As students begin a new school year, one of the most followed
and discussed issues in the weeks to come will undoubtedly be the
upcoming presidential election. With poll numbers so close,
it’s interesting to see what the carefully selected campaign
music of each candidate might reveal.
Let’s start with the incumbent. In an effort to expand its
appeal to younger voters (that’s you), the Bush campaign has
made a bold and exciting move away from traditional country music
in favor of, yes, alternative-country, which Bush media strategist
Mark McKinnon, as quoted by The New York Times, describes as
“a little rockier, a little jazzier, a little funkier.”
In accordance, the primary Bush campaign anthem so far this year
has been “Only in America” by the country-pop duo
Brooks & Dunn, whom the All Music Guide crowns as “the
undisputed kings of the ’90s line dancing craze.”
Brooks & Dunn also headed the entertainment lineup for the
GOP convention alongside other explosive acts such as country
singer Lee Ann Womack and Christian rock band Third Day, that in
2003 scored a coveted nomination for Favorite Contemporary
Inspirational Artist from the American Music Awards (but was
robbed, and I mean robbed, of a nomination in the Fan’s
Choice Award by eventual winner Clay Aiken). One wonders how MTV
managed to survive such competition that week.
If that didn’t have you running to your nearest
Square-Dance the Vote representative, just consider these other
country-pop artists favored by the Bush campaign: Aaron Tippin, Pat
Green, Lee Greenwood and, of course, Billy Ray Cyrus (of
“Achy, Breaky Heart” superstardom). And you thought the
Bush bounce came from the speeches.
You can’t fault his campaign for playing it safe though,
given the recent history Republican candidates have had in their
musical selections. Take Ronald Reagan’s famously rebuffed
attempt to adopt “Born in the U.S.A.” ““ Bruce
Springsteen’s angry indictment of the American way from the
point of view of a disenfranchised Vietnam veteran ““ and Bob
Dole’s repetition of that mistake in 1996. Or former
President Bush’s well-meaning use of Woody Guthrie’s
beloved “This Land Is Your Land,” originally written as
a retort to “God Bless America”: “In the squares
of the city by the shadow of the steeple / Near the relief office I
saw my people / And some were stumbling and some were wondering if
/ This land was made for you and me.”
But it must be too much to ask for them to actually listen to
their own songs.
Of course, that goes for the other guys as well. Democratic
National Committee delegate and Everclear frontman Art Alexakis
pulled his own Bob Dole and recorded a version of “This Land
Is Your Land,” and was quoted by Billboard explaining that
“this song reflects what (he) personally believe(s) in
““ that this country belongs to all of us and that the Bush
administration does not have a monopoly on patriotism.”
Uh-huh.
But you’d think Kerry would win in the music department by
default, considering that he played bass (and even cut a record) in
a band called the Electras back in high school. That’s all
negated by the fact that a) Clinton played the friggin’ sax
for Arsenio Hall, and b) Kerry’s band was called the
Electras. And, nothing against bass players, but unless he doubled
as songwriter and the band’s manager or something,
that’s not exactly leadership material. It might work for a
cabinet member, but not a president; at least Bush was the
president of his fraternity. Now the sax, Kerry could have used. A
little Coltrane might have done wonders for his personality.
Kerry does utilize more palatable staples such as Bruce
Springsteen, Tom Petty and U2; his favorite song is
Springsteen’s “No Surrender.” Yawn. I’m
oversimplifying; but still, it’s frustrating that everything
boils down to the basic analogy of conservatives : liberals ::
middle-aged white country singers : old white rockers. I guess
those are the breaks of a two-party system. Both sides also
(surprise) often use and recycle the same music, especially when it
comes to old soul favorites that capitalize on baby-boomer
nostalgia.
It’s comforting to know that even in this polarized
political landscape, the left and right can find common ground when
it comes to, say, emotional manipulation and a complete lack of
originality. In the end, it turns out the conclusion remains the
same, no matter the aspect of presidential campaigning.
E-mail Lee at alee2@media.ucla.edu.