Politics

It's The Same Old Song. Write The Feme Tune, Sing The Feme Tune.

Steve Urkel.

Posted to Politics on Tue Feb 06, 2007 at 02:49:21 AM EST (promoted by 1fastdog). RSS.

The presidential candidates on the Democratic side of the coin, addressed the DNC's winter meeting last week and unveiled their choice of theme tunes.

Everyone needs a soundtrack - even politicians.

The presidential candidates who addressed the Democratic National Committee's winter meeting Friday got to choose their tunes, and it was an eclectic mix that reflected personal favorites and not-so-subtle messages.

Some candidates requested two songs, one that blared as they approached the stage and another that played as they left the podium.

The selections:

_John Edwards: "This Is Our Country" by John Mellencamp.

_Sen. Chris Dodd of Connecticut: "Get Ready (Cause Here I Come)" by the Temptations and "Reach Out," also by the Temptations. (That would be The Four Tops, actually. Ed.)

_Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York: "Right Here, Right Now," by Jesus Jones and "Ain't Seen Nothing Yet" by Bachman-Turner Overdrive.

_Rep. Dennis Kucinich of Ohio: "America the Beautiful"

Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois decided against using any music in keeping with the somber tone he sought to convey. Wesley Clark, who hasn't indicated whether he will run, entered to Johnny Cash's "I Won't Back Down."

Other than Kucinich's tasteful and traditional choice,  what to make of these selections?  

Liking Cougar-Mellencamp should be an automatic disqualification for the presidency, and inflicting that insipid, badly sung tune on your staff and supporters at every campaign stop verges on the criminal.

I can't tell if Dodd is trying to reach out to the blacks, or if he thinks he's funky. Maybe Both. He may very well even think that his pick is "edgy."  

As for Hillary's selections of Jesus Jones and BTO, I can only say - WTF?  It would be unfair to think Hillary likes those songs, but that she would pick them indicates her poor judgment (at least she didn't pick GFR's We're an American Band (inside joke)).

Obama's caught in a racial Catch-22: if he selected Jesus Jones, blacks would say "See, he's not one of us, he's a sell out to whitey" (if he selected BTO blacks would say BTO? WTF?). But if he selected The Temptations or The Four Tops like Dodd, whites would perceive him as a doctrinaire negro.

Wes Clark's selection shows he's a poseur who likes to think of himself as a badass.

So what songs should they have picked? What song would you pick as a theme tune if you were running for President?

Tags: written by Steve Urkel, edited by 1fastdog, democrats, music, presidential candidates, theme songs (all tags)

This story: 7 comments (10 from subqueue)
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3

How did this crap make the front page?

Steve Urkel.

Tue Feb 06, 2007 at 01:37:19 PM EST

5.00 (informative)

I found this great album of Presidential campaign songs.

Many candidates used to get custom songs - "Grant, Grant, Grant" for, obviously, US Grant, the fantastic "Keep Cool and Keep Coolidge" (my new catchprase), and "Get on a Raft with Taft", which is a bad idea if you ask me, because Taft was so fat the raft would probably sink.

I find Martin Van Buren's choice of "Rockabye, Baby" exceptionally odd. Maybe he was so exciting in person he had to play something to calm down the rowdy crowds?

6

Too Bad, Really

uncarved block.

Tue Feb 06, 2007 at 07:52:02 PM EST

5.00 (brilliant)

that Americans are so humorless, because the perfect way for Hillary Clinton to confront a whole host of problems would be to pick "The Bitch Is Back" by Elton John for a theme. (And a tip of the hat to Bernie Taupin for the next line, "stone cold sober as a matter of fact", a stroke of lyrical genius.) Taking the inevitable invective and turning it into a point of pride would backfire, but man, it would be great political theater for a couple of months.
    If I had to pick a theme song, it would probably be Keen's The Road Goes On Forever, just to make a point that sex and violence in music is as American as apple pie. Barring that- doubt you could find a campaign manager that would work under those conditions- the next choice would be "Ladies Love Outlaws", which would cement both the "outsider" image, and the "common touch" thing at one stroke. Or maybe I've been thinking about Willie Nelson too much lately :)
    Oh, and a wonderful hardball political for a  Republican challenger to Giuliani would be to pay someone to stand outside a rally with a boom box playing the old country chestnut "D-I-V-O-R-C-E" at an acceptable volume. Hey, if guys went and put on cigar suits to harass Clinton, this could happen . . .

Ex ignorantia ad sapientiam; e luce ad tenebras

2

Re: It's The Same Old Song. Write The Feme Tune, S

rombuu.

Tue Feb 06, 2007 at 10:11:04 AM EST

4.50 (brilliant, funny)

Bad idea John Edwards... everyone pretty much hates that song after being bombarded with it multiple times during every NFL game this year.

What song would you pick as a theme tune if you were running for President?

The Imperial March from The Empire Strikes Back.  Man, that would be awesome....

1

Re: It's The Same Old Song. Write The Feme Tune, S

zyxwvutsr.

Tue Feb 06, 2007 at 09:18:37 AM EST

none

Since Obama has openly admitted I've been a receptacle," I think he should go with the song Steamroller, with some modified lyrics: "I'm a receptacle, baby / You're gonna shoot me full of your hopes and dreams."

Too bad that New York Governor Elliot Spitzer already claimed that song for himself, declaring, "I'm a fucking steamroller."

4

Kucinich strikes again

Acefantastik.

Tue Feb 06, 2007 at 06:12:35 PM EST

none

Once again,  Dennis Kucinich proves that he's the only Democrat in the field who isn't a craven empty suit operating in a focus group's echo chamber.  

When I run for President, my theme song will be "Let Me Ride"  by Andre Young, M.D.  

7

^ 4

Re: Kucinich strikes again

dzetetes.

Thu Feb 08, 2007 at 02:38:46 AM EST

none

Hmm, yes, I suppose "Bitches Ain't Shit" might alienate female voters.

In regione caecorum, rex est luscus.

5

So, if Al Gore does get in it ...

MayorBob.

Tue Feb 06, 2007 at 07:02:28 PM EST

none

... will he kick that Fleetwood Mac vibe to the curb and go retro?  My suggestions would be "Hot Fun In The Summertime" by Sly & the Family Stone or "Heat Wave" by Martha & the Vandellas.

Illegitimi non carborundum.

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