The song that Will-I-Am put together for Obama is getting quite a bit of attention. Millions and millions of views on youtube are just the start. The media is all over it. I watched the video, and I was impressed. Very impressed. It is catchy, carries the strong "yes we can" hook, and it's loaded to the brim with A-list celebrities.

It is apparent: people are absolutely desperate for inspiration. Whomever shows the first inkling of inspiration; Hollywood and its naïve-idealist followers all come running. Passion. Charisma. People are yearning to hear something and be moved by it.

Here's the problem. It's a speech. It's a song. It's the image of the famous, who most people unfortunately confuse with the wise minds of our time. For the most part they Act. They pretend to be someone else, for a living. Does it take talent? Yes! Can it be unbelievably entertaining? Absolutely! Does it deserve the blind and inherent personal influence it gets? No.

Don't hear me wrong, it took strong talent to put that piece together. It IS a great piece. It also takes strong talent to put an amazing speech together.

I cannot discount the talent it took to create and deliver that message in song. What I can discount is its ease of impact on the masses. What does this mean? Good, original rhetoric is powerful. Combine that with song, and you have an emotional magnet.

If needed, I could write a song to convince people of a position (at least 51 percent of an audience). I cannot say my song will be near as good as Will-I-Am's, but I bet I could put together a pretty good piece.

What does this mean? Nothing. It's music and lyrics. Songs can be powerful. Words, emotion, music, delivery... it's just that. It is art. It's not a plan and follow-through.

This election is not about our Nation's issues anymore. It's not about finding the best man/woman for the job either. It is a popularity contest. A presidential hopeful doesn't really need to convince people that their plan is the best plan. They need to figure out how to get you to vote for them. There is a big difference.

Personal example. Ten years ago, I interviewed with a partner of a big firm. He was the decision maker of me getting a job or not (getting elected you might say). The interview with this company was my last straw. But instead of talking to him about why I am the man for the job, I researched his interests. I talked to people that knew him. For over an hour and twenty minutes of conversation, we talked about his interests and hobbies, and boy I was excited about them. I didn't have the credentials for the job, so I pursued the path of convincing him to LIKE me. I didn't have the experience. I didn't have a plan, the skills, or the knowledge. Granted I might figure out a plan, and acquire the skills and knowledge to get things done and make things work. But at the time of the interview I was a blank slate. So instead of talking about technologies (the issues), my previous work with them (experience), my plan on how I can make his team better, and my ability to invent solutions to solve problems; I worked every angle so he would LIKE me. I needed him to go back to his boardroom, with the rest of the million dollar salary partners, and say, "I like Matt, I think we should go with him". I needed his vote. This man knew absolutely nothing about my experience, my skills, or my potential to learn and become and asset on his team. He simply had an enjoyable hour and twenty minute interview. You could say I did a song and a dance. Was it right? You be the judge.

Back to the Yes-We-Can song and dance. Let it entertain you. Let pop culture and musicians entertain you. Let Hollywood entertain you. That is what they are there for. But do not let them influence you. Influence is Power. Do not hand that power over to the first person who entertains you. Look at the facts. Look at the plans. Look at their beliefs. Look at their position on the issues. Look at their experience. Weigh that on your own personal scale, however you see fit. Make your own decision. We should all be so careful that we don't let someone else do that for us.