Published in the February 18, 2009 edition of the Ventura County Star. Imagine a new kind of politician — an individual who has evolved beyond the War Room tactics writ large by the likes of James Carville or Karl Rove. He or she operates out of respect, integrity and civility. He or she listens attentively, responds with facts rather than emotion and refuses to ascribe ulterior motives to the other side. Wouldn’t you say, “That’s about as good as politics gets?”
President Barack Obama, who spent much of the time on the campaign trail calling for a new era of bipartisanship, all but conceded at his first White House news conference that his recession-busting stimulus bill wouldn’t muster much GOP support.
That’s what folks here in Ventura County call “an understatement.” The Senate approved the $787 billion bill Friday with a paltry three Republican votes. There were none from the House.
In addition, the departure of Republican Sen. Judd Gregg of New Hampshire, citing “irresolvable conflicts,” proved to be but another stumbling block to assembling a “team of rivals” Cabinet. Gregg is the third prospective Cabinet secretary — the second for the Department of Commerce after Bill Richardson — to remove his name from consideration.
Allow me to humbly suggest, Mr. President, that not only is a political paradigm shift in order, but I also have a replacement in mind. I call it the “Plant-Krauss Collaborative Model.”
For Alison Krauss, the most recognizable face in contemporary bluegrass — not only for peddling more than 8 million records but also for garnering more Grammy Awards than any other female artist — musical alliances are a way of life.
After the untimely death of John Bonham in 1980, Robert Plant, best known as the primal screamer fronting Led Zeppelin, went on to hook up with Jimmy Paige as well as the globally diverse Strange Sensation and Afro Celt Sound System.
The unlikely alchemy between Plant and Krauss managed to conjure Grammy gold five times Feb. 8. Sure, some rabid-to-the-max fans of either performer refused to line up behind the collaboration. Nothing but Plant belting out “Whole Lotta Love” or Krauss warbling “The Scarlet Tide” would have pleased them. Yet to those willing to expand their musical horizons, more than a million copies of “Raising Sand” have been sold.
So what can Krauss and Plant possibly teach politicos?
Step one: Opt to respect and learn from each other. Despite hailing from distinctly different backgrounds, these two consummate musicians shared three goals, namely, to educate themselves about the roots of American music, to evolve as artists and to extend the boundaries of their genres.
“When we got 75 percent of the way down the line,” Plant explained to the Rocky Mountain News, “I realized we’d created something that I could never have dreamt of.”
Step two: Start small. It wasn’t until Plant and Krauss first performed a duet at a Leadbelly tribute (Rock and Roll Hall of Fame) that they considered recording together.
Step three: Bring in a catalyst such as T-Bone Burnett to serve as producer, orchestra leader and song selection specialist. (I expect President Obama to see himself in this role.) Burnett spent an inordinate number of hours listening to what both had to say. Then, as the duo shared songs side by side in Krauss’s Nashville home, Burnett merely provided guitar accompaniment. There were no microphones, supporting musicians or anything else that might distract from the progress of the noble experiment.
“The idea was to take them both out of their comfort zones,” Burnett reflected during a Nov. 13, 2007, Charlie Rose interview. It was his job, he added, to nurture the music without allowing the principals to revert to past successes or to merely “mash” their individual styles together.
Step four: Leave personal agendas, power- play strategies and expectations at home. Plant, who has never before performed with such understated soul, not only found himself amazed by Krauss’s knowledge of American music, but, at the Grammys, he thanked her “for her kindness and patience, teaching me to sing in straight lines instead of doing all that twirly stuff.” Krauss, who frequently broke from her usual self-imposed restraint on the album, admitted that around Plant, “there was never a dull moment.”
Step five: Play to the other’s strengths. If he or she looks good, you look good. Burnett’s subtle arrangements not only highlighted the common musical ground between Plant and Krauss, but also allowed each to shimmer in the reflected glow of the other. Krauss confessed she worked carefully to harmonize with Plant — following the contours of his phrasing almost by ESP. Plant, on the other hand, pared down his vocal style to its most basic components. The result, according to Burnett, was “about as good as music gets.”
Wouldn’t you like to say the same thing about politics, Mr. President?
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