The Rock Stars of Twentieth Century Politics: A Countdown
“For the introduction of a new kind of music must be shunned as imperiling the whole state; since styles of music are never disturbed without affecting the most important political institutions.” - Plato
Politics, in its broadest sense, holds immeasurable societal importance. It is pervasive; everyone has some conception of politics, regardless of whether they realize it. The eighth-grade girl is cognizant of the social politics surrounding her; she realizes that cheerleading co-captains Ashlee and Brittany hold greater influence amongst their peers than backgammon club founders Wilfred and Agatha. The homeless man sees, feels, and smells the effects of socioeconomic stratification all around him (those near him smell it as well). Even a family’s dog, as a pack animal, understands the politics of the pack; the concept of an “alpha male,” for instance, is not a foreign one to him. Any social division, any adherence to established rules intended to govern others, or any recognition of and obedience to authority constitutes an acknowledgement of political structure in one’s life.
While most Americans’ knowledge of national politics does not extend far beyond the names of the current President and VP - indeed, only a very small percentage of the population would be able to name the Cabinet members, or more than a handful of Congresspersons - politics in its purest form is everywhere, and is most likely inescapable. In a world with all governing infrastructure completely removed - “anarchy” - governmental structure would almost certainly return as soon as the natural human desire for power and control surfaced. This archaic infrastructure would almost certainly be more barbaric than democratic; that democracy had to be “invented,” following thousands of years of civilizations controlled by monolithic governments, is a powerful statement on human nature.
Democracy, by definition, runs counter to human desires. Every human wants power and no one wants to be overruled by those of an opposing belief, even when those others constitute the majority. That democracy has risks is obvious; were this not the case, police officers would be out of work. Democracy, and really any sort of structured state, is to some degree vulnerable to discord and dissent. Plato, one of the most prominent philosophers in history, wrote that music could pose this sort of danger; that music was intertwined with political institutions, and that the disturbance of established musical styles would in turn disrupt the fabric of the State. Plato’s theory may have become outdated by the 19th century, when modern music began to emerge (read more about that here), because the introduction of dozens of new genres did not seem to send shockwaves throughout the political sphere as he had forecasted.
Music does, nevertheless, hold strong influence over politics. Following Hurricane Katrina and the Bush Administration’s tremendous failure to react, a protest song by The Legendary K.O. was released, entitled “George Bush Doesn’t Care about Black People,” borrowing the beat of Kanye West’s “Gold Digger.” The song heavily criticized the lack of response from the administration, and certainly embedded the criticism in the minds of many whom otherwise would not have formed such an opinion. George Bush’s job approval rating undoubtedly dropped further following Katrina due to the influence of one song. Countless times, and often in the form of such protest songs, music has influenced politics with dramatic effects. Politics has influenced music, too; obviously, the song “George Bush Doesn’t Care About Black People” would not have been written were it not for the actions of the administration. Because politics and music have such mutual connections, it is prudent to mention one in a discussion of the other. To this end, this essay will present a listing of ten modern political figures who hold resemblance to a particular song - the “rock stars of politics.”
10. Richard Nixon
Richard Nixon, born January 9, 1913, was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. Nixon’s greatest success in office was the negotiation of the ceasefire between the United States and North Vietnam, putting an end to the Vietnam War, which had begun in 1959. The most notable part of Nixon’s career, however, was the Watergate scandal. On June 17, 1972, several men were caught trying to break into the Democratic Party headquarters at the Watergate Hotel in Washington, D.C. They were exposed as workers for the White House, which led to the revealing of numerous criminal activities involving President Nixon, including wiretapping of opponents’ conversations, acceptance of illicit campaign contributions. Nixon was eventually faced with an impending impeachment trial that would almost certainly end in his removal from office; as a result, on August 9, 1974, Nixon became the first and only President to resign from office. Richard Nixon is a political rock star for spearheading one of the greatest political scandals of the century; his song is Taking Back Sunday’s Liar (It Takes One to Know One).
9. Tom DeLay
Tom DeLay served as a Republican member of the House of Representatives from 1984 to 2005. He earned the nickname “The Hammer” for his tough stance on party discipline and his tendency to seek retribution against political opponents. For his work in party cohesiveness, he was elected to Deputy Minority Whip in 1988, and after helping Newt Gingrich lead the 1994 “Republican Revolution,” he was elected House Majority Whip. From 2003 to 2005, DeLay served as House Majority Leader; in 2005, charges were brought against him by Texas Travis County District Attorney Ronnie Earle. Earle claimed that DeLay had conspired to violate election laws in 2002, along with charges of money laundering. DeLay pleaded not guilty, claiming the Democratic Ronnie Earle had political motivations for his accusations. DeLay decided to run for reelection in 2006, and won the Republican primary. He changed his mind shortly after, announcing in April that he would not only withdraw from the race, but also from Congress, which he officially did in June. DeLay fought the courts just to get his name removed from the ballot, and was finally successful. DeLay is still awaiting a ruling on the charges of money laundering. As one of the most influential Republicans of the past 20 years, with all the customary white-collar-crime baggage one would expect, DeLay earns a spot as a rock star of politics. To DeLay, the “Hammer” of Congress, I dedicate a song by the original “Hammer.” MC Hammer - Can’t Touch This
8. Bill O’Reilly
Bill O’Reilly’s name is one rarely mentioned without inciting some discussion. As one of the most outspoken, far-right Republican pundits anywhere, O’Reilly seems to cause trouble wherever he goes. Formerly a news reporter and anchor, he won a local Emmy in Denver, Colorado for his coverage of a skyjacking. He now hosts his own cable news program, The O’Reilly Factor, notable both for its popularity and for its confrontational interviews. Bill O’Reilly’s show is also the basis for Stephen Colbert’s political parody show The Colbert Report, modeling itself after O’Reilly’s behavior and the layout of his show. While Bill angers a lot of people with his extreme views, he’s certainly not afraid to speak his mind, and his contributions to politics earn him a place on the list. Bill O’Reilly’s song is a fitting one for someone truly as charming as an eel. You’re A Mean One, Mr. Grinch
7. Franklin D. Roosevelt
With an amazing four terms in office, serving for 12 years, Franklin Delano Roosevelt was the Stride Gum of American politics. FDR is not always mentioned when people talk of influential 20th-century politicians, probably because his terms in office ended more than 60 years ago; but FDR’s most important policies are likely more noticed today than those of other Presidents following him. During the Great Depression, Franklin Roosevelt was playing with fire; poor social and economic policies could easily have worsened the already-terrible economic crash the nation was suffering. Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal was a comprehensive response to one of the nation’s worst economic crises in its history; by creating hundreds of new programs, FDR made available thousands of jobs to workers who had lost them. FDR also created Social Security to ensure retirement pensions for American workers. In his third term, Roosevelt began rearmament of the US Army to assemble the “Arsenal of Democracy;” when Pearl Harbor was bombed in 1941, the United States entered World War II. For his work as one of the greatest leaders in the twentieth century, FDR earns a spot as a rock star of politics, with a song from his own era, Jo Stafford’s “I’ll Be Seeing You.” I’ll Be Seeing You
6. Hillary Clinton
It’s not easy being female, at least not when it comes to politics. Hillary Clinton could tell you that. Target of many a political joke or Republican mockery, Hillary was chiefly the Sonny to her husband’s Cher during her tenure as First Lady - though to her credit, she did become much more involved in politics than most other First Ladies, appointed by Bill as chairwoman of the Task Force on National Health Care Reform. She created a comprehensive health care proposal that would have guaranteed health coverage to employees through HMOs; the plan failed to garner enough popularity to earn a floor vote in either the House or the Senate, and was even used by the Republicans to win seats in the 1994 midterm elections. In 2008, Hillary gave the Presidency her own shot, and ran against Edwards and Obama for the Democratic nomination for President. Hillary lost, though in a relatively close race between her and Obama; she also gained new ground for women in politics, by setting new records for most primaries and delegates won by a woman. With both her failed Presidential campaign and her unpopular health care reform proposal, political rock star Hillary Clinton earns Elliott Smith’s “How to Take a Fall.” How to Take a Fall
5. Michael Moore
Despite the two sharing spots on the same list, Moore is pretty much the opposite of Bill O’Reilly. He’s a relaxed, non-confrontational Leftist who lacks O’Reilly’s stuffy demeanor. Though not a politician, his documentaries have all been political, and his three movies Bowling for Columbine, Fahrenheit 9/11, and Sicko are three of the five highest-grossing documentaries of all time. TIME Magazine in 2005 named him one of the 100 most influential people in the world. Michael Moore hoped for his Fahrenheit 9/11 documentary, regarding the September 11 attacks, to sway voters away from reelecting Bush in the 2004 campaign; Moore was unsuccessful, however. For producing some of the most successful documentaries ever, and for becoming an influential political figure without ever holding office, Michael Moore is a political rock star. To Michael Moore, I dedicate one of my favorite songs by another Michigan native, Paul Baribeau. Brown Brown Brown
4. Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton, born in 1946, was the 42nd President of the United States, serving from 1993 to 2001. He was a successful president, restoring public faith in the Presidency while presiding over the longest peacetime economic expansion in United States history. His presidency was not all smiles, however; two controversies caused trouble for Bill. The Lewinsky scandal, involving Bill’s sexual relationship with a White House intern, was certainly the worst, leading to his impeachment by the Republican-controlled Congress, though he was not removed from office. The Whitewater controversy brought trouble to Clinton’s presidency when David Hale charged that Clinton had pressured him to illegally make a $300,000 loan to Susan McDougal, the Clintons’ partner in the Whitewater real estate. The Clintons were never charged, and Bill Clinton continued to plead innocent. Political rock star Bill Clinton’s dedication song is Boyz II Men’s “I’ll Make Love to You.” I’ll Make Love To You
3. George W. Bush
George W. Bush is more well-known than Clinton, more influential than Moore, more unpopular than Nixon, and may just have a more incendiary name than O’Reilly. Whatever you notice about our recent President, it will not be in moderation. Certainly, the unfortunate centerpiece of his legacy is the excruciatingly long Iraq War. Though it may have met with some level of success, it has been extremely unpopular. Other major Bush initiatives included the war in Afghanistan, the vaguely defined “War on Terrorism,” No Child Left Behind, the Clear Skies Act of 2003, and Bush’s failed attempt to privatize Social Security. George Bush holds the record for both the highest and the lowest job approval rating - highest (92%) following the September 11 attacks, and lowest (19%) twice in 2008 - once in February during the Iraqi insurgency, and once in September after an especially bad economic week. Though he will not go down in history as a successful president, Bush certainly had an interesting and influential presidency, and withstood a great deal of criticism. Bush earns political rock star status, and a dedication of himself performing U2’s “Sunday Bloody Sunday.” Sunday Bloody Sunday
2. Newt Gingrich 
Following Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, Newt Gingrich might seem like an oddity as the number 2 political rock star. Whether or not one agrees with his political stance, Newt really did rock the politics of the late 20th century. After two unsuccessful runs, he earned a US House of Representatives seat in 1978, and would be re-elected 10 times afterwards. From 1995 to 1999 he served as Speaker of the House, and was the pivotal lead in the Republican Revolution of 1994, when Republicans won a record number of House seats, taking control of it for the first time in 40 years. Gingrich led the Republican opposition against President Clinton’s policies until his 1998 resignation from the House of Representatives. For his exceptional leadership in the House of Representatives, political rock star Newt Gingrich gets a fight song fit for a Congressional kung fu master: You’re The Best Around
1. Barack Obama
President-elect Barack Obama earns the number one spot as a political rock star. His entire life is an amazing success story; overcoming racial barriers and becoming the first black president is icing on the cake. He was born in Hawaii, then later moved to Indonesia after internal politics led to his Indonesian stepfather’s being recalled from school in Hawaii. Obama graduated Columbia University, then attended Harvard Law School, where he was president of the Harvard Law Review by the end of his second year. In 1991, Obama graduated Harvard Law School magna cum laude with a J.D. Obama won the election with 53% of the popular vote, but with a very large margin of the electoral vote. Obama operated a nearly flawless campaign, beating McCain’s message of “experience” with his own message of “hope.” He takes office on January 20, 2009, and I am looking forward to seeing new management in the White House. For Obama, I dedicate a song that reflects what Obama represents to America - a fresh change, a prince, rather than a tyrannical king. Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Theme