The New Republic

Was I imagining things, or did John McCain's concession speech end with the theme music from Crimson Tide?

- ratnerstar

November 5, 2008 at 1:02am

Obama's music:  "Titan's Spirit" from Remember the Titans.

McCain's music:  i thought it was from The Rock.

- hwanyoon

November 5, 2008 at 1:15am

The "Titan's Spirit" music was also played at the end of Obama's speech in Denver.  The music is from the film "Remember the Titans," about a high school football team in Alexandria, Virginia coming together after being integrated, and Obama has said how much he likes the movie.  It's damn fine movie music, if you ask me, and I had a lump in my throat as it resounded over Grant Park and a hundred thousand cheered.  I think Obama was saying "Man, this is _good_ music, Joe!"  That's taste in triumphal film music I can believe in.

- Kunath

November 5, 2008 at 2:45am

Yes, McCain's music was from Crimson Tide.  And, here's the kicker:

It's a film about a hawkish, "old school" nuclear submarine commanding officer (Gene Hackman) who is challenged by his second in command: a Harvard-educated African-American man, played by Denzel Washington.  These two men engage in an epic battle, 1,000 feet below sea level, over whether to launch nuclear missiles at a former Soviet republic that has "gone rogue."

All hell breaks loose on board the ship, and when all is said and done (missiles never fly), a senior military tribunal promotes Denzel's character to commanding officer while granting Hackman's character a respectful but early retirement.

I could make a joke about the above, although it sort of speaks for itself.  But, I'm struck by the fact that even in the end, McCain's campaign geniuses (almost) managed to overshadow their candidate's class and grace with the bizarre.

- jtomarken

November 5, 2008 at 2:57am