The Washington Post interviewed Tevi Troy recently about his new book highlighting the intersection between presidential politics and popular culture.
Why should politicians care about popular culture?
Politicians need to care about popular culture because it is one of the common bonds that tie increasingly segmented Americans together. Whether you live in a red state or a blue state, or an urban or rural environment, you are aware of popular culture. And a politician who can skillfully navigate the use of pop culture references and appearances in pop culture venues can increase his appeal to the American public. Barack Obama, for example, has been quite adept in his use of pop culture, and in three distinct ways. First, he is fluent in the language of pop culture, and makes easy references to his TV viewing habits, which the media eagerly and lovingly report. Second, he makes appearances on soft media entertainment shows, where he reaches out to targeted sections of the electorate, and also avoids pesky hardball questions. Obama had over two dozen of these soft media appearances in the 2012 campaign. Third, he uses Hollywood celebrities to campaign for him, and to raise money for him. …
… Are conservatives inherently wary of popular culture?
Conservatives are indeed wary of pop culture, and for good reason. Hollywood is a strongly Democratic town, and references to politics in pop culture tend to glorify Democrats and demonize Republicans. The president on the West Wing, for example, was a Democrat whom the producers intentionally created as a mix between Kennedy and Clinton, minus their unfortunate foibles. The vice president character on Homeland, in contrast, was clearly a caricature of Dick Cheney, bad heart and all. This anti-Republican tendency shows up in music, as Fleetwood Mac loves it when Clinton uses their song “Don’t Stop” as a campaign anthem, but Republicans are repeatedly criticized by musicians when they try to use popular music in their campaigns. I joke in the book that Republicans can only use songs on the campaign trail if the artists are country or dead.
Who is a Republican good at using pop culture and why?
This is a tough question since, as noted above, Republicans are at a disadvantage when it comes to pop culture. In recent years, some GOP politicians are trying to be more hip when it comes to their musical choices. Paul Ryan, who is into heavy metal, joked during the GOP convention that he was familiar with some of Mitt Romney’s favorite songs from time that he had spent in elevators. And Marco Rubio is a fan of hip hop. I think the 2016 race will be revealing when it comes to GOP use of popular culture, and it is likely that the candidate most able to use pop culture will come out on top.