In world of politics, a song can say so much

[JI7]

"Forget stump speeches and campaign finance reports. If you really want to know what's in the hearts and minds of politicians, snoop around their CD collections -- the songs they blast while cruising the Beltway reveals far more than their sound bites. That's why we were thrilled when the Democratic presidential hopefuls were asked at a debate to name their favorite song.

Al Sharpton: The flamboyant New Yorker went with "Talking Loud, Saying Nothing," a 1972 slice of funk by James Brown. Sharpton said the choice was a reference at the empty rhetoric of Republican leadership.

Good thing -- when we first heard the choice, we thought he was following the musical example of H. Ross Perot, who somehow thought Patsy Cline's "Crazy" would make a dandy campaign song. "

http://www.floridatoday.com/!NEWSROOM/peoplestoryA12385A.htm

[lcordero]

1. I always thought that one of them should be

"Sweet Dreams" by the Eurythmics...and this is for both parties.

[gottaB]

2. More lists

Responses to favorite song question from Baltimore:

• Braun: "You Gotta Be" (Des'ree)
  
  
• Dean: "Jaspora" (Wyclef Jean)
  
  
• Edwards: "Small Town" (John Mellencamp)
  
  
• Gephardt: "Born in the U.S.A." (Bruce Springsteen)
  
  
• Graham: ""Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes" (Jimmy Buffet)
  
  
• Kerry: "No Surrender" (Bruce Springsteen)
  
  
• Kucinich: "Imagine" (John Lennon)
  
  
• Lieberman: "Don't Stop" (Fleetwood Mac), "My Way" (Sid Vicious)
  
  
• Sharpton: "Talking Loud and Saying Nothing" (James Brown)
  

From a T. Rex essay on campaign theme songs:

• Braun: "You Gotta Be" (Des'ree)
  
  
• Dean: "A Little Less Conversation" (Elvis Presley)
  
  
• Edwards: "Small Town" (John Mellencamp)
  
  
• Gephardt: "The Best" (Tina Turner)
  
  
• Graham: "The Best" (Tina Turner) (sic, both of them)
  
  
• Kerry: "I Won't Back Down" (Tom Petty), "No Surrender" (Bruce Springsteen)
  
  
• Kucinich: ???
  
  
• Lieberman: "We Are Family" (Sister Sledge)
  
  
• Sharpton: "A Change Is Gonna Come" (Sam Cooke)
  

From a Globe story on campaign theme songs:

• Braun: "You Gotta Be" (Des'ree)
  
  
• Dean: "A Little Less Conversation" (Elvis Presley, remixed by Junkie XL)
  
  
• Edwards: "I'm a Believer" (Smashmouth cover)
  
  
• Gephardt: "Let the Day Begin" (The Call)
  
  
• Graham: "We've Got a Friend in Bob Graham" (original jingle)
  
  
• Kerry: "I Won't Back Down" (Tom Petty), "No Surrender" (Bruce Springsteen), several more up in the air.
  
  
• Kucinich: "Imagine" (John Lennon)
  
  
• Lieberman: "We Are Family" (Sister Sledge)
  
  
• Sharpton: "Get up, Stand up" (Peter Tosh, Bob Marley)
  

Oh, and the karaoke primary. That's a gas.

[w4rma]

4. Dean on his choice of Jaspora

…
Later, Dean noted that his son, Paul, would have liked his choice of Jaspora by Wyclef Jean as his (Dean’s) favorite song. However, from the phone conversation with home it appears that Wyclef has yet to penetrate deep into the Dean household, the governor stating, “You don’t know who he is? He is a big favorite of Paul’s,” to his wife. (As to why Jaspora was selected as his favorite, Dean said he has more than one favorite song, this particular tune just jumped to the forefront. Could it be the CDs the kids leave behind in the car?)
…
http://www.msnbc.com/news/958689.asp

…
Howard Dean: Wow. Dean is, as usual, full of surprises. He picked "Jaspora" by Wyclef Jean, the Haiti native, member of the hit group the Fugees and an innovator in hip-hop who taps his Caribbean heritage in song. "Jaspora" is sung in French-Creole on Wyclef's 1997 solo album "The Carnival." Does Dean speak French-Creole? Does he just dig the beat? Watching Dean's favorable press coverage and populist momentum, the other nominees may be humming a different Fugees selection: "Killing Me Softly."
…
http://www.floridatoday.com/!NEWSROOM/peoplestoryA12385A.htm

[JI7]

3. how about wes clark ?

what songs do you think he would or should use ?

[disgruntella]

5. LL Cool J - Mama Says Knock You Out

Actually, I just wish *any* of the candidates would use it. Hell, I know all the words...

[gottaB]

7. Yeah

I wish Kerry's campaign had gone with that. Are they using it all?

[JI7]

6. i thought the ross perot thing was funny

"H. Ross Perot, who somehow thought Patsy Cline's "Crazy" would make a dandy campaign song. ""