During last night’s Republican presidential debate, CNN’s John King asked Rep. Michele Bachmann (MN) to choose between a hip-swiveling corruptor of youth and a drug-addict who liked to pretend he was a hardened malefactor:
KING: Congresswoman Bachmann, to you, Elvis or Johnny Cash?
BACHMANN: That’s really tough. That’s really—both, both.
KING: Both?
BACHMANN: Yes.
KING: Both.
BACHMANN: I’ve “Christmas with Elvis” on my iPod.
I mention this in part because it’s funny that people who listen to Elvis’ Christmas songs think that they represent mainstream America better than people who invite Common to the White House. But also, given the latest brouhaha over Fox Business’ Eric Bolling pretending he is edgy and cool by referring to the White House as “the big crib,” it’s worth remembering that attacks on rappers are just racialized versions of the same old nonsense. This stuff is going to be hilarious and depressing in about 20 years when Common is on some white president’s Council on the Arts and Humanities and Republican candidates are telling folks they have Eric B. and Rakim on whatever the 20-years in the future equivalent of an iPod is.
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