President Obama crowdsources his campaign song
In a country where (to outsiders at least) rallies seem to only take place in sports stadiums and small town diners, making sure that there’s a fitting soundtrack seems like a pretty good idea.
And from the very first marching bands, politicians have known that the emotional power of music can galvanise a campaign or even reach a new constituency - from Tony Blair surging into Downing Street to the strains of Things Can Only Get Better by D:Ream to Ronald Reagan's misappropriation of Born in the USA - much to Bruce Springsteen's irritation.
And looking at the list of successful presidential campaign songs, you could almost write a brief for them: blue collar, upbeat but with a hint of adversity to be overcome, and overwhelmingly male:
2008: Barack Obama: Yes We Can (will.i.am featuring various artists)
2004: George W. Bush: Only in America (Brooks & Dunn)
2000: George W. Bush: I Won't Back Down (Tom Petty)
1992: Bill Clinton: Don't Stop (Fleetwood Mac)
1988: George H. W. Bush: This Land Is Your Land (Woody Guthrie)
1984: Ronald Reagan: Born in the USA (Bruce Springsteen)
So what song would you add to the list for 2012? Suggestions in the comments box below please.
Photo: Barack Obama, Creative Commons