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Just when you thought the Dems were beginning to move in circles, looking to something as colorful as gas taxes to spike the “Donkey Punch,” Obama supporters turn the knobs and change the beat.

Following Will.I.Am’s wildly popular “Yes We Can,” featuring soul saint John Legend, basketball legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and the angelic Scarlett Johansson (just to name a few), TI$A (from the superior, but much overlooked, hip-hop/r’n'b producer/writer/super group Sa-Ra Creative Partners) drops another MTV/Hollywood gem to keep the election spectacle vibrant.

This time around, Obama is backed by R&B young ‘un Chris Brown, and hip-hop icons Jay-Z and Kanye West (really, just to name a few!).

In what is likely to go down in Election-’08-history as probably the most neo-artsy-add’o'lescent-chic contribution (don’t fret if you don’t know the word, I just made it up!), probably one thing stands out more than the neon-rocking dancers: the demographics! Predominantly African-American, young and “hip” (I struggle to not add the “hop”) voters.

Admitted, I can picture 55-year-old Sam from Bucks County, PA, driving home from the daily treadmill singing his heart out to the tunes of “Hot 4 Hill,” but I just can’t see him do the bump ‘n grind with the missus, or hanging out with his buddies on the front porch, to the sounds of “We hood, we votin’, and throwing it uuup!” (as much as MTV would like us to think that the elderly actually do that).

In effect, this could become indicative of the challenges facing the future Democratic presidential candidate. If Obama is elected, will Hillary’s “Sams” look to the Republicans for an encore (I propose: “Insane 4 McCain”)? If Hillary is elected, will Obama’s “TI$As” choose to dance it out in the streets rather than duke it out in the voting booths? Basically, will either candidate be able to beat their (wanted or unwanted) demographic pigeonholing as the clock winds down on the Dems?

While I can already see the Berlin club kids dying to jump on this bandwagon, I’m looking long and hard for the Hillary voters “up in this…”

By Peter Dahl