I had a chance to run over to Las Vegas and see Elton John’s fantastic "Red Piano" show night before last at Caesar’s Palace. I recommend it to all, and he is closing it down in just a couple months, so time is short for tickets….!
Sir Elton isn’t exactly a conservative, but I appreciate just about any true art, regardless of my politics, and Elton is loaded with talent. Say what you want about him, he is a true artist. Stunningly talented. And to his credit he didn’t make one political crack during his one hour, 50 minute show. His biggest joke was to say that Celine Dion (for whom the theater he was performing in was built) looked like a Q-Tip.
I happen to believe that true art is a higher calling than politics, but that is the subject of some future post…..
Though the "Rocket Man" gave a terrific show, there was a little political element to my visit that resonated for discussion here. And that was the proverbial discussion with the taxi driver on the trip to the airport about the election.
I have found that taxi drivers usually get American politics right and know election results before the election occurs. This is because they are small business people, care about their tax dollars, and are therefore alert to issues, and talk to a lot of people. They get a lot of views. And in a place like New York City or Las Vegas, they talk to a good cross-section of America.
In this case, I didn’t initiate the election discussion. I was still mentally humming "Tiny Dancer" to myself and thinking about whether I really should have doubled-down on that split 5 pair. But the skinny, bald, tobacco-smelling taxi driver, himself a little microcosm of America, sized me and my buddy up and opened the political discussion himself as we turned right on Tropicana. "McCain wasn’t my first choice," he said, "but he is tested and has a 40 year history." "What do we know about Obama?" he said. "I have been driving people here from Illinois who have no idea what he stands for, and he is their U.S. Senator!" exclaimed our hairless driver for hire in 104 degree heat. We agreed with his basic analysis, and when he knew we were sympaticos, he started with the jokes. "Hey, did you hear the one about Chelsea Clinton in Iraq?" "No," we said, thinking he may be telling a true story. "Chelsea asked a group of average soldiers, what are your three biggest fears as a soldier in Iraq? And one big, strong soldier answered: quickly: Osama, Obama, and Your Mama!"
Baldy said it was just a joke, but he also said most of the people he had been talking to in the cab thought the same way. Having seen Nevada listed as a "toss up" in the national election on at least one cable TV show, I asked him how he thought Nevada would go in the Presidential election in November. "Oh, this state will go for McCain for sure, you can count on it."
I wish Gallup or Field would have a "taxi driver" poll. I think they would learn a lot more about our country than they do with their normal polling procedures. Regardless, I had a good time at the Elton John concert, and I also felt pretty good hearing from a Nevada resident that Obama’s magic is not playing in the Silver State.