Springsteen Can Make Election Impact
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by John Nichols
Published on Thursday, August 12, 2004 by the Capital Times / Madison, Wisconsin
To hear conservative pundits tell it, endorsements from rock stars won't help John Kerry beat George Bush.
Sean Hannity, Rush Limbaugh and the usual suspects rushed to dismiss the significance of the announcement that some of the nation's most prominent musicians - including Bruce Springsteen, John Mellencamp and the members of the Dixie Chicks, R.E.M. and other bands - would be hitting the road this fall to stir up opposition to Bush's re-election.
But one of the savviest political players in the Senate, Wisconsin Democrat Russ Feingold, takes a decidedly different view. As Feingold sees it, Springsteen's decision to come out for the Democratic ticket of John Kerry and John Edwards could turn out to be one of the more important developments of the 2004 election season.
Feingold has followed the New Jersey singer's career for years, listened closely to his music, and attended concerts by Springtseen and the E Street Band with his wife, Mary, an enthusiastic fan of the man who has written songs such as "Thunder Road," "Dancing in the Dark" and "The Rising."
"It is a big deal. It is a very big deal," Feingold said of Springsteen's decision to get involved with this year's campaign.
Feingold noted that, while Springsteen's songs often deal with social and economic themes that have a political edge, the singer has meticulously avoided endorsing candidates over the years.
"The biggest thing he did before this was 20 years ago, when (former President Ronald) Reagan tried to use one of his songs," Feingold recalled. "Springsteen objected; he said listen to the song, listen to the words."The song in question, "Born in the USA," had a rousing patriotic-sounding chorus. But the lyrics of the song formed a bitter indictment of the poor treatment of Vietnam veterans and working Americans that stood in marked contrast to the "morning in America" appeal of Reagan's 1984 re-election campaign.
Even as he put distance between himself and Reagan, however, Springsteen avoided endorsing the Democratic candidate that year, former Vice President Walter Mondale.
This year, though, Springsteen announced his support for Kerry in an appearance on ABC television's "Nightline" program and in an opinion piece he wrote for The New York Times.
"For him to explicitly do this is confirmation of what we all know: that this is the most important election of our lifetime," Feingold said of Springsteen's decision to take a stand for a candidate, and to back that stance up with concert appearances this fall that will encourage his fans to register and vote and that will aid the efforts of groups such as MoveOn.PAC and Americans Coming Together. "It really is symbolic of how unusual this campaign is."
Not all Springsteen fans will be thrilled with the more explicitly political stance of the man they call "The Boss." Springsteen's audience is broad, ranging from college professors who regard him as a blue-collar Bob Dylan to New York cops and factory workers who describe him as one of the few entertainers who understand their lives.
At a Springsteen concert, there are certainly Democrats. But there are also Republicans. And there are probably a lot of folks who would prefer their music free of politics.
"He will take a hit," Feingold said. "I've been to some of these concerts and the people who come, clearly, are not all progressives. There is a risk involved when he speaks up. It could be tough for him with some of his fans."
But Feingold says that is why the Springsteen endorsement matters so much. The singer is not merely preaching to the converted.
"People who normally wouldn't be political are speaking up," said Feingold, who argued that Springsteen's new activism could draw people into the process who might otherwise stay on the sidelines, even in so politically charged a year as this.
Springsteen could also convince some Republican-leaning voters to cast a rare vote for a Democrat.
"This won't be a realignment election. This will be a 'yes, I voted for a Democrat one time - 20 years ago' election," said Feingold, whose maverick stances have often attracted Republican support. "People will tell you that they voted for a Democrat only once. This will be the year."
In such a year, Feingold argues, a gentle prod from Bruce Springsteen could matter more to a lot of swing voters than a thousand sound bites and television commercials.
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John Nichols is associate editor for The Capital Times.
Copyright 2004 The Capital Times
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