Where's the love?

Last week, Team McCain posted a montage of media personalities fawning over Democratic nominee Barack Obama on its website and YouTube channel. Called "Obama Love," the fundraising video asked viewers to choose which song--Frank Valli's "My Eyes Adored You" or "Can't Take My Eyes Off You"--served as a more stirring accompaniment for the footage. It immediately amassed 260,000 views and rocketed to the top Unruly Media's presidential campaign viral video chart. And then, as quickly as it appeared, "Obama Love" vanished into the ether. (Or would it be e-ther?)

Turns out the music was to blame. As the good folks at Wired magazine report, the McCain campaign failed to license Valli's hits--a pricey but, alas, necessary move--and the Warner Music Group asserted its copyright claim against YouTube, eventuating the takedown. Wired notes that "it's ironic that a United States senator, who has been part of a body that has so repudiated the idea of fair-use, is feeling the repeated stings resulting from its own legislative history." But we here at Stumper headquarters think that the more interesting--and/or hilarious--story is McCain's utter inability to find a single rock star willing to associate his or her songs with the campaign.

Regular readers will recognize that this isn't the first time McCain has received the cold shoulder from the music industry. Earlier this year, ABBA nixed McCain's attempt to use "Take a Chance on Me" (a personal favorite) at his rallies. "We played it a couple times and it's my understanding they went berserk," the candidate confessed. John Hall, formerly of the 1970s band Orleans and now a Democrat­ic congressman from New York, wouldn't let McCain use “Still the One." When hardline Dem John Mellencamp learned that McCain was blasting "Pink Houses" before events, he requested that the Republican cease and desist. Shortly thereafter, McCain settled on "Johnny B. Goode" as his signature song. "It might be because it is the only one [the artist] hasn't complained about us using," he said at the time. But Chuck Berry quickly came out for Obama. While Will.i.am, Arcade Fire, the Decemberists, the Grateful Dead, Macy Gray and Wilco have personally serenaded Obama fans at campaign events, McCain's musical support has been limited to octogenarian composer Burt Bacharach and one half of the novelty country duo Big & Rich. Even the reliably Republican Ted Nugent is no fan. "McCain seem[s] to be catering to a growing segment of soulless Americans who could care less what they can do for their country, but whine louder and louder about what their country must do for them," says the Motor City Madman *(who has the same criticism for Obama)*. "That is both un-American and pathetic."

What gives? In 2000 and 2004, the twangy, evangelical George W. Bush boasted his fair share of backing bands. But nearly all of them were either Christian (Third Day, Michael W. Smith), country (Travis Tritt, Larry Gatlin, Billy Ray Cyrus) or ultra-conservative (Nugent). A relative moderate, McCain isn't particularly comfortable with any of those constituencies--and more importantly, they're not particularly comfortable with him. Now, it's not like celebrity endorsements translate into votes. In fact, the Annenberg Public Policy Center found in March that "the endorsement of presidential primary candidates by notable groups and individuals carries little weight with the public." But famous musicians can help in other ways--namely by raising money. In 2004, Bruce Springsteen, who now supports Obama, raked in more than $10 million for John Kerry with an October swing-state tour, and this April a pro-Clinton Elton John concert vacuumed up $2.5 million in one night. McCain could use that kind of cash.

What's more, a good tune coupled with a clever idea can also work wonders online--as the original "Obama Love" proved. On Saturday, the McCain campaign reposted the video, substituting a generic, sax-heavy doo-wop track for Valli's swooning, falsetto-laden classics. A Jersey boy myself, I have to admit: there was no thrill going up my leg this time around. And the crowds, in their infinite wisdom, seem to agree. So far, the revised clip has received only 9,970 views.

Ain't that a shame.

*Updated 5:32 p.m.