But they perked up when he promised a "special guest" and "a great American success story."
McCain built up the suspense by withholding the guest's name at first, but then gave it away, saying, "One of his most famous songs, I know you're very familiar with: 'Gasolina' " -- drawing gasps of surprise from the crowd -- and then finally said, "Well, here he is, Daddy Yankee."
Though McCain has sometimes shown surprising familiarity with rap stars and pop culture references because of the musical tastes of his daughters, it is unlikely that the conservative Republican would have made a point of mentioning the song had he known that the "Gasolina" lyrics are loaded with sexual references. Although there's some debate about what the word "gasolina" means in this context, one thing is certain: It's not a petroleum product.
Asked whether McCain knew about the sexual allusions, a campaign spokesman said he had no comment.
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maeve.reston@latimes.com
Reston reported from Phoenix, Sacramento and Beverly Hills.
