It used to be easy for anti-establishment rock stars (who manage to stay anti-establishment while making millions from it, by the way): Just support the liberal. It's apparently a little tougher these days, now that Iraq has beome THE issue, as we see in this account of John Mellencamp's ire:
Former U.S. Rep. Baron Hill's fundraiser this past week featuring former President Bill Clinton was big -- but not as big as some Democrats had initially hoped.Hill had asked Hoosier rocker John Mellencamp -- a former Seymour High School classmate -- to appear, as well.Mellencamp, though, declined.Mike O'Connor, a campaign adviser to Hill, said Mellencamp's office merely told Hill that the rock star wasn't available.That isn't what Mellencamp told the Los Angeles Times, however."I told his people to tell Baron that he voted for the war, so I can't do it," said Mellencamp, who nevertheless has given Hill the maximum $4,000 contribution. "I sat next to him there in Sunday school, and I never heard anybody tell us that it was OK to kill people as long as there were a certain set of circumstances."
(Here's the full text of the Times interview.)
So, I guess John's a pacifist? A true one -- no exceptions, period, even for, say self-defense or protecting a loved one? What would he think about World War II? Forget the Civil War and let the slaves stay slaves? I don't understand the true pacifists, but at least they have a morally consistent position. I suspect many people who try to sound that way these days are just Bush loathers.
And what is gained by withholding your support from a guy you probably agree with on every single thing except the war, thereby helping the guy you're probably against on every single issue, including the war, especially if your guy is taking the "I'm so sorry, I was misled by the evil administration" line?
Comments
Pacifist? I think you're reading a little too much into his statement. And he IS supporting him monetarily but not through appearances. He's not actively campaigning against him which, sadly, some "democrats" do.
In general, you are correct to assume that being penny-wise and pound-foolish is not a good strategy to promote your party...