In this insightful, erudite history of presidential campaign music, musicologist Benjamin Schoening and political scientist Eric Kasper explain how politicians use music in American presidential campaigns to convey a range of political messages. From "Follow Washington" to "I Like Ike" to "I Got a Crush on Obama," they describe the ways that song use by and for presidential candidates has evolved, including the addition of lyrics to familiar songs, the current trend of using existing popular music to connect with voters, and the rapid change of music's relationship to presidential campaigns due to Internet sites like YouTube, JibJab, and Facebook. Readers are ultimately treated to an entertaining account of American political development through popular music and the complex, two-way relationship between music and presidential campaigns.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments Preface Introduction: Why Music Matters Part One: The Traditional Era of Campaign Music Chapter 1: The Early Use of "Campaign" Music (1789-1840) Chapter 2: Campaign Music Post Tippecanoe (1844-1916) Part Two: The Mass Media Era Chapter 3: Women's Suffrage&"Wireless" Technology (1920-1948) Chapter 4: Good Night, And Good Luck (1952-1968) Chapter 5: Campaign Music Transitions to the Pop Era (1972-1984) Part Three: The Popular Music Era and Beyond Chapter 6: The "Canned" CampaignSong (1988-2004) Chapter 7: Facebook, YouTube, & MySpace, Oh My! (2008 and Beyond) Chapter 8: Campaign Music of the Past, Present, and Future Bibliography Index About the Authors

About the Author

Benjamin Schoening is assistant professor of music at the University of Wisconsin-Barron County and music director of the Red Cedar Choir in Rice Lake. Eric T. Kasper is assistant professor of political science at the University of Wisconsin-Barron County and the municipal judge in Rice Lake.

Reviews

In this book, Benjamin Schoening and Eric Kasper capture the power of music in politics in ways that are informative, engaging, illuminating, and (in some cases) inspiring. Combining their interests and expertise, the authors explore identity forming national anthems from around the world, as well as the politics of censorship and dissent. The result is nothing less than a delightful success. Schoening and Kasper have produced a book that will be enjoyed by scholars, students, and anyone interested in the soundtrack of our political world. -- Joseph J. Foy, assistant professor of political science at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside, and editor of Homer Simpson Goes to Washington: American Politics through Popular Culture Benjamin Schoening and Eric Kasper have written an important book on the use of music in American presidential politics. Covering a lot of history and a lot of music, the book is must reading for those interested in the rapidly expanding field of political musicology, especially relating to elections and voting. -- Courtney Brown, author of Politics in Music: Music and Political Transformation from Beethoven to Hip-Hop Because music can have a large impact on emotion, and emotion has a significant influence on political decisions, this book is a necessary read for anyone who wants to more fully understand political messaging and campaign politics. -- Timothy Dale, University of Wisconsin, Green Bay Schoening and Kasper offer an intriguing and thought provoking expose on the use (and misuse) of music to further political ends. -- Craig W. Hurst, University of Michigan, University of Wisconsin Waukesha