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April 13, 2005

iPods for politicians

This could be a fertile field for study. George W. Bush’s daughters gave him an iPod for his birthday – dubbed “iPod One” - and his aides uploaded some music to it from the iTunes Music Store, and George W. has been photographed strapping it on while preparing to take his regular bike ride. Presumably he’s listening to it, assuming he’s worked out how to use the dial, which, let’s face it, may be an assumption too far.

A Rolling Stones journalist who’s examined the play list of 250 songs which includes

John Fogerty: Centerfield
Joni Mitchell: Baby I Don’t Care
Van Morrison: Brown-Eyed Girl
Stevie Ray Vaughan: The House is Rockin'
The Knack: My Sharona
Blackie and the Rodeo Kings: Swinging from the Chains of Love
Country stars Alan Jackson, George Jones, Kenny Chesney
Classic rockers Eric Clapton, Robert Palmer, Bryan Adams
describes it as “safe, reliable, loving … feel-good music”, and the President’s cycling companion, media adviser Mark McKinnon, cautions against psychoanalysing it, on the grounds that “it’s music to get over the next hill”.
 
But here at Bleeding Edge, we think more work should be done analysing the playlists of all politicians. In fact, we probably shouldn’t elect them without having a copy of their playlists sworn and certified.
 
Of course, they’ll try to fake it. This comment from Levy, for instance, about the appearance of George Jones on the Presidential playlist, takes an awful lot for granted: 
George Jones is the greatest living singer in country music and a recovering alcoholic who often sings about heartbreak and drinking," he said. "It tells you that the president knows a thing or two about country music and is serious about his love of country music.”
What it tells you is that the president knows a thing or two about instructing an aide to find 250 titles to stick on his iPod. The aide probably consulted the on-duty neo-con, or possibly the same folks who advise the President on foreign policy That’s why we need their playlists. At least we’ll know the sort of music that their advisers listen to.

Posted by cw at April 13, 2005 03:45 PM

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Comments

If George Bush actually had a 3 digit IQ he would probably remove The Knack: My Sharona from his playlist, considering its dubious lyrics and his questionable religious beliefs.

Posted by: Blackwatch at April 15, 2005 08:06 PM