2. The Disco Manifesto
Catching Fire With America
• Political analysts and
commentators have
expended a great deal of
thought and time to
explaining the causes
behind the Republican
Party’s victory in the
House of Representatives
in 2010.
3. • This so called “miraculous
turnaround” is presented as a
backlash against President
Obama’s healthcare reform
initiative –which, for the record,
I wholeheartedly support – it is
also presented as a rejection of
Democratic failures to fix the
recession (begun, I might add,
by the policies of the Bush
administration). But these
analysts are wrong, my friends.
Their ideas could not be farther
from the truth.
4. • The American people voted
the way they did to express
nostalgia for better times.
Faced with the truth of an
America that appears to have
lost its ability to realize the
“Can Do” spirit of the past
Americans turned to the
political party that reminded
them of better times, happier
times, and more prosperous
times.
5. • The America of 2010 is not the
America of 2000, or the America
of 1990, or even the America of
1980. No, my friends, Americans
are nostalgic for the 1970s, for an
age when American imperialism
and economic global
preeminence was supreme.
America voted for Republicans
because the people erroneously
believed that Republicans best
emulate the values and spirit of
America’s greatest moment in
history: that moment is the era of
DISCO.
6. • Republicans are viewed as
the closest group to Disco.
John Boehner’s hair alone
contains enough
brylcream to use on all of
the original BeeGees with
enough left over for Barry
White and all the members
of the Hue’s Corporation.
And John Boehner’s tan –
do I really have to explain
that?
7. • Disco evokes a simpler, less
complicated age when
intellectual angst was the name
of a British band, and the
ideological divide was an
emerging disco group playing
in Los Angeles clubs. There
was a common sense of hope
and a faith in the future, and
this is reflected in Disco lyrics.
I need only quote the great
Gloria Gaynor’s anthem to
disco: “I will survive, I will
survive, I’ve got all my life to
life and all my love to give, I
will survive.”
8. • This is a simple statement
of simple and direct values
– the same things
Republicans profess to
represent. President
Obama must learn from
the Republican house
victory and recognize that
Americans want to return
to the days of disco. The
Democratic Party must
become the true Party of
Disco and expose the
Republicans as Muzak
wrapped in Disco’s
clothing.
9. • I am not suggesting that
the President install a
crystal light ball in the
Lincoln bedroom. But
maybe a Presidential medal
of freedom could be
awarded to Gloria Gaynor.
Perhaps a state dinner at the
white house could feature
the music of Donna
Summer. The hope and
optimism of Disco, as
exemplified by its upward
salute of raised hand and
extended index finger could
point the way to a
resurgence of America.
10. • When the President makes
his state of the union
speech in January 2011 I
hope he reminds America
that Disco is back, and
back with a vengeance. He
can make a fist with his
right hand, extend his
index finger, touch his
shoulder, and quickly
raise his arm to point
towards the sky, which
will be the direction of
America’s recovery.
11. • My friends, join me as I
leave you with a disco
salute. Place your right fist
on your left shoulder,
extend your index finger,
and in a gesture like a
graph of the resurging
Dow Jones average, sweep
it upwards toward the sky
and say “I will survive.”
