Randy Newman is ‘Dreaming’ about the Obama-Romney race

Randy Newman has fired his satirical barbs at racism and the gruesome legacy of slavery before, most notably in “Rednecks� and “Sail Away.�

Now he’s taking aim again with a new song that’s related from the perspective of a (presumably white) voter who declares that, “I’m dreaming of a white president.� One line goes: “He won’t be the brightest, perhaps, but he’ll be the whitest, and I’ll vote for that.�

The 68-year-old singer and composer, who’s backing President Obama for reelection, told the Associated Press that he wanted “I’m Dreaming� to convey his thoughts about the pervasiveness of racism -- which he called “the great issue of this country� -- albeit with his trademark wry comic touch.

“I felt that that sentiment exists in the country,� Newman told AP in an interview Monday. “I don’t know how many people you can get to admit it. I think maybe zero.�

Newman is making the song available as a free download on his website, and encouraging listeners to make a donation to the United Negro College Fund.

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