From Bad Bunny to disco: Ranking the CA governor hopefuls by their music taste | Opinion
At the California Democratic Party convention in San Francisco, candidates for state office were given four minutes to make their case to delegates and earn the party’s coveted endorsement.
As introduction, a song of their choice played as they walked onto the stage, and if they didn’t stop talking after four minutes, their song choice loudly interrupted them; a not-so-gentle reminder to quit bloviating. A good song makes you memorable, but a bad song could ruin the delegates’ whole mood, or worse: Fail to distinguish candidates from the crowd.
The eight candidates running to fill Gov. Gavin Newsom’s shiny shoes — because only those eight qualified for CADEM’s endorsement — all made unique choices during their platform pitches on Saturday morning, and I think that says something about the tone they want to set for their campaigns. So, in the spirit of competition and California’s “top two” primaries, let’s rank them.
In a make-believe world based purely on the hopeful governors’ musical tastes: Who should win the election?
Salsa swagger
Coming in at No. 8 is California State Superintendent Tony Thurmond, who took the stage to “Baile INVoLIDABLE” by Bad Bunny. While I love this proud Puerto Rican-American artist (who had an incredible halftime concert at the Super Bowl), this particular song is about an unforgettable dance as a metaphor for a short-lived relationship. It is also perhaps, unwittingly, a metaphor for the Thurmond campaign: The gubernatorial candidate is currently polling at just 2% of the vote. Thurmond’s dance in the spotlight could end soon, with only memories to keep him warm at night. “En otra vida, en otro mundo podrá ser.”
Popping the patriarchy
The No. 7 spot goes to former U.S. Rep. Katie Porter, who gave her speech after Taylor Swift’s “The Man” reminded the crowd that the state is more than ready for a woman in office. “I’m so sick of running as fast as I can / Wondering if I’d get there quicker if I was a man,” Swift sings. “Cause if I was a man / Then I’d be the man.” The song is about the patriarchy’s double standard for women, which I can personally get behind. But honestly? It felt a little too on the nose for Porter. Maybe she should have taken a page from Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s playbook and gone with Dolly Parton’s working girl anthem, “9 to 5”, instead.
Rock-solid resolve
My No. 6 choice is billionaire philanthropist Tom Steyer, who walked on to Tom Petty’s “I Won’t Back Down,” solidly cementing his status as a Boomer with a love for classic rock. (That’s not entirely a dig; I also love Tom Petty.) Steyer’s got to work extra hard to overcome his reputation as the race’s richest candidate, but there’s one good thing about bankrolling yourself: He’s got the funds to stay in the race, and not “back down” any time soon.
Cali crowd pleaser
Former Speaker of the State Assembly, Antonio Villaraigosa, comes on our list at No. 5 — and came onstage to our unofficial state anthem, “California Love” by the late rapper, Tupac Shakur. California does know how to party, and it’s a sure crowd-pleaser, though I’m not sure it says much about Villaraigosa other than obvious good taste in West Coast rap. I don’t think Tupac envisioned the Democratic Party’s state convention when he laid down that track, but delegates “from Diego to the Bay” were definitely fired up. Still, that song is kind of an obvious pick. I wonder how many other candidates were mad that Villaraigosa snapped it up first?
Power heels, power deals
My No. 4 choice is former State Controller Betty Yee, who chose “Run the World (Girls)” by Beyonce, a high-powered anthem about female empowerment and independence. It has a better beat for raising the crowd’s energy than Porter’s Swiftie selection, but it’s still frustrating that the women feel like they have to remind the crowd that they’re women, while the men are never expected to do the same. I’m sure Yee would like to run the world (who wouldn’t?), but I suspect she would settle just for running California, though that is increasingly unlikely with her polling at just 2%.
Millennial throwback
Breaking into the top three — a status he’s becoming familiar with — U.S. Rep. Eric Swalwell also stuck with the California theme, coming onstage to “More Bounce (In California)” by the ’00’s one-hit wonder, Soul Kid #1. Swalwell’s been bouncing around California lately as he works to raise his name recognition among voters, and it appears to have worked as he’s now counted among the frontrunners, and secured U.S. Senator Adam Schiff’s endorsement earlier this month, the highest-ranking Democrat to have made an endorsement in the governor’s race thus far. “More Bounce” is known for its catchy, if repetitive, chorus. Swalwell will need to be repetitive about his message if he’s going to make it to November.
Alt-pop optimism
Coming in at No. 2 is former Assemblymember Ian Calderon, the first Millennial elected to the California State Legislature. True to his generation, Calderon chose a Millennial favorite: “High Hopes” by Panic! At The Disco. “Had to have high, high hopes for a living / Didn’t know how but I always had a feeling / I was gonna be that one in a million.” Luckily, Calderon doesn’t have to be one in a million — he just needs to be one in a dozen or so. That’s significantly better odds, but even though he’s near the top of this incredibly subjective list, California voters don’t seem to feel the same way.
A very funky victory
Finally, at No. 1, my pick is former U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra, who chose the iconic disco hit, “We Are Family” by Sister Sledge. The song is well-known and high-energy with a unifying message — making it the perfect choice to amp up the crowd. It has also become a major LGBTQ and feminist anthem since it debuted in 1979, with its message of inclusion; now that’s a great idea for the Democrats to think about. If Becerra’s political platform is as strong as his music selection, look for his star to rise. (His polling numbers could certainly use it.)
Who would you put at the top? Let me know your ranking and check out a playlist I made of all the songs on Spotify:
