From the Wikipedia entry on Republican presidential candidate Jon Huntsman:
He is a self-proclaimed fan of the progressive rock genre and played keyboards during high school in the band Wizard.[61] On July 30, 2007, he attended a concert by progressive metal band Dream Theater. Later that day, Huntsman signed a proclamation creating “Dream Theater Day” on that date for the state of Utah.
I think my metal brothers and sisters will join me in finding this to be really hilarious.
Not that this guy has a shot in the 2012 primaries, but I think it’s pretty clear the other Republican hopefuls would eventually use his passion for prog against him if he did. All that virtuosic musicianship reeks of cerebral elitism and (probably liberal) snobbery:
And to most Americans, the main reference point for this style is Rush, thus denoting something unpalatably Canadian and, ipso facto, socialist and wimpy.
…Not that Dream Theater lack for wimpiness* in the first place.
“Dream Theater Day” must be one hell of an albatross for a Republican politician to carry. Almost as bad as a record of making reasonable comments on economic policy.
*I actually like this song.
