Born in the U.S.A.

Pros	Cons
Memorable chorus            Patriotic-sounding/Americana (chorus)            Catchy and upbeat-sounding            Potential double meaning when talking about immigration policy	Lyrics of the verses don’t really match political agenda of GOP candidate           Lyrics are actually kind of a bummer            Bruce Springsteen probably would not approve/appreciate his song being used by a GOP candidate

Dear Candidate,

I am writing to caution you on your choice of campaign song. While "Born in the U.S.A." appears to be patriotic and upbeat on the surface and especially in the chorus, the actual content of the song may put off many of your potential voters. Nearly constant reference to the the Vietnam War and the emptiness/weirdness of life after returning (for example, "they put a rifle in my hand" and "they're still there, he's all gone") make Mr. Springsteen's discontent with that conflict quite clear. Therefore, the actual content of the song is not patriotic or right-leaning. I am also concerned that you may receive backlash from Mr. Springsteen himself, as he is not exactly known for his conservative views! I hope that this note will cause you to pause and reconsider your choice. Thank you for your time and consideration.

Respectfully,
Matthew

Extra Credit
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q65KZIqay4E
http://www.scoutsongs.com/lyrics/proudtobeamerican.html

Campaign Songs

Hello class! Please respond to the prompt below for this week's assignment:

You are the campaign manager of a Republican candidate running for president in the upcoming 2012 elections. The issue that the candidate is most known for is securing the United States' borders and containing illegal immigration. He wants to use "Born in the USA" by Bruce Springsteen as his official campaign song.

Is this a good song for him to use? What kind of characteristics do we want in a good campaign song? Please make a T-chart listing the pros and cons of using "Born in the USA" based on what you believe are important characteristics of a good campiagn song.

Afterwards, on the blog, please post your T-chart in a new entry.  If you cannot replicate a t-chart on the blog, please list the pros and cons from your T-chart and have your actual chart prepared for class.  Underneath in the same blog entry, please write a quick email to your candidate (no longer than 5 sentences) explaining why "Born in the USA" should or should not be the candidate's campaign song. Please cite a specific lyrics from the song to support your answer in the email.

Please keep in mind the characteristics of a good campaign song that we discussed in class as you construct your chart and email response. For extra credit, you may suggest another song for the candidate to use. Please include a link to the song (youtube videos are fine) and lyrics. "Born in the USA" and its lyrics are below.

Lyrics: http://www.brucespringsteen.net/songs/BornInTheUSA.html