With Election Day fast approaching, undecided voters are scrambling to find the candidate with whom they have most in common. And while some desire to share no more than an energy policy or an immigration stance with the next president, others seek to “get to know” the candidates on a more personal level. Senators McCain and Obama know that if they want to connect with the voters, they should take some time out from political hardball to answer questions about the movies they watch, the teams they root for, and, most of all, the tunes they dig.

It’s no coincidence that when political banter veers toward more light-hearted fare, music tends to dominate the conversation. In a country of wide economic gaps and deep cultural subdivisions, an affinity for music is one common thread between all factions of American society. Even with the record industry in decline, Americans still consume music at a prodigious rate, and chattering about favorite musicians remains a national pastime. Any presidential hopeful who does not outwardly care about music risks appearing out of touch, even un-American. But in the heat of the electoral race, even a topic as innocent as music could turn controversial if the candidates fail to watch what they say.

Where musical leanings are concerned, Senator Obama has been the more forthcoming of the two major candidates. In a June interview for Rolling Stone, Obama said that his tastes are eclectic, ranging from jazz to folk to hip-hop. The senator lavished praise on a few of his musical heroes, but he avoided the appearance of having a single “favorite” genre. Whether or not Obama’s statements are genuine, they represent a politically savvy effort on his part to make himself more likeable to Americans of all musical creeds.

In the case of hip-hop, Obama seems acutely aware that his attitude toward the music could have a real impact on his public image. Given that most rap listeners are young and the most popular MCs are generally African American, an Obama endorsement of the genre would help play down concerns that he is not “cool enough” or “black enough.” However, he also runs the risk of alienating older voters, many of whom regard hip-hop as crass and offensive. In his Rolling Stone interview, Obama walked the line cautiously, citing Jay-Z as a favorite artist but also expressing concerns about inflammatory lyrics in hip-hop. “I am troubled sometimes by the misogyny and materialism of a lot of rap lyrics,” he lamented.

Senator Obama also tempered his enthusiasm for music with hints that while he may be a fan, he is hardly a fanatic. Talking about his affinity for Bob Dylan, Obama mentioned that he has “probably 30″ Dylan songs on his iPod. (This reporter has 234, counting live and alternate versions.) He also indicated that his iPod contains only one Dylan album, Blood On The Tracks, in its entirety. Music nerds may recoil at this news, but Obama seems more than happy to distance himself from those “elitist” snobs.

If Obama has been self-conscious and calculating in his statements on music, he is only willing to carry this tack so far. On his Facebook page, Obama lists Dylan, John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Stevie Wonder, Johann Sebastian Bach, and The Fugees as his favorite artists. This list may exude fine taste, but from a political standpoint it leaves much to be desired. Neglecting country music means a missed opportunity to appeal to southern voters, and Dylan’s peacenik image will only reinforce the fears of those who see Obama as “too liberal.”

One comment from Obama’s Rolling Stone interview was far more risky. Asked to name a favorite Dylan song, the senator picked “Maggie’s Farm,” a classic that marked the beginning of Dylan’s controversial switch from acoustic folk to electric rock. “It speaks to me as I listen to some of the political rhetoric,” Obama said of the song. To be sure, “Maggie’s Farm” is overtly political, and its lyrics are often interpreted as a rebuke to the capitalist institution. If Obama wants to improve his rapport with moderate voters, he would do well to clarify that he doesn’t take “Maggie’s Farm” as a call for socialism.

Senator McCain, while not as outspoken about music as his rival, did issue one bold proclamation: the dude bops to ABBA. True to his maverick persona, McCain has stood by the Swedish pop group since October 2007, when he told reporters in South Carolina that he does not subscribe to the “rank hypocrisy” of ABBA-bashers. “Nobody likes them, but they’ve sold more records than anybody in the history of the world, including The Beatles,” he said. The factuality of this statement is questionable at best, but Washington rhetoric is seldom immune to hyperbole.

If ABBA is not the best-selling of all music groups, it might be the most polarizing. While music snobs deplore the band as an embodiment of the 70s in all their glossy excess, droves of fans still revel in the effortlessly catchy songs. Many ABBA enthusiasts may prefer to lurk in the shadows, but someone must be buying up all those tickets for Mamma Mia!, the ABBA-themed hit musical that made the jump this year from Broadway stage to silver screen. McCain is taking a chance on ABBA Nation, hoping that his love of the group will please more voters than it offends.

McCain’s courageous declaration about his favorite group represents a departure from his fellow Republican, current President George W. Bush. Bush has usually played it safe when speaking about his favorite songs, picking simple classic rock hits like John Fogerty’s “Centerfield” and Van Morrison’s “Brown Eyed Girl.” Choices like these fit neatly into Bush’s self-styled image: down-to-earth, none-too-cerebral, All-American.

Meghan McCain, daughter of the Republican presidential nominee, appears to be looking out for dad’s best interests when it comes to publicizing his musical tastes. In January, she told MTV that her father does not listen only to “really old music,” but also enjoys younger artists such as Lauryn Hill. Ms. McCain issued this comment as part of a claim that her father, despite his age (72), is in touch with the American youth.

Although Senator McCain and Senator Obama seem to take pleasure in music, both men appear to lack any musical ability of their own. Several previous presidential candidates have been eager to show off their chops on an instrument, and have done so to mixed results. Former president Bill Clinton, for instance, scored points for likeability by playing the saxophone on national television during his 1992 campaign. Senator John Kerry tried to emulate the strategy in 2003, when he took up an electric guitar and joined a local Boston band onstage for a Bruce Springsteen cover. Unfortunately for the Kerry campaign, this move did little to negate the senator’s image as stuffy and pretentious.

Ultimately, the fact that neither McCain nor Obama openly plays an instrument may prove immaterial. The American electorate, by and large, is above the need for a rock star president. But the people do yearn for a president to whom they can relate, and, above all, whom they can trust. Whether or not they realize it, plenty of voters are more likely to have faith in a candidate whose musical tastes they can respect. If a record collection really is a window to the soul, the glimpses Senator McCain and Senator Obama give us could have real implications for how we see them as potential leaders.

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