Happy Hallowe'en Obama & McCain...Artistic Director BILL KING Weighs In

Bill King, Artistic Director
Beaches International Jazz Festival
The Toronto BBQ & Blues Festival

I don't think anyone here missed a step. I think some people are beyond control. McCain had to know he was warming up to the Wasilla Hillbillies. [Sarah Palin] was Rush Limbaugh's...mindless pick! It smelled from the beginning. She wouldn't even appear next to other Republican senators who were pro-choice...

Indiana-born and multi-award-winning pianist-composer-publisher-producer-broadcaster Bill King once opened for The Beach Boys, was once music director for Linda Ronstadt, Janis Joplin and Ronnie Hawkins and the Hawks; has toured all over the world with The Pointer Sisters, has worked with jazz greats Oscar Peterson and Herbie Hancock, and now, in addition to his artistic directorial duties for two festivals, does his Saturday Nite Fish Fry's “Jump, Shout, Rock Da House”, and The Rockit 88 Band’s “Too Much Fun”. Also an accomplished photographer with newspapers such as The Globe & Mail, Toronto Star, Toronto Sun, Eye Weekly, Music Scene International and numerous other music magazines; King spends his "spare" time producing musical groups such as Young Divas.

Below, King continues about the U.S. election:

McCain could have given Obama a serious fight if he had picked Chuck Hagel. Instead, he meekly gave in to the whack jobs of the far right. The world is vastly different than it was four years back. McCain let the evil side of the Republican party direct his campaign. It was the act of a desperate old man who wanted to win at all costs. ...Palin...actually believed she deserved the privilege to inhabit the White House....

As the euphoria wears Obama will face a daily rush of impossible tasks. I don't envy him. There's enough overwhelming problems to keep him busy for decades to come. Obama is no saviour; there's no such thing, but he does bring intelligence and hope to an otherwise depressing political system. [Look for] Caroline Kennedy may get the UN nod and Robert Kennedy EPA.

~
Friends of The Giant Baby:
Does it make them look better to come out against Palin? Not to say that specific items wouldn't have come out eventually, but where is the class in this type of behaviour? How about a simple: Certainly, we'll review how we did things this time in hopes of winning next time. It's not just publicity, it's the much more important public relations.

Still, despite all of this, there's no getting around McCain wanting to suspend his campaign in order to save the economy. This made about as much sense as Hillary Clinton's refusal to suspend her own campaign when Obama won. Such a copout. And McCain thinking that he's looking heroic by acting like he's in the middle of a war. How calm and cool Obama was instead: a true test. And McCain not even consulting with the Senate before making such a ridiculous decision.

Otherwise, we have noticed that some people aren't really listening to Obama's speeches. He offers hope, not illusions. He consistently asks: What can You do? He regularly talks about how challenging his presidency will be. Don't people believe this yet?