Is "Beautiful Day" the Ideal Political Rally Song?

Apparently it's one of the most popular ones. Both Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and new New York gubernatorial candidate Tom Suozzi used it at political functions yesterday, after John Kerry regularly used it during the 2004 presidential race. I still think President Clinton's use of "Don't Stop," by Fleetwood Mac, was simply stellar. "Let's Get It Started," by the Black Eyed Peas, was also used pretty well during the '04 campaign. What would you choose?

"Hey DJ" and "Pimpin' All Over the World" are strong competition for me, but clearly inappropriate for a campaign audience. And "I'd Love to Change the World" sounds like it has the correct tone and mood, but just listen to the lyrics and you'll see how quickly that campaign would lose. If it were a campaign that centered on education, I'd take "The Kids Aren't Alright," by the Offspring. "Hero," by Chad Kroeger, still takes the cake for any sort of video montage (one of which I'm sure there would be during any political campaign). Purely for their titles (and because they really wouldn't be bad campaign songs), I might take "Bleed American," by Jimmy Eat World, or "Don't Stop Believin'," by Journey. Kanye West's "Diamonds are Forever" would be a good new music selection simply for its ability to pump up a crowd.

My choice in the end? "The Boxer," by Simon and Garfunkel, because it has enough pump-up qualities to get the crowd going and it has a great rags-to-riches message, which sells so well in a campaign.