Since we’ve all perfected the art of judging our friends, enemies, and neighbors not by the content of their character but by the content of their iTunes, we thought this item the New York Post ran about presidential candidates and their musical tastes would help the undecided voters among you. The question was posed by the Associated Press, asking for the politicians’ most recently acquired piece of music. Here’s a list, organized by candidate, political affiliation (just in case you consider this site a “news source”), and the album and/or artist they last brought home.
Hillary Rodham Clinton (D) – Carly Simon’s Into White
Rudy Giuliani (R) – Verdi’s opera Macbeth
Barack Obama (D) – the soundtrack to Ray
John Edwards (D) – something by U2
Dennis Kucinich (D) – something by Willie Nelson
John McCain (R) – Sounds of Summer: The Very Best of the Beach Boys
As the Post pointed out and you remember from English class, Macbeth is a “cautionary tale of a leader who stopped at nothing to become top dog.” Telling! And McCain’s anwer brings him a half-step closer on the million mile march to explaining this. So which album would you vote for president?
Person. Sorry, we meant “person.”
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Barack Obama.
Ray!? Obama? This’ll get the swing voters for sure! I wonder what my man Nader jams to.
Rudy’s my man. And that was the most dismissive reduction of Macbeth I’ve ever read, in terms of both play and opera. It’s so much more than that.
Soundtrack to Ray? “Something by U2″? Willie Nelson?
Man, I could have written this article without even asking them.
So Kucinich actually owns Willie Nelson now?
A greatest hits collection that tells me McCain isn’t a big picture guy more likely to read the summary then delve into the details. That will lose him votes.
The Beach Boys released a few albums but mostly singles up until Pet Sounds…I think the greatest hits thing is acceptable (for this band at least). If it were Beatles 1 it would be a different story. As long as he owns Pet Sounds and hates Kokomo.
“Something by U2″? So the man isn’t particularly attentive to what music he buys? Promising.
“Okay, I’m closing my eyes… walking down the Pop/Rock aisle at Wal-Mart… 3, 2, 1, stop. Okay. Eenie, meenie, miney, moe. Okay, what CD did I pick up, honey?”
“Uh, looks like something with that Bono guy.”
“Okay, something by U2. That’ll fly. Don’t tell me the album name, though. I don’t want to commit to anything too early.”
did kucinich just admit to smoking pot with that choice?
i’m thinking obama’s pick was carefully selected to say ‘i’m black’ but not endorse a misogynistic rapper. or something.
What about Ron Paul????
Is Hillary trying to reference James Taylor’s “You’re so vain”, a song purported to be about Carlie Simon. A song detailing how we read what we want into answers we are provided, a subtle jab at writers who think the most recent cd you got is in any way indicative of how someone is going to RUN THE COUNTRY. Heck I’d vote for her if this was the case.
Or maybe she’s vain.
Hillary’s my girl. And the soundtrack to Ray or anything by U2 would make for a great running mate.
He would choose The Beach Boys.
Bomb Bomb Bomb, Bomb Bomb Bomb Iran!
I’d like to hear what Sen. Gravel listens to – he’s the only candidate that is telling the truth these days
Yeah, but McCain bought that on 8-track.
What, no Arcade Fire? C’mon guys, make an effort!
I like the “something by U2″ comment. The guy’s in his 50s; he’s running for president; he has bigger things on his mind than what the title is of whatever music he’s listening to.
Actually, Carly Simon wrote “You’re So Vain” about Warren Beatty.
(Suddenly I am depressed that I know this pointless factoid when I couldn’t remember the name of an All Saint’s Band I really like earlier today.)
“I’d like to hear what Sen. Gravel listens to.”
Tom Waits.
this looks too good to be true. Sounds to me like someone’s editorializing somehow got passed off as news.
But I’d love to be proven otherwise.
wendy: Ah that’s right, I heard it was about james taylor and got it backwards. Ah well.
Mitt Romney is walking around with the Asian riff from “Young Folks” in his head… His wife loves it too, but Numbers 3 and 5 can’t stand it.
flora, you can’t be serious, can you?