Horserace
July 30, 2008 1:48 PM

Rapper Ludacris Hypes Obama, Knocks McCain

By
Scott Conroy
Topics
In The News
Grammy Award-winning rapper Ludacris has released a new song called "Politics: Obama is Here", in which he disparages Hillary Clinton, Jesse Jackson and John McCain but has nothing but praise for Barack Obama, whom he asks to make him his vice president or give him "a special pardon if I'm ever in the slammer."

Ludacris, who has clashed with Fox News' Bill O'Reilly and Oprah Winfrey in the past, uses some irreverent language in the new song and encourages black Americans to propel Obama to victory and "paint the White House black."

The rapper saves some of his harshest critiques for McCain: "McCain don't belong in any chair unless he's paralyzed."

Update: The Politico's Ben Smith reports the Obama campaign has condemned the Ludacris song.

"As Barack Obama has said many, many times in the past, rap lyrics today too often perpetuate misogyny, materialism, and degrading images that he doesn't want his daughters or any children exposed to," said spokesman Bill Burton. "This song is not only outrageously offensive to Senator Clinton, Reverend Jackson, Senator McCain, and President Bush, it is offensive to all of us who are trying to raise our children with the values we hold dear. While Ludacris is a talented individual he should be ashamed of these lyrics."

  • Scott Conroy

    Scott Conroy is a National Political Reporter for RealClearPolitics and a contributor for CBS News.

Add a Comment See all 41 Comments
by iq161 August 2, 2008 4:25 PM EDT
Country music outsells all other music combined.

The reason people listen to this filth is because it''s all they know.
Six, seven generations of welfare, drug dealing and gang-banging, and no father figures, has created this sick and perverted sub-culture which believes that the way to overcome is to be more violent, both in word and deed.

Anyone who calls this *** music is as uneducated (Or as evil) as the thugs that spew it.

Song began as a way of lifting our eyes towards the heavens and giving thanks... But these people would clearly rather praise the darkest most depraved elements of our crumbling society.

Good job people!
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by eghtball August 2, 2008 3:23 PM EDT
Where is this country going with people wanting to vote for a man who continuosly shows no respect for the U.S. flag or it''s troops. This song to me shows that many in the black community are pro Obama only because of his skin color. Now tell me how is that change America can believe in?
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by jingerk August 2, 2008 12:03 PM EDT
I am made that Obama hasn''t said anything about this personally, like it has not importance. Also I am made at the main stream media because no one is talking about this, I watched CNN all day and fox news just barley said anything about it. It just proved what you have been saying all along, the media is not being impartial in this election.
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by jingerk August 2, 2008 12:02 PM EDT
I am made that Obama hasn''t said anything about this personally, like it has not importance. Also I am made at the main stream media because no one is talking about this, I watched CNN all day and fox news just barley said anything about it. It just proved what you have been saying all along, the media is not being impartial in this election.
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by scbell27 August 1, 2008 7:25 PM EDT
What i don''t understand is, why is being turned into a "Black" and "White" issue? We as the american people need to focus on the issue at hand!! Ludacris is such a hypocrite!! He''s sitting in his mansion, making millions of dollars off of on non-sense(his music) and somehow he takes this presidental election and try to get some fame off of it!! Ludacris grow up!! There are people out here that needs obama help, and your just messing up by slandering the others!! This is not about being black or white, it''s about americans screaming for HELP!!!
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by military0104 August 1, 2008 3:46 PM EDT
"If it wasn''''t for the WHITE people that he is degrading in this song he never would have became the so-called ARTIST that he is."------ARE YOU SERIOUS!!!

You know what, you just made a pretty *** racist remark with that last comment. WHITE people didnt get Ludacris into the music industry, WHITE people werent the only ones to helped give him the freedom of speech. All of this took the effort of ALL cultures! Do you honestly believe that black people are the only people who buy''s his CD''s!!! Whites, Blacks, Asians, Hispanics ALL buys this mans CD''s, wanna know why? BECAUSE THEY LIKE HIS MUSIC!!!! So before you start trying to make it into a "WHITE" thing, make sure you got your facts right kid.
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by seairasims August 1, 2008 3:09 PM EDT
I am 21 years old and I''ve never liked that idiot rapper. I am actually glad we''ve had so many amazing candidates this year a female and a black male but in my opinion some of the obama supporters have gone over board. Ludacris is exactly what , (i think it was) Mrs. Laura who said that he is a thug. He is disgusting and as far as I''m concerned pathetic and far from talented. If it wasn''t for the WHITE people that he is degrading in this song he never would have became the so-called ARTIST that he is. and if it weren''t for our Veteran''s like Senator McCain he wouldn''t have many of the freedoms that he, and everyone else in this amazing country have! I agree with Mr. O''Reilly any other country and this untalented "rapper" would''ve been killed!
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by watchmerd August 1, 2008 4:58 AM EDT
It is high time that Americans and Politicians start paying more attention to what is more important and spend less energy on the 5-minute fascinations. Everything that happens does not need or deserve a comment. Some people just need their 15 minutes of fame even if they are already famous. That is just "their" nature, they still don''t understand "right place wrong time". America is in a serious state of economic demise and yet we have time to actually give energy and life to a 2-3 minute song. I would encourage each and every American and politician to wake up pay attention, stop getting side tracked and distracted and focus on the real issues. If you are lost in translation just look at the past 12 years. If anyone out there thinks that putting another leader in office who is more interested in war games and funding other countries legacies and terrorism via oil and keeping their own pockets fat with their investments of the American''s back, then I guess you will be a republican. America is in dire straits and can''t even maintain medical coverage or housing for the people and we are sitting here bickering about a song!!!!???? Distractions and frivolous short-comings aren''t serious enough to label someone as "not qualified" If all you are good at as a leader is "war" then that means our chances of coming out of this state of "economic oppression" are very much lost, there will be no country left just unpaid bills. WAKE UP!
Reply to this comment
by watchmerd August 1, 2008 4:58 AM EDT
It is high time that Americans and Politicians start paying more attention to what is more important and spend less energy on the 5-minute fascinations. Everything that happens does not need or deserve a comment. Some people just need their 15 minutes of fame even if they are already famous. That is just "their" nature, they still don''t understand "right place wrong time". America is in a serious state of economic demise and yet we have time to actually give energy and life to a 2-3 minute song. I would encourage each and every American and politician to wake up pay attention, stop getting side tracked and distracted and focus on the real issues. If you are lost in translation just look at the past 12 years. If anyone out there thinks that putting another leader in office who is more interested in war games and funding other countries legacies and terrorism via oil and keeping their own pockets fat with their investments of the American''s back, then I guess you will be a republican. America is in dire straits and can''t even maintain medical coverage or housing for the people and we are sitting here bickering about a song!!!!???? Distractions and frivolous short-comings aren''t serious enough to label someone as "not qualified" If all you are good at as a leader is "war" then that means our chances of coming out of this state of "economic oppression" are very much lost, there will be no country left just unpaid bills. WAKE UP!
Reply to this comment
by ronhohn August 1, 2008 4:45 AM EDT
"mike3349MDS at 09:46 PM"

May I refer you to Imus and hos, and McCain for the f-word - on the floor of the Senate?
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