On the presidential iPod: Barack Obama's playlist

B-Rock, Barack-star - Barack Obama was hailed as the Mick Jagger of politics almost from the moment he stepped onto the campaign trail. But familiarity and months of ferocious duelling with Hillary Clinton have taken their toll, the gloss long since having started to flake off.

Perhaps seeking to recover some of his early glamour, the Democratic nominee has granted an in-depth interview to Rolling Stone magazine, featured on the cover in forthcoming issue to be published Friday.

He unveils an iPod playlist to cover all political bases:  Bob Dylan, Stevie Wonder and the Rolling Stones will appeal to baby boomers, while in naming Bruce Springsteen he marks himself out as a true Democrat. Elton John is a fairly safe choice with his diverse fan base, though his flamboyant homosexuality might put off the religious right (though I'm not sure that even listing Pat Robertson's audio sermons would have got him much traction there). Sheryl Crow is a similarly mainstream selection, but jazz icons Miles Davis, John Coltrane and Charlie Parker mark him out as a man of culture. He passes up on the opportunity to throw in a bit of country and western for the white rural working class, but perhaps he knew that was never going to fly...

In case he appear too old and middle class, he throws in a few well known rappers to boost his "down with the kids" reputation. Jay-Z and Ludicris are favourites apparently, though Will.i.am doesn't even get a nod from the Illinois senator for his popular "Yes we can" support video. (If that isn't enough to do it, he is also throwing in a cameo on Q-Tip's forthcoming album for good measure, according to recent reports.)

But the candidate, while expressing his admiration for rap music and the way it has broken down cultural barriers, admits he is concerned about the impact some of the lyrics might have on his young daughters Sasha and Malia. "I am troubled sometimes by the misogyny and materialism of a lot of rap lyrics," he says. "It would be nice if I could have my daughters listen to their music without me worrying they were getting bad images of themselves." Spoken like a true latte liberal...

Comments

[Deke]

Jeez, think his advisors might have vetted that playlist before publishing it? I'd be more impressed if he had someone like Disturbed or Kinky Friedman his i-Pod.

[sam]

Obama doesn't know Coltrane's "giant steps" from the movie "Giant" ....

[Cascadian]

Presidential huh?

There was a time when newspapers reported news, now we have fluff pieces that attempt to predict the future, or perhaps you are reporting an immature reporters pubescent dreams.

The slow and seemingly inescapable dumbing-down of a once great newspaper is truly a very sad sight.

[Brian]

Great article!
What is a latte liberal?
Thanks!

[Ian Kemmish]

If everything is taken from the last fifty years and nothing at all is from the thousand years before that, then clearly he doesn't cover all bases. But he does reinforce one particular negative stereotype of Americans!

[Booky]

Mr. Obama never had any gloss for me irrespective of what music he might have on his ipod. [Has anyone seen him with an ipod?]

If you don't have the heart to love the most innocent, defenseless, and vulnerable in our society ... you don't have the capacity to appreciate melody, beauty, and rhythmic structure.

A person like Mr. Obama who enthusiastically supports the killing of a partially born red, yellow, black, white, or brown child does not deserve to lead a nation.

When a practitioner pulls a fully formed child out of a woman and proceeds to extract his or her brain and pull the now dead infant out ... and you support this with all your might .... I don't care what you have on your ipod.

[Jeffo]

Presidential iPod??? I must have slept through the election!

[DanielSalaman]

Sorry this columns have nothing to do with the USA elections. Therefore no further comments on the presidential iPod of Barak Obama. Good God Hannah lets have your next subject for serious comments i am out.

[James Scott]

This column, like so much in the British media, seems to be more about the prejudices and attitudes of the author than about illumination of the subject.

[Karen]

I'm not looking for a president who looks "cool" on rolling stone. When the crap hits the fan in our country again, I want someone who knows the threat of the middle east to our survival as a country. Just think about it...9/11 all over again and this chump is your president! Makes makes me quiver!

[Spellcheck.]

Lud-a-cris.

[Pam]

This is what is wrong with the reporting by the Press when it comes to Senator Obama. They write constantly vapid articles that have nothing to do with his actual plans or even understanding about what he really means when he speaks of hope and change and how he plans on achieving them.

There just is no substance in the reporter or his speeches as to what he means.

[Gia Jolie]

So what IS he supposed to listen to?? Stop trying to stereotype! And write a REAL article.

[Jon]

"Down with the kids" reputation? Really? I can think of a million other artists that could fit under that header. This article makes the Rolling Stone interview look like a propagandist move- B-Rock could've named any artists and they'd be interpreted by this writer as a Democratic PR stunt. I kinda wish he said he was fond of Captain Beefheart and Kraftwerk, just to see what particular demographic this writer would say he was pandering to. It's totally reasonable, and not especially interesting, for Barackstar to sincerely like the artists he named in the interview. Millions of people already do.

[Brian in Boston]

So phony. While I'll probably end up voting for Obama, he's becoming more of an establishment machine everyday. This made up list of safe tunes is lame.
Where's Black Steel In The Hour Of Chaos!

[Lord Sidcup]

a press release dressed up as celebrity infotainment then disguised as journalism and put onto the intereent.

[edward]

*yawn*

[Bill Jones]

Why didn't you find out what's on McCain's eight track?