Running for president used to mean giving a good speech, shaking hands, kissing babies, and having a sound economic policy. That all changed in 1992, when Bill Clinton showed up on The Arsenio Hall Show with a saxophone in tow.
Ever since, candidates have been required not only to detail their public policy positions, but also the books on their nightstand and the music on their iPods. This year is no exception.
In a way, giving the country a peak at candidates' tastes makes perfect sense. As Jason Rentfrow, an American psychologist at the University of Cambridge points out, our preferences in music, books, and films can be a shorthand for signaling elements of our personalities. So what do the candidates' tastes in music say about them?
John McCain
Senator McCain gets his kicks by reading military history and watching the Discovery Channel, and his iPod is filled with classic rock from the 1950s. One of his favorite bands is ABBA, the Swedish disco superquartet from the 1970s. "Everybody hates them," McCain told reporters on the campaign trail. "You're a no-class guy if you like ABBA. So why does everybody go see Mamma Mia? Hypocrisy! Rank hypocrisy!"
What does this mean? "McCain's music and TV preferences are rather conventional and quite narrow," says Rentfrow. "People with such preferences are organized, hardworking, empathic, and traditional."
If elected, McCain says, he'll make ABBA ring forth from every elevator in the White House. Now that's a campaign promise.
Barack Obama
Senator Obama loves Bruce Springsteen, Yo-Yo Ma, Sheryl Crow, Jay-Z, The Rolling Stones, Elton John, Charlie Parker, Earth, Wind & Fire, and of course, Bob Dylan. "I have pretty eclectic tastes," Obama observed in a Rolling Stone interview.
"People with a diversity of tastes tend to be high on openness," explains Gosling. "This is also the dimension most closely related to liberal political orientation, so it makes good sense that Obama likes such a diverse array of genres."
Lately, Obama's been listening to Bob Dylan's "Maggie's Farm," a song about trying to be yourself when everybody wants you to be just like them. "As I listen to some of the political rhetoric," says Obama, "it speaks to me."
Interpreter of Melodies
Decoding taste isn't exact—and exposure and geography matter too. Here's what the research says about how to judge someone based on their musical choices. Keep in mind not everyone fits the mold.
If you love…
- Rock music: You're a social person, but easily stressed out or depressed.
- Country music: You're athletic, reliable, and focused. You're a friendly, cheerful person and don't get stressed out or depressed very often. You're voting McCain.
- Pop music: You are friendly and social, but not verbally gifted.
- Rap, funk, or electronic/dance music: You're an energetic and social Obama supporter.
- Hip-hop or soul music: You're upbeat and conventional.
- Classical music: You are reflective and complex. People describe you as quiet and thoughtful, and you have a gift for language.
- Jazz music: You're outgoing, social, and verbally gifted.
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