Hillary Clinton spent tons of time campaigning for many 2014 mid-term candidates -- did 18 states signal her affection for the 18 million cracks in the glass ceiling? No doubt she heard a variety of campaign songs chosen by those candidates to inspire the crowds that turned out at rallies.
So now that Hillary Clinton has her sights officially set on the White House, will she channel her own inner Stevie Nicks and choose a Fleetwood Mac classic as her husband did? Or will she select something that says 'I'm focused on the future' rather than 'let's get nostalgic'?
Pop phenom Taylor Swift may have the perfect choice with "Shake It Off." While "Shake It Off" hasn't been received by music critics as one of Swift's better efforts, it could be just the thing Hillary needs for a potential 2016 run, especially as she seems to be the in doldrums of the constant media barrage of nobody likes Hillary! So I've got six reasons Hillary needs to chat with Taylor to get a customized version of "Shake It Off":
1. It will resonate with the the young women who were teens when Hillary ran for the White House in 2008. Innumerable teen girls were inspired by her run then, and urged their moms to volunteer for her. Those girls couldn't vote in that election, but they will be old enough to cast a ballot in 2016. For that group of young women, Swift still resonates. And if Hillary channels that vibe, she could find a way to start a connection with that very important demographic -- Millennials. Plus, she'll get their moms, too. And who do you need to win elections? Women!
2. It takes on the gendered coverage she endured in the 2008 campaign, and is sure to experience again, in a playful, yet clear, way. She's not going to take anymore talk of cankles, cackles or crows-feet. Hillary can just play that song over and over as her own personal mantra.
3. It's a new & improved HRC -- no Fleetwood Mac nostalgia for a second Hillary Clinton run. No Golden Earring or Celine Dion. She's going to need something current, especially as naysayers will focus on her Baby Boomer age. Toss in some music that's got 2016 written on it, and suddenly her 60s are the new 40s!
4. She wants to get in on the women's empowerment movement. Actually, she has to get in on it. Events and books and mantras dedicated to a new wave of women's empowerment are everywhere. And, of course, that's what Taylor Swift and her music are all about.
5. Shake it off is shorthand for her campaign strategy. In 2008, Hillary couldn't help herself from responding to Barack Obama's digs -- you're likable enough and that having tea with foreign dignitaries doesn't count as foreign policy (yeah, the president was being so likable himself, right?). Hillary allowed herself to get pulled into those jabs, but that's not going to happen again. She'll really shake that stuff off and stay on message.
6. She may want to woo Taylor Swift to appear on the campaign trail for her, guaranteeing Millennials will turn out for campaign events. A free Taylor Swift show? You know they'd be there.
Plus, there are the lyrics that could address Hillary's haters so she doesn't have to do it:
'Cause the players gonna play, play, play, play, play
And the haters gonna hate, hate, hate, hate, hate
Hillary might need to choose a different anthem if she wins the 2016 Democratic nomination. "Shake It Up" might not be the right choice for a celebratory evening with the party faithful at a political convention. But it could be just the right selection once HRC incorporates her haters' hate as a tool to rally the faithful.
As for Taylor Swift, if Hillary chooses this song, I see an invitation for a White House sleepover in 2017. That might be enough to bring Chelsea back with a then three-year-old Charlotte in tow to introduce her to the tween/teen empowerment music of Swift, as well as her White House legacy.
Joanne Bamberger is an independent journalist and journalism entrepreneur who is also the author/editor of the forthcoming book Love Her, Love Her Not: The Hillary Paradox http://www.amazon.com/Love-Her-Not-Hillary-Paradox/dp/1631528068(Nov. 3, 2015)(an Amazon #1 Hot New Release, pre-publication). She is the founder and publisher of the The Broad Side and the principal of Broad Side Strategies, a media/strategic communications firm. You can find Joanne on Twitter at @jlcbamberger and on Facebook! #hillaryparadoxbook