In June 2007, well before Barack Obama overtook Hillary Clinton in the Democratic presidential primary polls, he was already proving to be a sensation thanks to an amateur music video that caught fire: "Crush on Obama."
The song was written and performed by a 21-year old named Leah Kauffman, but it was Amber Lee Ettinger who lip-synced the song in the video and became widely known as "Obama Girl."
Then she sings, both in her Obama-draped cubicle and around the streets of New York, seemingly oblivious to her surroundings: "You seemed to float onto the floor, Democratic convention 2004 ... so I put down my Kerry sign, knew I had to make you mine."
She belts out the chorus, dancing with excited passersby and annoyed officemates: "Baby, I cannot wait, til 2008. Baby, you're the best candidate. I like it when you get hard on Hillary in debate. Why don't you pick up your phone? 'Cause I’ve got a crush on Obama."
"Crush on Obama" became a smash hit, racking up more than 20 million YouTube views, not only turning Ettinger into a brief star but signaling the rise of a movement around Obama.
And in 2016, Kauffman wrote and performed in music video ode to Bernie Sanders, "Bernie Bae" ("I'm burning up for you, it's never going to stop. You're much more than a human Birkenstock") which got lost in the flood of pro-Bernie social media.
The song was written and performed by a 21-year old named Leah Kauffman, but it was Amber Lee Ettinger who lip-synced the song in the video and became widely known as "Obama Girl."
'Crush on Obama' Takes Campaign By Storm
The slow jam begins with Obama Girl leaving a voice mail for Barack: "Hey B, it's me. If you're there, pick up. I was just watching you on C-SPAN." She sighs, "Anyway, call me back."Then she sings, both in her Obama-draped cubicle and around the streets of New York, seemingly oblivious to her surroundings: "You seemed to float onto the floor, Democratic convention 2004 ... so I put down my Kerry sign, knew I had to make you mine."
She belts out the chorus, dancing with excited passersby and annoyed officemates: "Baby, I cannot wait, til 2008. Baby, you're the best candidate. I like it when you get hard on Hillary in debate. Why don't you pick up your phone? 'Cause I’ve got a crush on Obama."
"Crush on Obama" became a smash hit, racking up more than 20 million YouTube views, not only turning Ettinger into a brief star but signaling the rise of a movement around Obama.
‘Giuliani Girl’ and ‘Bernie Bae’ Can't Touch ‘Obama Girl’
But various attempts to replicate "Crush on Obama" were less successful. A sequel featuring a dance-off between Obama Girl and "Giuliani Girl" failed to take off, much like Rudy Giuliani's campaign.And in 2016, Kauffman wrote and performed in music video ode to Bernie Sanders, "Bernie Bae" ("I'm burning up for you, it's never going to stop. You're much more than a human Birkenstock") which got lost in the flood of pro-Bernie social media.