Amna Nawaz
@PBSNewsHour·5.3M subscribers·62.2K videos
The soundtrack of American politics
Posted
July 31, 2026
Views
4,052
Likes
191
Engagement
4.71%
July 31, 2026
4,052
191
4.71%
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2:11Now PlayingPolitical candidates should have a campaign anthem that's going to "stick with people," journalist Sidney Madden says.
"When you have a song that is that drumbeat of your campaign and your campaign promises, that's going to stick with people not only mentally but emotively," she told PBS News' Judy Woodruff.
"People don't trust people with bad music taste," she added. "So as a candidate, you want to be trustworthy. So you better have a good song to carry your message along the way."
Madden, along with historian Ted Gioia, joined Judy Woodruff for the latest episode of her podcast, "In Pursuit of Happiness," to discuss America's musical identity and more.
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