David Lindeman – Contributing Columnist
I woke up last Wednesday and cautiously peeked out the window. You can imagine my astonishment when I discovered the world still existed. In fact, it turned out to be a beautiful day.
Having listened to all the rhetoric leading up to last week’s election, I thought for sure the world was going to end once all the votes were counted and the (fill in the blank) Democrats or Republicans won.
All the claims and threats and predictions can make our elections a real spectacle. If it weren’t for the music, I could do without them all together. That’s right, the music. American politicians have a long history of “borrowing” popular songs to rev up the crowds during campaigns.
Back in 1928, Al Smith, who grew up in New York City, used the song “The Streets of New York.” This presumably helped him in New York, though not so much anywhere else. In 1932, FDR’s theme song was “Happy Days Are Here Again.” The idea was he could lead us out of the Great Depression — although more voters probably were inspired by the idea that he promised to end Prohibition.
Harry Truman in 1948? “I’m Just Wild About Harry,” of course. John F. Kennedy used the Frank Sinatra song “High Hopes” in 1960. George McGovern often used “Bridge Over Troubled Water” by Simon and Garfunkel in 1972, which seems to be an apt description of his campaign, except his bridge collapsed.
I really like some of the more recent choices by candidates.
Donald Trump often has used the song “We’re Not Going to Take It,” by Twisted Sister, a band that probably is not on the playlist for most of his conservative supporters.
Back in the ’90s, Bill Clinton insisted…
