Posted on 03/04/2011 4:47:35 AM PST by IbJensen
Washington (CNSNews.com) James Taylor, recognized at the White House on Wednesday for his musical achievement, told reporters that President Barack Obama has been too modest about his accomplishments.
In a White House ceremony, Obama presented Taylor and other artists, authors, poets and entertainers with the 2010 National Medal of Arts. The announcer of the ceremonies said, His distinctive voice and masterful guitar playing are among the most recognized in popular music and his expansive catalog of songs has had a profound influence on songwriters and music lovers from all walks of life.
Taylor said he supported Obama in the 2008 presidential race.
We did work in Massachusetts but mostly in North Carolina, back down in my home state, and worked down there for a while, Taylor said after stopping in the press briefing room after accepting the medal. Obama carried the state by only 8,000 votes. So those of us who worked on the campaign down there got a sense that we made a difference.
A reporter asked about Obamas 2012 reelection.
I think that the administration has been almost too modest in their accomplishments, Taylor said. And its remarkable to me that they get blamed for the problems that the people we elect actually havent caused. Im hoping the American public understands who we got here, what weve got in this president, a remarkable leader. It just makes me feel wonderful to see him in this White House. I dont mean to get too political.
A staffer then interrupted to say that Taylor could not take any more questions.
During the White House ceremony, Obama also presented the 2010 National Medal of Arts to theater critic Robert Brustein; pianist Van Cliburn; artist Mark di Suvero; poet Donald Hall; musician Quincy Jones; To Kill a Mockingbird author Harper Lee; jazz musician Sonny Rollins and actress Meryl Streep.
Obama presented the 2010 National Humanities Medal citations to Library of America founder Daniel Aaron; historian Bernard Bailyn; educator Jacques Barzun; poet and novelist Wendell E. Berry; Spanish and Latin American literary critic Roberto González Echevarría; American Council of Learned Societies President Stanley Nider Katz; novelist Joyce Carol Oates; biographer and literary critic Arnold Rampersad; novelist Philip Roth; and author and historian Gordon Wood.
What accomplishments? I mean, all he’s got right now is a horrible health care law, which really came from the Congress. And that is currently deemed (hehe) unconstitutional. So what are his accomplishments? Stimulus bills?
Would suggest that Mr. Taylor shut up and sing...but only if he does so at Gitmo as a form of torture for the detainees.
Dancing bears should stick to dancing.
“hoping the American public understands who we got here”
Apart from your broken/butchered English, Jim, each day tens of thousands more Americans wake up and realize who we indeed “got here.”
Distinctly nasal voice. His guitar playing? It's OK. Nothing I can't teach to beginners. It's mostly the same thing over and over. Uses a capo, plays out of D position all the time, uses the same SUS chord fills over and over.
He's a decent folk guitarist. Masterful? No one who actually understands guitar would ever use that word. He's a competent folk/soft-rock stylist who hasn't written or recorded a relevant song since the 70s.
James Taylor is just looking for a gig at one of the White Hut Pah-tays...yesterday’s news trying to be relevant.
There is a long list of “remarkable leaders” that were miserable tyrants.
Still mentally ill all these years later....
JT - say it isn’t so. I know he’s a lib but I always respected the fact that he never injected his political views in his music or his comments. I stuck with him, unlike other musicians and Hollywood people I’ve abandoned. Now I’m disappointed and won’t be buying tickets to his next concert. Guess they don’t want conservative money.
this guy is proof that marijuana kills off the useful brain cells.
Old James is One toke over the line.
The Rats are shovel-ready for the dustbin of history.
JT is one of the few celeb leftist airheads where I ignore that. He is such a fabulous entertainer that I can compartmentalize. I don’t have enough bandwidth to do that with everybody. We go back 40 years. I’ve seen fire and I’ve seen rain.
Tuxedo Hopes Americans Recognize James Taylor as “Mediocre Has-Been”.
I don’t know one thing about a guitar other than it has strings and pegs but I want to hear Taylor play this. I dare to call this little number “masterful” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=On5372UztI0.
Mud Slide Slim is delusional.
YOU LIE! No one can be ignorant of guitar AND love Roy Buchanan! It's impossible :0 )
Roy's "Sweet Dreams" makes me cry.
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