Bruce Springsteen

Same song, 2 eras. Struck me this song seems oh so appropriate right about now. A song about REAL American values sung by REAL Americans. Something I am sure Bush/McCain/Palin Republicans just don't understand.

Woody Guthrie (original):

Bruce Springsteen (my generation):

And a version that is new to me:

Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings:

Can you feel the love?

I went looking for a local newspaper coverage of last night's very public man-lovefest between Barack Obama and Bill Clinton in Kissimmee, Florida. Most national newspapers don't have actual local reporters on the ground, so you get a point of view that completely overlooks the cultural cues of the people in the event.

It's why Jim Stratton's article for the Orlando Sentinel is so refreshing. He described the energy surrounding the event in ... ahem ... celebrity terms : People were coming from everywhere to see Clinton and Obama on the same stage because it was like seeing the improbable pairing of Elvis Presley and Bruce Springsteen.

35, 000 travelled from across the region and queued for up to 6 hours for a chance to be part of a historic night. A night in which the pretend "first black President of the United States" was endorsing as "cheerleader in chief" the real and authentic first black President of the United States.

Epic. Truly epic.

Bruce Springsteen rocking for Obama at a Voter Registration Rally in Philadelphia:

(Picture and video thanks to Daily Kos)

From The Caucus blog :

Billy Joel and Bruce Springsteen will do a benefit concert for Senator Barack Obama’s campaign and the Democratic National Committee next month at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City on Oct. 16.

Mr. Obama will be appearing on stage as well for the event, which is set for the day after his debate with Senator John McCain at Hofstra University on Long Island.

The concert was being billed by Obama fund-raisers as the first joint concert for Mr. Joel and Mr. Springsteen, although they have appeared together on stage at least once before in 1987 during a benefit concert for homeless children at Madison Square Garden with Paul Simon, among others.

Tickets for the fund-raiser, which is slated to be Mr. Obama’s last in the New York area, are not cheap. Balcony seats are going for $500; a “premiere seat” costs $2,500; and a “lounge ticket” is $10,000.

Bruce Springsteen doesn't publicly get involved in politics much. Yet he came out and endorsed Barack Obama. Here is a great video made after Bruce Springsteen officially endorsed Barack Obama:

And I just found out Robert de Niro has endorsed Barack Obama:

Now, perhaps a little less impressive than a Bruce Springsteen or de Niro endorsement, yet still Macho, seems Hulk Hogan has also endorsed Barack Obama. You can see the video here.

The Boss weighs in on this year's presidential election. You think his timing, right before the Pennsylvania primary, is deliberate? Could his endorsement swing some of those blue collar votes? I bet lots of those laid off Rust Belt workers blasted Born to Run in their day.

(picture from Classic Rock Legends)

You just don't get more American than Bruce Springsteen. America's working class icon and true blue American legend is endorsing Barack Obama. Bruce's letter says it all:

LIke most of you, I've been following the campaign and I have now seen and heard enough to know where I stand. Senator Obama, in my view, is head and shoulders above the rest.

He has the depth, the reflectiveness, and the resilience to be our next President. He speaks to the America I've envisioned in my music for the past 35 years, a generous nation with a citizenry willing to tackle nuanced and complex problems, a country that's interested in its collective destiny and in the potential of its gathered spirit. A place where "...nobody crowds you, and nobody goes it alone."

At the moment, critics have tried to diminish Senator Obama through the exaggeration of certain of his comments and relationships. While these matters are worthy of some discussion, they have been ripped out of the context and fabric of the man's life and vision, so well described in his excellent book, Dreams of My Father, often in order to distract us from discussing the real issues: war and peace, the fight for economic and racial justice, reaffirming our Constitution, and the protection and enhancement of our environment.