check from the capitalist pig government that these people are VERY pro-capitolist when it comes to their revenue checks for their album sales. I'd like to see where they live. My thoughts are do as I sing and not as I do.
Noli habere bovis, vir!
The Decemberists? Never heard of 'em.
May 20, 2008 - 23:22 ET by R D HelmBut I can tell you, if these guys were to have done a show for Barry-O, I'd be tearing up a pair of $48/ea concert tickets at this very moment.
We are being smothered by government in this country. - Neal Boortz
I would be SO willing to bet
May 20, 2008 - 23:31 ET by MearlineThat the wonderful picture of Barry in front of that huge crowd was taken within a few moments of the band leaving and Barack coming on stage. I'd be willing to bet they were leaving by the hundreds as he gave his hope and change rally speech.
"...led by lovably literate
May 20, 2008 - 23:47 ET by scamorama"...led by lovably literate Steve Novick endorser Colin Meloy..."
This is the same Steve Novick that has essentially called Obama an empty suit.
Oh, the irony!
Delicious!
In other news, Earl Scruggs
May 21, 2008 - 14:53 ET by SickofLibsIn other news, Earl Scruggs played banjo to a crowd of 75 at a Hillary rally at Peckerwood Downs, Kentucky.
*golf clap*
May 21, 2008 - 20:02 ET by Roger the Shrubber*golf clap*
Unfreakinbelievable
May 21, 2008 - 19:39 ET by Kathleen McKinleyEverytime I think I can't be surprised by the bias of the media, they do it...they surprise me more.
Ahem...I was at the 'concert' in Portland
May 31, 2008 - 14:56 ET by DooperI can guarantee you that 90% of the people there had no idea there was going to be live music and 99% would have attended anyway. The Decemberists (they're a folk band) played on a stage off to the side and in the shade for about an hour before Obama spoke. Most of the people there couldn't even see them. So this idea that somehow Obama had used a free 'concert' to misrepresent his popular support is ridiculous. People came out because it was a beautiful day and it was an 'event.' You can also point to the fact that Portland State University is located within walking distance of downtown and PSU has a larger enrollment than the University of Oregon and Oregon State. Yes, Obama does rally students.
Local Rock Group NOT the main attraction
June 9, 2008 - 09:57 ET by Truth_LightAs a Portland resident, I can testify to the fact that the main draw was NOT the band that preceded the speech. People stood in line for hours, from all walks of life, and age groups. Most I talked to, didn't even know the name of the band that was to open first. This local band, which now has national fame, still makes local appearances and has never drawn such a crowd as was witnessed for Obama. Believe it or not, Sen. Obama has a charisma, intelligence, and wisdom that strikes a visceral chord with folks of all ages, race and backgrounds. Wise up, get on board, and become a true patriot for this country.
I am an Honorably discharged USAF veteran, whose father and grandfather fought for our country. Shame on you chicken hawks who cry loudly for war without sacrificing anything meaningful for your country. That's the end of my rant and flame me all you want, maybe it will ease your conscience.
I've sacrificed more meaninfully than Obama
June 9, 2008 - 10:10 ET by Dee BunkI've given a larger % of my money to charity than he has in the past and the bulk of my charity has gone to people in need (including soldiers) not some race bating church that I used as a political stepping stone.
What has he done? You have a false Idol who is full of empty rhetoric. But he sure is cute!
I've sacrificed more meaninfully than Obama
June 9, 2008 - 10:42 ET by bassndudeI think it is safe to say, we have all done that. As a matter of fact, sitting here thinkging about it. My grandkids have sacrificed more than the Obama's. And given more to charity. Comparative to income that is.
Save a SeAL, club a liberal!!
Right Bass - Most of us have sacrificed more than the Obama's
June 9, 2008 - 15:19 ET by Dee BunkIncluding the Bush's.
chickenhawks
June 9, 2008 - 10:43 ET by DontFeedTheTrollsShame on you chicken hawks who cry loudly for war without sacrificing anything meaningful for your country.
Could you please link to these so-called 'chickenhawks' you have discovered here in the couple weeks you have been registered. Name names if you dare.
D
Keep the ILLEGALS out, join NumbersUSA to send free faxes to your reps.
Wow. Did you manage to keep
June 9, 2008 - 13:11 ET by Roger the ShrubberWow. Did you manage to keep that erection down while you wrote that? Impressive homoerotica.
Truth_Light, Obama is actually nothing more than a Marxist...
June 10, 2008 - 22:32 ET by R D Helm...retread who only strikes a chord with government-schooled myrmidon supporters of the Nanny State, most of which are too stupid to hold jobs in the private sector.
How you can say a true patriot would ever support confiscatory tax rates that will ultimately put many low to middle income people out of work, not to mention putting together a national fingerprint database, which the freedom-hating Barack Hussein Obama is on record as supporting, proves that you are utterly ignorant when it comes to the concept of true freedom.
And your contention that coming on board for Barry-O somehow makes one a "true patriot" is truly one of the stupidest comments I have ever seen posted here at NB.
OMG...I saw the light with
June 10, 2008 - 22:50 ET by bigtimerOMG...I saw the light with Truth Light...
Just another troll.
....Easy to tell when he referenced wisdom in regards to Obama.
"Never murder your opponent when he is committing suicide." ~ W. Wilson
"still makes local appearances"
June 10, 2008 - 23:00 ET by mastersofdeceitReally? For free?