Full disclosure time: I voted for the man, I will be voting
for the man, I did my bit for the man in various swing states, I shook his hand
after I saw Bruce Springsteen open for him in Cleveland
Today saw the release of President Obama’s Campaign 2012 Playlist on Spotify and the subsequent Internet hullabaloo as everybody
pondered "what it all meant.” Well, this
is on the Internet, I can do hullabaloo, so here is what I think it all means:
- The Obama campaign is hot to trot to get the pop culture vote. Having a setlist of songs to play at campaign events is one thing, but to put that setlist on the Facebook, Spotify, Google+ and stir the pot... that says that they are really targeting people who like and care about stuff.
- In addition to shoring up his Baby Boomer support with the ELO and REO Speedwagon, the
President’s campaign is definitely looking to lock in it’s indie credentials and the
hipster vote. The Arcade Fire and
- Some commentators are hilariously stupid. Case in point: the writers and pundits suggesting that President Obama picked all of these himself even though it's called "The Obama 2012 Campaign Playlist," or making hay out of the absence of rap music and the inclusion of country and thus indulging in some casual racism. Whoops.
- The Obama 2012 Campaign has a fine sense of humor because I am pretty sure the inclusion of U2’s “Even Better Than The Real Thing” is a very clever shot at Mitt Romney.
- It shows that the President is popular with a lot of varied artists more than willing to let his campaign use their music, unlike his opponents who usually end up on the receiving end of restraining orders forbidding them from using this and that music at events.
- It's 2012, and not even Spotify and music blogs are safe....
