If you haven’t seen the video of President Obama singing Al Green at a fundraiser at New York City’s legendary Apollo Theater last week, you need to. No matter what you think of his views, the Prez proved with his riff on “Let’s Stay Together” that he’s got pipes! And we weren’t the only ones impressed. Friday, American Idol executive producer Nigel Lythgoe Tweeted an official offer to the Commander in Chief that he can’t refuse. Or at least he shouldn’t: Obama Sings Al Green “@BarackObama we loved your vocal performance so much we’d love to invite you on to #AmericanIdol this Season for a duet with Al Green.” Now that would be the DVR moment of the decade. We’re gonna guess that Obama will cite scheduling conflicts and pass, but if you think about it, what better way to win over voters in an election year? Okay, perhaps a robust economy would be a bigger ballot box boost, but you get the idea. The guy’s vocal chops are legit and deserve a wider audience. President Obama in 2012?
Dedicated volunteers inspire MTV News’ Sway. By Sway Calloway Volunteers in New Hampshire Photo: MTV News MANCHESTER, New Hampshire — After months of buildup, the people of New Hampshire finally came out to cast their vote today. I’ve had a great time over the past 24 hours talking to voters supporting just about every name on the ballot. I met a lot of really cool people and listened to why they voted and why they’ll do it again in November — even if their pick today doesn’t make the cut. I met people who are volunteering for President Obama and walked around the crowded office in downtown Manchester where they are trying to keep Democrats in this notoriously independent state excited about supporting the commander in chief. A lot of them were college kids who are already on the ground making calls from phone banks, waving signs outside polling places and spending their winter break learning how political campaigns work and filling up the office’s “Why Are You In?” wall with their motivation to service. I met one volunteer who came all the way from the U.K. just to support the Obama campaign, and at a rally for former Senator Rick Santorum , I sat down with a young man who drove in from Canada. He can’t vote, but it was important for him to just be here and participate in our political process. I also met a couple of young ladies who were Santorum supporters, including Jordanne Anderson, who shot her first deer the other day and, like me, is also a big-game fisherman — she caught a 160-pound swordfish. She was very, very well-versed when it came to the political process and the candidate she wants to vote for. What struck me about all of them was their passion. Whatever issue it was that drove them to the polls or to drive from three states over to knock on doors, make phone calls and wave signs, they were all in, even if they suspected their candidate wouldn’t end up on top when the polls closed. We had a lot of good times here in Manchester, where I learned once again that the 45 million young voters in this country not only have a voice, they’re ready and eager to use it. I can’t wait to come back next time and stay on this political trail with the Power of 12 and hear what they have to say. You guys rule this generation. MTV is on the scene in New Hampshire! Check back here around the clock for up-to-the-minute coverage on the primary caucuses, and stick with PowerOf12.org throughout the presidential election season. Related Videos New Hampshire Primary Sparks Youth Conversation
MTV’s Power of 12 is on the scene as Republican candidates fight to be Mitt Romney’s runner-up. By Gil Kaufman Rick Santorum Photo: Andrew Burton/ Getty Images If you stayed up late awaiting the results of the Iowa caucus last week, there’s a good chance you’ll get to bed earlier this Tuesday when New Hampshire voters head to the polls for their presidential primary. While former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney slid out of the Hawkeye State with a razor-thin eight-vote victory over suddenly surging contender former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum , polls indicate that the leading GOP candidate will face much-weaker competition in his own backyard. Romney is polling at 40 percent in the state, which means that the real scramble this time will be for second place. Though Romney managed to emerge from Iowa with a win (barely), despite not spending much time there in the run-up to Tuesday’s first-in-the-nation contest, it was the roster of those below him that helped shake up the contest. Left for dead months ago after failing to climb out of the single digits, traditional family-values conservative Santorum nearly managed a huge upset but is unlikely to pull another January surprise in New Hampshire, where the large population of independent voters — who make up 40 percent of the electorate — can cast ballots in Republican primaries. His anti-abortion and anti-gay marriage fire-and-brimstone message may not resonate with Granite State voters the way Libertarian Ron Paul ‘s small-government outlook could. In fact, according to CNN, not only is New Hampshire the least-religious state in the nation, but a 2008 poll found that 55 percent of Republican primary voters believed that abortion should be always or mostly legal. Also, New Hampshire is one of the few states in the country where gay marriage is legal. Paul, whose pull with young voters helped propel him to a strong third-place finish in Iowa, could cement his status as a serious contender with a second-place finish. At press time, he was polling around 17 percent, edging out Santorum at 11 percent. With a win clearly off the table, even a runner-up finish was looking less likely, though, for former Utah Governor Jon Huntsman. The most-liberal conservative in the remaining field made a calculated risk by avoiding Iowa and betting the farm on New Hampshire, where he’s spent much of the past six months. But after crowing that he was certain he’d win the state in recent weeks, Huntsman began lowering expectations in the days leading up to the vote, when his poll numbers failed to rise above 7 percent. Like Santorum and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, Huntsman already began setting his sights on the next contest in South Carolina (January 21), while Romney is hoping to solidify his hold on the leader spot and fend off the rest of the pack as the primaries head to Southern states, where Evangelical voters could play a bigger role in boosting Santorum. While the GOP contenders continue to rip each other apart in the scramble to come out on top after primary season, they also have been hitting President Obama very hard on his policies in their stump speeches. Though Obama does not face a primary battle on Tuesday night, he is running a robust campaign in New Hampshire, where his team is trying to get as many supporters out to the polls to vote as possible in order to shore up the commander in chief’s sagging support in the state. No matter what happens, MTV’s Power of 12 will be there to chronicle what’s on the minds of young voters and bring you their reactions to Tuesday night’s vote. MTV is on the scene in New Hampshire! Check back here around the clock for up-to-the-minute coverage on the primary caucuses, and stick with PowerOf12.org throughout the presidential election season. Related Videos Barnstorming The Iowa Caucus With Andrew Jenks
Channing Tatum’s days as Duke might be numbered in Jon Chu’s sequel. By Josh Wigler Bruce Willis in “G.I. Joe: Retaliation” Photo: Paramount Pictures Either Jon Chu and I have a lot in common, or the “G.I. Joe: Retaliation” director was checking in on me during my formative years and caught me spending hours playing with my Joe toys. At least that’s the impression I’m getting from the brand-new “G.I. Joe” trailer , which looks like it was lifted directly from my childhood and projected onto the big screen. (You could have said hi by the way, Jon!) Between fan-favorite character Roadblock (played by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson ) ripping enemies to shreds with an automatic heavy gun, Snake Eyes and Jinx repelling from a mountainside cleaving bad-guy ninjas along the way, and a perfectly delivered one-liner from Bruce Willis , it’s safe to say that every square inch of the “G.I. Joe: Retaliation” trailer is filled with win. But in the midst of all that action, there are some hidden details you may have missed. To that end, here are five key scenes from the “G.I. Joe” trailer you’ll want to pay attention to. Warning: Some potential spoilers ahead. Bye-Bye, Duke? Hey, there’s Channing Tatum ! Wait … where’d he go? There are only a handful of Tatum appearances in the trailer, which comes as a bit of a shock, considering his lead role in the last “G.I. Joe” flick. Perhaps he’s being downplayed to show off the Rock and an army of ninjas (totally cool by me), or perhaps his absence hints at a darker fate in store for Duke. Mouse Trap In other folks-who-are-likely-to-die news, there’s a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it appearance from Joseph Mazzello as Mouse near the top of the trailer: He’s sitting right next to Flint ( D.J. Cotrona ) on the aircraft that’s unknowingly leading the Joes to certain doom. Given that Mouse isn’t a household name in the “Joe” community, as well as the absolute mayhem we see next, chances are very high that the “Jurassic Park” vet’s days are numbered. Cobra Rises Very few will complain about the lack of “Rise of Cobra” carryover in the new “Retaliation” trailer, but if there’s one thing all “Joe” fans can get behind, it’s the return of President Zartan. His position at the top of the U.S. government was easily the most tantalizing cliffhanger in “Rise,” and based on the Cobra banners draped over the side of the White House, “Retaliation” is following through on that potential in a very, very big way. Hail to the Chief Lest you think Zartan is the movie’s big bad, even the President has someone to answer to. Like Mouse, Cobra Commander makes an incredibly brief appearance in the “Retaliation” trailer, sandwiched between Zartan and new baddie Firefly ( Ray Stevenson ) at the one-minute mark. He’s sporting his classic metal face mask, easily the character’s most popular look, and by all appearances, the commander has come a long way from Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s winky goofball performance in “Rise.” Now, if only we knew who was playing him this time around … Kiss Those Lips Goodbye! Read my lips: Snake Eyes’ rubber-masked ninja mouth is gone, gone, gone! Almost as offensive as nipples on the Batsuit, Snake’s inexplicable on-costume mouth was a huge bone of contention for the “Joe” fanbase. Thankfully, we can kiss those lips goodbye and keep them firmly in the past where they belong. Also, even if Snake Eyes still looked mouthy, he slaughters an army of evil ninjas while running along a mountainside. That’s so cool that even rubber lips would be mostly forgivable. Tell us what you thought of the new “G.I. Joe” trailer in the comments section! Check out everything we’ve got on “G.I. Joe: Retaliation.” For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com . Related Photos “G.I. Joe”
“I#39;m not sure what he truly thinks is the right path,” Stewart tells the magazine. “Other than that he believes the wealthy should pay a little bit more of their fair share.” Like other famous Democrats, Jon Stewart is not pleased with Barack Obama. In the wake of Matt Damon expressing disappointment with the Commander-in-Chief, the Daily Show host has come out in the latest issue of Rolling Stone and said, above all else, he#39;s simply confused by the President. Adds the comedian: “He r
Awwww, pobrecita Sarah : Republicans have seemingly grown tired of Sarah Palin’s teasing about running for President, and have decided she should just stay out of it. A shocking 71% say the former reality TV star should not run for the White House in 2012, according to a Fox News poll. Only 25% of those asked the question, “Do you think Sarah Palin should run for president in 2012 or not?” responded “Yes.” Another 4% said “Don’t Know.” Of those who identified themselves as Tea Partiers, 66% said Palin should not run. Only 28% said she should, while 5% said they didn’t know. The poll comes after the half-term ex-Alaskan governor teased Iowa with an appearance at a poorly-attended Tea Party rally where she once again refused to say if she was going to join the race for Commander in Chief. Palin was quick to brush off the poll, ironically conducted by the same news network that often champions her as a contributor. “Polls? Nah… they’re for strippers and cross country skiers,” she said over the weekend. SMH. Source
The Mother Monster talks about which of the country’s big problems she’d like to solve. By Jocelyn Vena, with reporting by Sway Calloway Lady Gaga Photo: Scott Gries/ Picture Group Lady Gaga has never been shy to stump for political causes. She’s stumped for marriage equality and spoke out against “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” Her Born This Way track “Americano” even touches on immigration issues, but just because she’s currently pop music’s most vocal advocate doesn’t mean she’d want anything to do with actually holding public office. During the live “MTV First: Lady Gaga” on Thursday night, the singer said that she has no aspirations to ever do something like become president, even if she was given a free pass for the day to be the leader of the free world. Watch as Gaga lets her fans announce that she’s opening the VMAs this year. “Well, first of all, I wouldn’t want to be president for the day,” she told MTV News. “And I say that because I really, for myself, it’s important that my message, although it has political implications, I like to keep myself separate. “Because politics can constrain things,” she continued. “So our message can be completely free of any politics and we can just surge forward.” Lady Gaga gave us the real story behind her “Yo
In a statement Saturday, band confirm rumors that they have parted ways with Josh and Zac Farro. By James Montgomery Jeremy Davis, Hayley Williams, Josh Farro and Zac Farro of Paramore Photo: Jason Kempin/WireImage On Saturday (December 18), Paramore announced that brothers Josh and Zac Farro were leaving the band, confirming rumors that had begun swirling earlier in the week. In a blog post on the band’s official site Paramore wrote that the Farros had actually decided to leave the group “a couple of months ago,” and that, while fans might be shocked by the news, the remaining three members — frontwoman Hayley Williams, bassist Jeremy Davis and guitarist Taylor York — weren’t. “None of us were really shocked. For the last year it hasn’t seemed as if they wanted to be around anymore,” the statement read in part. “We want Josh and Zac to do something that makes them happy and if that isn’t here with us, then we support them finding happiness elsewhere.” The Farro brothers — guitarist Josh and drummer Zac — founded Paramore with Williams and Davis in 2004 (York was made an official member of the band around the release of 2009’s Brand New Eyes album), and though the group has lost two of its core members, they pledged to continue on … with a South American tour scheduled for February and, as York told MTV News earlier this month, a new album. “We never for a second thought about leaving any of this behind. We really hope that you can be encouraged by the fact that the three of us who are still here are ready to take on another chapter of our journey together,” the statement read. “You have always been what keeps us going so why would we stop now? We want to stick by you. Knowing that we have a unified passion and a clear vision makes us feel stronger than ever.” Earlier this week, a blog post announcing the Farros departure began making the rounds. And though it was credited to the band, in their statement on Saturday, Paramore denounced it as “a fake.” “The ‘blog’ that was posted regarding everything that is going on with our band …we aren’t sure who did it or why… And we aren’t sure how they timed it this way,” their statement read. “This is the first time that we have spoken out about what’s going on and we wouldn’t have released an official statement that important through a personal blog. So, we’re sorry for any confusion and just to remain clear, this is the first time we have spoken out about this.” Paramore concluded by thanking their fans for standing by them, and promised that 2011 will be a big year for the band. Farro brothers, or not. “We have some amazing things lined up for next year starting with our tour in South America. We are still coming to you and we are excited about who we are bringing with us! The tour is still on and we can’t wait to see you all,” they wrote. “As we look back, and now as we look with excitement to the future, in all of this what truly matters are the good times. The pictures of us with our arms around each other, the long van rides, your faces while you sing along as we play. Thank you for getting us right here to this very moment. We look forward to our best times. And we hope you will go there with us.” What do you think about the Farro brothers leaving Paramore? Let us know in the comments! Related Photos Paramore On Tour Related Artists Paramore
Ellen DeGeneres, Pink and more celebrate historic Senate vote on Twitter. By Mawuse Ziegbe Members of the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network join Lady Gaga at the 2010 MTV VMAs Photo: Getty Images The armed forces’ controversial “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy will soon be history. On Saturday (December 18), the Senate voted to repeal the 17-year-old measure that bars openly gay men and women from serving in the military. The bill passed by a 65-31 margin, according to CNN , which included eight republicans and one independent who joined the Democrat-backed initiative. President Obama will sign the bill into law next week. “Today, the Senate has taken an historic step toward ending a policy that undermines our national security while violating the very ideals that our brave men and women in uniform risk their lives to defend. By ending ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,’ no longer will our nation be denied the service of thousands of patriotic Americans forced to leave the military, despite years of exemplary performance, because they happen to be gay. And no longer will many thousands more be asked to live a lie in order to serve the country they love,” the president said in a statement . Calls to dismantle the policy ramped up this year with stars such as Lady Gaga decrying the measure and demonstrations cropping up around the nation. On Wednesday, the Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, who had been crusading to end the policy, tweeted to Gaga after the vote, “We did it! #DADT is a thing of the past.” Gaga, who arrived at the 2010 MTV VMAs with openly gay service members who had been discharged or left the military due to the policy, made viral videos and spoke at a September rally calling for the end of DADT, tweeted about her emotional reaction to the vote. “Can’t hold back the tears+pride. We did it!i Our voice was heard + today the Senate REPEALED DADT. A triumph for equality after 17 YEARS,” she wrote . Openly gay talk-show queen Ellen DeGeneres tweeted , “Thank you Senators for pushing us one step closer towards full equality.” Katy Perry showed her support for the repeal of DADT by responding to a missive that fellow songstress Pink retweeted. “SUPPORTING ALL OUR TROOPS!” Perry added to Pink’s retweet, “RT @Pink: Congrats 2 US!!! REPEAL of DADT & 17 years of allowing Human Rights Violations. There’s hope after all!” Former army lieutenant and gay-rights activist Dan Choi, who has called for an end to the policy since he was discharged from service after publicly coming out in 2009, also gave his take on the vote. “Thank you, Democrats, for your leadership,” he tweeted . “There: I said it. Also, thank you 8 Republicans. You’re on the right side of history.” MTV News also caught up with student Bridget Todd , who once questioned President Obama about DADT during the commander-in-chief’s “A Conversation with President Obama” forum in October. Although Todd said she was skeptical of the president’s commitment to ending the policy after the Obama administration asked for stay blocking a judge’s ruling that the measure is unconstitutional, she said the Senate vote has restored some of her faith in the U.S. leader. “I think it’s fantastic. I’m over the moon about it,” Todd said. “It’s sort of strange that it’s 2010 and we’re dealing with this so I’m happy that it’s done, I’m happy that it’s gonna be over with. “I think I said that he displayed an alleged commitment to gay equality,” she continued. “I think that this sort of proves that perhaps he is actually committed to these issues. They’re not just sort of political talking points that you use to get elected — that this is something that he is willing to make happen.” What do you think about the Senate voting to repeal DADT? Let us know in the comments! Related Videos Lady Gaga Rallies Against ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ Related Artists Lady Gaga Katy Perry
