Presidential hopefuls harness the power of music for voter appeal

[JI7]

<Just because John Kerry played in a prep-school garage band, does that mean that a Democrat in the White House would make for a more musically rewarding Oval Office?

And in 2000, the Bush campaign was stymied in its attempts to use both Tom Petty's "Won't Back Down" and "R.O.C.K. in the U.S.A." by John Mellencamp, who joined Dave Matthews and Jon Bon Jovi at the Kerry fund-raiser in New York at which Whoopi Goldberg made jokes about Bush that drew an angry response from his campaign.

So far, Bush has been sticking with "Hail to the Chief" as the soundtrack to his photo ops. A musical reminder that he's the one who's got the job. The Democrats, without officially declaring it as their campaign anthem, have been playing Chuck Berry's "Johnny B. Goode," in honor of their pair of Johns. Like Kerry, Edwards, the Democratic vice presidential candidate, is a Springsteen fan.

How come, in their efforts to portray themselves as virile and vital, these guys almost always pick old, overplayed, and quite often lame music to get voters juiced up? Before he was eliminated, retired Gen. Wesley Clark used Journey's "Don't Stop Believing" as his theme, and while screaming Howard Dean showed a little more pizzazz with the remixed version of "A Little Less Conversation," it must be noted that the song's singer, Elvis Presley, is a dead guy.>


http://www.jsonline.com/onwisconsin/music/jul04/244827.asp

[Nicholas_J]

1. I know i will be chastened for saying this

But I think all these guys should get more dignified, and perhaps get some well known composers to compose something a bit more dignified and perhaps classically oriented for a presidential campaign.

Get away from the rock stuff.

Maybe something a little folksier would do, sort of Woody Guthry, this land is your land, type of stuff.

Or if you want a little more real edge, get the Smothers Brothers to do attack music for the Kerry campaign.

[sandnsea]

2. Heard Murad's Mix?

The most recent one, love it.

http://www.johnkerry.com/audio/whatitsworth.mp3

[Protected]

3. Hmm, that would be cool

Kerry seems to have cash flowing out his ears that needs to be spent by the end of the month, so what's a few thousand bucks for a theme from a professional composer and an orchestra to record it? I mean, after all, the campaign has spent money on far less useful things (e.g. Kerry/Gephardt signs.)

I can hear the "John Kerry Campaign Theme" by John Williams right now. He'd certainly get the vote of film score fans. :)

[Nicholas_J]

5. Yeah

I mean I wouldnt mind someone who was an avant garde classical composer, like Phillip Glass (tough that might be too much for middle America) or Perhaps someone like Isao Tomita, doing something on synthesizer, but some realtively well known American composer would be the best trick (sort of the "Buy American" factor) John William is a bit too ....hmmm commercial for me, but you are right, probably the best sort of thing for middle america.

I mean it could be like "Star Wars" amd they could use it for Kerry campaign advertisements with something dark and sinister for the sections where they show George Bush as a sort of Darth George's Theme, to be used as background mood music everytime the dark forces of conservatism are mentioned.

[JI7]

6. true

it might be better than some of the cheezy music they play during the positive/inspirational ads. i thought you just meant any classical music . but i think if they can find something that fits with the event and mood it might be good.

[Still_Loves_John]

10. I've always thought

that the theme from "The West Wing" would make a great campaign song.

[no name no slogan]

4. Kucinich had some very good tunes, many styles and genres too

www.wewantkucinich.com had quite a few of them up there-- at least five, IIRC. Quite a few hip-hop mixes, a couple indy-rock type things, and the obligatory singer/songwriter w/ guitar tracks. Also, Willie Nelson gave "What Happenned to Peace On Earth" to the Kucinich campaign. I believe it's still out at www.kucinich.us if you're interested...

[Forkboy]

7. The first candidate to play an Agorophobic Nosebleed song

gets my vote! :)

[no name no slogan]

8. I'm waiting for a Throbbing Gristle track, myself

Can't beat old-school industrial! :D

[Forkboy]

9. Hey,that would work!

I have many a fuzzy memory of listening to them with the bong handy :)