Let Us Not Underestimate the Power of Indie Rock

The newsies are in a flap today over Barack's crowd of 75,000 adoring fans:

Is it the Pope? An astonishing 75,000 turn out to hear Obama speak - as Clinton draws just 1,000

A record crowd of 75,000 gathers for Obama in Oregon

Obama Takes His Message To Record Crowd

What they may not have noticed was that Obama's opener was indie rock superpower The Decemberists. Translated to baby boomer speak, that's like having the Rolling Stones open for Ted Kennedy. But it's nice to see the Dems FINALLY playing the "I want your vote" game. Hillary can say want she wants about her "electability," but if she can't garner votes through well, the electoral process or through some state-of-the-art pandering, she's not going to beat the Republican machine (albeit it looks like not even the Republican machine can beat the Republican machine). As for Barack and his legions of yindie and DINKy fans, you gotta admire the man who knows how to build a constituency. Sure, it's a tactic, but it's damn good one. If there's one thing that has historically brought the peoples together - black, white, man, women, blue, red, muppet, fraggle - it's free concerts with ten minute sea shanties.