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Rockers Unite to Oust Bush
Rollong Stone ^ | November 26, 2003 | DAMIEN CAVE

Posted on 11/29/2003 11:56:01 AM PST by Buck W.

Rockers Unite to Oust Bush

Moby, Henley, Matthews ask fans to "get involved"

Bruce Springsteen told a crowd of 50,000 New Yorkers on October 4th to "shout a little louder if you want the president impeached." Two weeks later, John Mellencamp posted an open letter to America on his Web site, declaring, "We have been lied to and terrorized by our own government, and it is time to take action." Meanwhile, Moby, Eddie Vedder and Michael Stipe are organizing a TV-ad campaign that will run anti-Bush commercials during the week of the State of the Union address in January; Dave Matthews is railing against the war in Iraq in interviews; and at press time, at least three multiband rock tours planned to take aim at Bush-administration policies. Green Day, NOFX, Tom Morello, Dixie Chicks, Don Henley, Willie Nelson and Steve Earle have all played (or plan to play) for political candidates or causes. Hip-hop stars have also gotten involved. "We have a voice and a responsibility to speak out," says Jay-Z, a member of Russell Simmons' Hip-Hop Summit, which aims to register 4 million voters before the 2004 election. "People listen to us." Welcome to the increasingly partisan world of popular music -- where President George W. Bush is a marked man. Thirty major artists interviewed for this story cited many concerns: U.S. policy on Iraq, the Patriot Act, the Bush administration's assault on the environment, the economy and the media. But they all agreed that as the 2004 presidential election gets closer, it is time to mobilize. "The America we believe in can't survive another four years of George Bush," says Moby. Adds Lou Reed, "We must all unite and work for whomever opposes Bush, regardless of whatever differences we may have. Our motto: Anything but Bush."

Many artists aren't afraid to get their hands dirty in the democratic process, either: At Punkvoter.com, more than 100 bands, including NOFX, Green Day and Offspring, are creating voter-registration drives, a political action committee and a Rock Against Bush Tour. Willie Nelson recently called Dennis Kucinich to offer his time and a slogan, "Kucinich: His middle name is sin," and dozens of other artists are contributing money to campaigns and performing in swing states and in televised public-service announcements.

"Musicians have an obligation to get involved," says Henley, "not necessarily because they have a forum but because they are citizens."

Donna Brazile, Al Gore's 2000 campaign manager, says that artists are important to this campaign, because "musicians have reach that politicians need in order to motivate people to take an active interest in their future." With that in mind, eight Democratic candidates filmed ads for a November 4th Rock the Vote event designed to woo young voters. In his spot, Wesley Clark even name-drops OutKast.

It's not always easy for artists to speak out. Recently, New Jersey radio station WCHR banned Jethro Tull after the band's lead singer, Ian Anderson, was quoted in a local paper saying, "I hate to see the American flag hanging out of every bloody station wagon. It's easy to confuse patriotism with nationalism. Flag-waving ain't gonna do it."

Eight months ago, Dixie Chicks singer Natalie Maines told a London audience, "Just so you know, we're ashamed the president of the United States is from Texas." More than fifty radio stations pulled the Dixie Chicks' songs off the air, and DJs and fans launched protests. Says Maines, "I thought, 'Why am I, a country singer who has never been involved in politics publicly, the one asking questions?'"

In July, Dixie Chicks contributed $100,000 to Rock the Vote -- the largest single band donation in the nonprofit's history. Maines says that she hopes the London incident will help rally eighteen- to twenty-four-year-old women to vote. "I had gotten too comfortable in my life," she says. "And I wasn't necessarily active for things that I believed in. It inspired me." Maines' experience may have scared some musicians away from speaking out, but it angered others enough to get involved. Merle Haggard, who recorded his own anti-war song, "That's the News," this year, says that the attacks on the Chicks "reminded me of things I'd read about Berlin in 1938. It pissed me off."

The notion that musicians shouldn't get involved in politics is "ridiculous," says Mike Burkett (a.k.a. Fat Mike), lead singer of NOFX and founder of Punkvoter.com. "Everyone should be involved in politics: cabdrivers, lawyers . . . everyone." Artists are in a unique position to understand the mood of this country, too. "We travel," says Henley. "We see what the economy is like in every city. We take the temperature of between 10,000 and 20,000 people four nights a week."

Musicians hope that by getting involved they will inspire their fans to do the same. James Taylor, who has supported Sen. John Kerry, says that the administration has benefited from "a failure of citizenship." "Americans are asleep at the wheel," Taylor adds. "We're not getting involved in our own political process."

Mellencamp says that the goal of his open letter and his song "To Washington" is to turn such apathy into action. "My whole purpose of being here, to write songs or write a letter like that, is to put the idea forward that some conversation needs to take place here, as opposed to accepting the [government] line," he says.

But can musicians actually tilt the electoral scale, especially at a time when voter turnout among eighteen- to twenty-four-year-olds is at an all-time low? Republican strategists are skeptical. "People tend to choose candidates on the issues that they stand for -- and not the position of their favorite musician," says Christine Iverson, spokeswoman for the Republican National Committee. Brazile begs to differ. "People come out because they're attracted not just to [the candidate] but also because the candidate is being endorsed by their favorite artist," she says. "It matters."

Artists clearly agree. Many say they are convinced that they're reflecting a national mood that is "disturbed," in the words of Haggard, or "agitated," as Morello puts it, and that fans can be motivated to get involved. "What you have to realize," says Russell Simmons, "is that it's a cultural step, not only a political step. It's in style to be at the rallies. It's in style to give money back to education." Adds Fat Mike, "If we get a few hundred thousand kids together, we will be a force to reckon with. If anybody wants our votes, they're going to have to give us some of the things we want. If the NRA can do it, why can't we?"

DAMIEN CAVE (November 26, 2003)


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Front Page News; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: activistactors; antiamericanism; antibush; blameamericafirst; bush; bushbashing; celebrity; degenerates; hateamericafirst; hollywood; hypocrites; lovedclintonswars; lyingliars; mediabias; mellencamp; mtvculture; oldfarts; onforeignsoil; popculture; richanticapitalists; rock; rollingstone; shutupandsing; springsteen; stipe; traitors; uglyamericans; usefulidiots
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To: BobbyK
Springsteen is definitely a has-been (his last good album was released 23 years ago).

Mellencamp, otoh, is a never-been.

41 posted on 11/29/2003 12:22:43 PM PST by Mr. Mojo
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To: Buck W.
Many say they are convinced that they're reflecting a national mood that is "disturbed," in the words of Haggard, or "agitated,"

Maybe it's the drugs.

42 posted on 11/29/2003 12:25:06 PM PST by sandlady
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To: Buck W.
I am sick and tired of all these bleeding heart pacifist who think the President is the problem. In fact they are the multi-millionaires who can really make a difference with thier cash. I never bought any of thier stuff and never will. I will tell my Marines to get that junk out of my barracks as I did with the Dixie Chicks.
43 posted on 11/29/2003 12:25:15 PM PST by XtreMarine
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To: I_Love_My_Husband
Do you happen to have a list of other pro-Bush celebrities (general curiosity here)?
44 posted on 11/29/2003 12:26:55 PM PST by Oorang ( If guns are outlawed, can we use swords?)
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To: Timesink
Goodie here I thought I was the only person who thought of screwing musicians out of my 18.99 that way
45 posted on 11/29/2003 12:28:19 PM PST by cyborg (mutt-american)
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To: Tuxedo
It is we the conservatives that they (the liberals) would deport to concentration camps. Does anyone doubt it?No, I don't doubt it. I just wish they would keep their promise to move out of the country! Unfortunately, they would still get their little digs in.
46 posted on 11/29/2003 12:28:20 PM PST by sandlady
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To: Buck W.
Ted Nugent wrote a great op/ed piece that appeared in the Wall Street Journal last year called, "America Rocks."

As for the dixie chicks, they look like various incarnations of the wicked witch.

As usual, good people are too busy going about being good people to get themselves noticed purposely like this band of lost musicians.

47 posted on 11/29/2003 12:32:36 PM PST by the invisib1e hand
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To: Buck W.
Moby, Henley, Matthews ask fans to "get involved"

Moby, Henley AND Matthews? Arrgh! We're DOOMED!!!

48 posted on 11/29/2003 12:33:06 PM PST by CAR913 (America is the land of the free because it is the home of the brave)
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To: Oorang
http://www.freerepublic.com/forum/a3b140fd711ae.htm
49 posted on 11/29/2003 12:34:15 PM PST by sandlady
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To: Oorang
Pro Bush:

Courtney Love is pro-war in Iraq (so she's a maybe on Bush...she's a libertarian)

James Woods
Vincent Gallo
Shannen Doherty
Patricia Healy (Everybody Loves Raymond)
Dennis Miller
John Malkovich (not quite totally sure about this)
Vince Vaughn
Heather Locklear
Britney Spears
Johnny Rotten (yes, he's a libertarian conservative now)
Ozzy Osbourne
Joey Ramone (of the Ramones)
South Park writers (libertarians)

This is just the top of my head stuff, not totally sure about all of it.
50 posted on 11/29/2003 12:35:35 PM PST by I_Love_My_Husband
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To: sandlady

Merle is on this list.
51 posted on 11/29/2003 12:37:45 PM PST by sandlady
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To: Buck W.
"The America we believe in can't survive another four years of George Bush," says Moby

Promises, promises... :)

52 posted on 11/29/2003 12:38:54 PM PST by KentTrappedInLiberalSeattle ("The Clintons have damaged our country. They have done it together, in unison." -- Peggy Noonan)
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To: Buck W.
I don't see one person that I would call a "rocker" in the article.

Whiners, queers, pukes maybe...but no rockers.

53 posted on 11/29/2003 12:39:37 PM PST by BikerTrash
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To: StriperSniper
out of that million maybe 10% can legaly vote, of those maybe 10% can read, out of those maybe 10% percent know what voting is, out of those maybe 10% know who the candidates are, out of those mybe 10% would vote and out of the ten voters they would effectively deliver to the polls only 1 may not be confused by the voting apparattus and actualy vote for the intended victim. Just speculation on my part.
54 posted on 11/29/2003 12:40:36 PM PST by temijin
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To: I_Love_My_Husband
Joey Ramone passed away April 15, 2001.
55 posted on 11/29/2003 12:40:37 PM PST by Bobby777
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To: Buck W.
I won't have to change my CD list at all to avoid these 'artists'. Never bought them, sure won't now.
56 posted on 11/29/2003 12:41:04 PM PST by Sender
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To: I_Love_My_Husband; sandlady
Thanks much.
57 posted on 11/29/2003 12:41:06 PM PST by Oorang ( If guns are outlawed, can we use swords?)
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To: sandlady
http://www.freerepublic.com/forum/a3b140fd711ae.htm

thanks for the reminder.

how could I forget my guitar hero, Jeff Baxter?

58 posted on 11/29/2003 12:42:00 PM PST by the invisib1e hand
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To: I_Love_My_Husband
*****You might not like her or approve of her, but Courtney Love is pro-Bush.*****

Is that really true......I've heard of her but I'm not that familiar with her music (although I did like Nirvana).

I heard that Cortney Love and algore were talking once and algore said to Love that he really liked her music and Love responded by saying, "Oh yeah, name one"...and algore could not name anything.

59 posted on 11/29/2003 12:43:00 PM PST by anncoulteriscool
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To: Buck W.
Henley disgusts me. Did you know he apologized for all his early Eagles' music? Apparently they "ruined country music."

60 posted on 11/29/2003 12:43:40 PM PST by stands2reason ("Don't funk with my funk."--Bootsy Collins)
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