Did the Clinton Campaign Drop $90K on a Music Playlist?

Last month, Rolling Stone revealed that Hillary Clinton’s campaign paid a Portland, Oregon, consulting firm $90,000 for a Latin playlist. The magazine buried this bombshell, devoting the headline to “Candidates’ Favorite Music.” Kentucky Senator Rand Paul discovered it, however, and responded with a playlist of his own a few hours before the Univision debate on Wednesday night.

Here’s my playlist @HillaryClinton SHOULD be using on the campaign trail, free of charge. This will be more enjoyable than the #DemDebate.

— Dr. Rand Paul (@RandPaul) March 10, 2016

The Rolling Stone story was recently updated, explaining that “a rep from Clinton’s campaign says they pick the music for the rallies themselves but paid a Portland consulting firm $9,000 to use music from the agency’s library for Clinton’s web videos.” As Rolling Stone did not specify the source for the original $90,000 figure, it is difficult to say whether or not the Clinton campaign’s response is adequate to disprove it. From the original Rolling Stone story:

At her campaign stops, Clinton’s camp plays the same lineup of 13 songs: Latin pop (Jennifer Lopez’s “Let’s Get Loud,” Marc Anthony’s “Vivir Mi Vida”), pop (Katy Perry’s “Roar,” Kelly Clarkson’s “Stronger,” Sara Bareilles’ “Brave”), fist-pumping modern rock (American Authors’ “Best Day of My Life” and “Believer,” Gym Class Heroes’ “The Fighter”). If the list sounds focus-grouped, it may have been: Clinton’s campaign paid $90,000 to a consulting firm in Portland, Oregon, to help compile the list.

Next Page: Rand Paul’s competing playlist…

Rand Paul’s competing playlist featured songs with a theme befitting Hillary’s time in public office. Here’s a helpful summary from Reason magazine:

1. Fleetwood Mac’s “Little Lies” because Clinton isn’t a candidate who tells the truth.

2. Matchbox Twenty’s “3AM” because she said she was ready for the 3:00 a.m. call, but wasn’t.

3. Bonnie Raitt’s “I Can’t Make You Love Me” hat tipped to Saturday Night Live.

4. John Legend’s “The House I Live In” because Clinton had a John Legend song but the one about the failed war on drugs would be more appropriate.

5. Bruce Springsteen’s “War” because “Hillary’s wars in Libya and Syria and her vote to go into Iraq have left us less safe.”

6. The Police’s “Every Breath You Take”The Police’s “Every Breath You Take because Hillary “loves NSA spying on you.”

 

Clinton campaign paid $90K to Portland consulting firm to help compile a list of 13 songs to play at campaign stops https://t.co/9Tl1ZPHHlX

— Tim Mak (@timkmak) March 7, 2016