The Boss is going up against the boss.

[Ithaca 37]

The Boss is going up against the boss.




Bruce Springsteen (news), the U.S. rock icon known as The Boss, will join two dozen other stars in nine "battleground" states for a rock 'n' roll tour aimed at ousting President Bush (news - web sites), organizers said on Wednesday.


The "Vote for Change" tour -- 34 shows in 28 cities -- is scheduled for the first week of October, one month before the U.S. presidential election.


"The tour is aimed squarely at the radical right wing policies of Republican ideologues throughout the country," said Eli Pariser, executive director of MoveOn PAC, the online liberal political action committee presenting the tour.


Six concert lineups will play simultaneous shows in a blitz of so-called swing states -- those that could go either Democrat or Republican in November: Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, North Carolina, Florida, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Wisconsin.


"I felt like I couldn't have written the music I've written, and been on stage singing about the things that I've sung about for the last 25 years and not take part in this particular election," said Springsteen, who has avoided direct political work in the past.


Dave Matthews, James Taylor (news), the Dixie Chicks (news - web sites), James Taylor, Pearl Jam, R.E.M (news - web sites), John Mellencamp (news), Jackson Browne (news) and Bonnie Raitt (news) are among the performers donating their talent and time to get Democrat John Kerry (news - web sites) into the White House.


Proceeds from the tour go to America Coming Together, another liberal political action group.


"A vote for change is a vote for a stronger, safer, healthier America," Matthews said. "A vote for Bush is a vote for a divided, unstable, paranoid America."

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20040804/en_nm/campaign_rock_dc

 

[Nut]

Pearl Jam is playing here October 2nd. That is the opener for deer here. Guess where I will be?

 

[MarvB]

I'm sorry Ith but as much as I truely am concerned about the future of our country, if I coughed up $50-$75 to see a performer, rather they are Repub or Demo, and they turned the concert into a political rally- I'd be pretty pissed off!

...sometimes you gotta have entertainment for the sake of entertainment and give your mind a break from all the chit...Bruce, the Dixie Chicks, etc., all seem to be turning their shows into mini pep rallys and I say let them do it on their dime not on mine....

 

[RockyDog]

its impressive how much Bush has united this country.

 

[DRAFTSTUD]

What, Linda Ronstat has'nt signed up? I think it's great what they're doing. It will give them a chance to get out of re-hab and mix with others just like themselves, RICH, LIBERAL AND STONED. Gee, I think I just described the Demo's Ticket.

 

[dgibson]

Regardless of WHO they support, I will never understand celebrities' belief that their opinions are somehow more informed than ours; nor will I understand the people who agree with them. Does being an actor or a musician somehow make them more enlightened or better able to understand the issues than I? "The Dixie Chicks say that John Doe is a bad candidate so it MUST be true."

 

[Bambistew]

I agree with dgibson... Most of the actors I see aren't smart enough to tie thier own shoes, but they're smart enough to understand the dynamics of the polical stage??? Paaalezzz. Most of them struggled to get through high school!

[ 08-05-2004, 10:23: Message edited by: Bambistew ]

 

[danr55]

How about all of them that were going to leave if GW got elected..???? Have any of them left?? Unfortunately not...

 

[chas031]

Originally posted by MarvB:
I'm sorry Ith but as much as I truely am concerned about the future of our country, if I coughed up $50-$75 to see a performer, rather they are Repub or Demo, and they turned the concert into a political rally- I'd be pretty pissed off!

...sometimes you gotta have entertainment for the sake of entertainment and give your mind a break from all the chit...Bruce, the Dixie Chicks, etc., all seem to be turning their shows into mini pep rallys and I say let them do it on their dime not on mine....

Marv,
So how would you attract the youth vote?? A $5,000 a plate dinner?? I think it's about time those that HAVE influence USE it!

"sometimes you gotta have entertainment for the sake of entertainment "
Yup, but a month before the election is an excellent time to remind the youth vote of what's at stake.

Chas

 

[MarvB]

chas- I understand the desire to get the youth involved, hell I haven't missed voting in an election since I turned 18 and that was 27 years ago, but I don't think I really wan't some half-baked kid at a KISS concert who was just told his/her opinion by the clown onstage to have a real bearing in the outcome of the election.

Since being of voting age I have always looked into the issues and determined, granted with a little help from my parents in the early years, whom I was going to back for president. It wasn't because that Bruce, Beavis, or Butthead was supporting the guy...my opinion was my own.

You do bring up a good point in the fact that few of Americans youth do vote or probably even give a rip. I think that, historically, those 18-21 years of age only account for about 3% of the total turnout and kids 21-24 maybe another 4%.

On one hand you can argue that they aren't taking a hand in determining their future, but on the other hand you have to ask the question if most lived enough life yet to know what its all about yet anyway?

Just saying that if I pay for a show...I wan't to see what I paid for. If I want to know their political agenda, I'll (insert extreme doubt at this point) write their fan club....

By the way...good luck with Vegas

 

[dgibson]

There's a big difference between using your influence to tell kids to get out and vote, and using your influence to tell kids for WHOM to vote.

 

[chas031]

Marv,
I'll make the same arguement I made in 1970. If you're going to be the one sending me to war, I want my voice heard. These are the same aged "kids" now!! If they've lived long enough to fight for their country, their country needs to involve them ANY WAY possible.

DG,
Only if you're sitting at the $5,000 dinner!!
Chas

 

[Calif. Hunter]

"If you're going to be the one sending me to war, I want my voice heard. "


There's no draft. If they are going to war, it's because they enlisted. Like enlisting, voting is their choice. If they don't care, it is not up to me to convince them to vote or make them vote. If they don't care, screw 'em.

 

[chas031]

Cali,
"If they don't care, screw'em"

You've had your vasectomy, right??

Chas

 

[Calif. Hunter]

Yes, I have. So?

 

[chas031]

Cuz we have enough californicators!!


Chas

 

[MarvB]

Chas- Again I see where your going with this and I do agree that they need to be involved, my point that they have to want to be in volved and let them make their own decisions, not follow the mantra from some "entertainer" who likely doesn't have the concept of what a real life is about to begin with.

I also think that, as Cali pointed out, with the lack of a draft, the youth who are voluntering for service will also be the same "kids" who would be taking politics a bit more serious than the general masses their age...they do have much more to gain/loose and their voices should be heard BUT it should be their thoughts, voices, choices, not those drummed (had to use a band pun ) into them by a rockstar....

Also being of military age doens't necessarily make them (though they are legally able to vote) instantly aware enough to make good conscious decisions...thats why most states will allow them to be in the serivce but will not allow them in a bar

 

[Calif. Hunter]

Chas031 - Coming from perhaps the only state more liberal than California and New York, with more restrictive gun laws than California, and having the "blessing" of John Kerry as your Senator - you simply have no room to be proud.

[ 08-06-2004, 09:29: Message edited by: Calif. Hunter ]

 

[chas031]

"Also being of military age doens't necessarily make them (though they are legally able to vote) instantly aware enough to make good conscious decisions...thats why most states will allow them to be in the serivce but will not allow them in a bar"

and that's how 1/2 of them wound up in the service!! Recruiters(see bottom feeders)!!
I don't believe a majority of the "kids" attending concerts will come away with a "born again" attitude. I do think they may just come away feeling they need to at least GET INFORMED. Face it, it'd be nice to see more than 23% of voters at the polls. I can't wait to see the software integrated into the ATMs for national voting capacities!!
Again, take the 2 bobbleheads running, throw them in a bag, shake well and the first one out gets the job. I'm more concerned with the balance of power in the senate and house.

Chas

 

[MarvB]

I'd love to see elections that would get the average sheeple in the U.S. off their collective asses (old and young alike) to go out and vote but until they incorporate voting technology into the TV remote it just ain't gonna happen!

Don't you think that someone who'd allow (and I agree many indeed are bottom feeders) a recruiter, they probably have never met before, to convice them of what they need to do with their life also would be a little bit easily swayed by the glitz of some star just as well?

Again, what I'm getting at is I wish that(many of)these younger voters would take the time to explore the issues themselves and not just be convinced one way or another because (Insert your favorite MTV character) says so