Infinite Monkeys

Take a Chance on McCain, "ba-ba ba ba ba ..."

John McCain is no old fogey. He has great love of pop music, confessing his love of ABBA.

"[McCain] said that a lot of people won't admit that they love ABBA, but he would," radio jock Rich Berra says. "Then he asked us if it was old-fashioned to like ABBA, and we said that it wasn't old-fashioned at all."

Well, what could they say? Granted, ABBA broke up back in the '80s and was seen as wildly unfashionable for a time. However, the fab foursome has gained a whole new respect in recent years thanks to the success of the stage musical Mamma Mia!, which uses an all-ABBA score. A movie version opens July 18; we're sure McCain will catch it opening weekend.

That McCain. Always the maverick. McCain played the ABBA classic, "Take a Chance on Me," at rallies in Florida and South Carolina — apparently a personal selection. And admitting one's love for the nattily dressed Swedish legends can't hurt while trying to court the flamboyantly gay vote, or the retro-cool vote, or the Mamma Mia fan vote.

Come to think of it, several ABBA songs can be helpful to a presidential campaign. McCain can play "Knowing Me, Knowing You" to help introduce himself the public and start a national conversation. If McCain starts to fall behind Obama, he can blare "S.O.S." from the loudspeakers. Need to court the Hispanic vote? Play "Fernando." Prove to the public that you are willing to mend fences with the French by playing "Voulez Vous." Any ABBA song will probably please the gay vote, but none more than "Dancing Queen." And "Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!" can help illustrate the domestic policy of Barack Obama. Heck, he can even neutralize Obama's inspirational vibe by going to "I Have a Dream."

Of course, if McCain loses in November, it's time to play "The Winner Takes it All" (which is what Hillary must be bitterly listening to right now, and changing some lyrics, especially that "rules must be obeyed" part. Though Hillary might like: "I don't want to talk" and the part about not shaking hands.). But, when it's all over, there's only one song for the McCain campaign that will do: "Waterloo." Hit it! ..... "My, my! At Wateroo Napoleon did surrender. .... Oh yeah! ... "

(HT: Mrs. Zaius for some ABBA assists, K-Lo at The Corner, Michael Goldfarb — who has left The Weekly Standard's excellent blog to blog for Team McCain. The McCain Report is where Goldfarb seems to do most of his work, with the kind of wit he displayed at The Weekly Standard.)