Washington ? Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton is seeking advice on “one of the most important issues” of her presidential campaign: picking a campaign theme song.

So far, more than 100,000 Americans have responded to her lighthearted call for help. Some have been inspired to compose original tunes. It’s not exactly “American Idol,” but the reaction is another example of the Internet’s growing role in politics.

More than 500,000 people have watched Clinton’s videotaped appeal on YouTube or her campaign Web site since the campaign posted it last week. She’s expected to announce her choice in the next week or so.

Picking the right song can be tricky, especially because the signature tune will be played to death. In the 1996 presidential campaign, Republican candidate Bob Dole yanked “Dole Man,” his campaign version of the ’60s hit “Soul Man,” from the top of his playlist after songwriter Isaac Hayes objected.

In the 1800s, when campaign songs became a staple of presidential politics, candidates commissioned original tunes to tout their achievements. In the 1840 election, William Harrison offered a series of songs celebrating his role in the Battle of Tippecanoe, a conflict with American Indians nearly three decades earlier.

More recent presidential candidates have simply adopted well-known tunes as their own. In 1992, Bill Clinton played Fleetwood Mac’s “Don’t Stop (Thinking About Tomorrow)” at virtually every campaign stop.

Hillary Clinton has asked voters to choose from nine titles or propose their own songs. The campaign’s options, selected by the candidate and her staff, are an eclectic mix of country, rock and soul.

Smash Mouth’s version of “I’m a Believer,” The Temptations’ “Get Ready” and Shania Twain’s “Rock This Country!” are on the list, along with KT Tunstall’s “Suddenly I See,” the Dixie Chicks’ “Ready to Run,” the Staple Singers’ “I’ll Take You There” and Jesus Jones’ “Right Here, Right Now.”

U2 has two contenders, “City of Blinding Lights” and “Beautiful Day.”

Peter Daou, who’s overseeing the song search as the director of Clinton’s Internet operations, said the goal was to find a song with a good beat, good lyrics and widespread appeal.

“Anyone who’s ever been to a political event knows the music makes a difference. It gets people pumped up and excited,” he said.