Do Endorsements From Musicians Mean Anything When It Comes To Voting?

A reporter from Billboard called the other day to ask if association with musicians who endorse candidates is dangerous. I was right in the middle of putting together our next Blue America contest, which is a benefit for Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), the prize being an ultra-rare original Nirvana gold record (Nevermind) before they were really famous. Is the association with Nirvana going to help or hurt Jayapal, who has a strong presence of her own as the author of the new and improved Medicare-for-All bill and as the co-chair of the Congressional Progressive Congress. Nope, it won't mean much to voters, even if it gives them the idea that Jayapal is a hipster.

I was in the music business for a long time. Musicians' involvement with candidates is fun and may draw a crowd, but I can't imagine anyone votes for or against a candidate because of an endorsement by a musician-- or any other cultural figure. Can you? Same with political figures. Biden's endorsements by some of the most reactionary, foot-dragging Democrats in Congress might make discerning voters decide to not vote for him. The tune Dianne Feinstein (CA), Doug Jones (AL), Chris Coons (DE), Tom Carper (DE), Stephen Lynch (MA), Lou Correa (CA), Charlie Crist (FL), Vicente Gonzalez (TX), Filemon Vela (TX) is a cacophany of conservatism and corruption. Compare it to the sweet harmonies Bernie endorsers AOC, Ilhan Omar, Rashid Tlaib and Ro Khanna are singing.





Anyway, Annie Grayner, reporting for CNN, noted that all the coolest music energy is around Bernie (the coolest candidate): Ariana Grande, Cardi B, Jack White, New Power Generation (Prince's backing band), Killer Mike, Jason Mraz... On the other end of the spectrum, Mayo Pete has been endorsed by a mayonnaise sandwich on white bread and Mandy Moore.

But so far, Sanders is gaining traction in this musical primary.

On Wednesday, two members of indie band Dispatch joined the ranks. Brad Corrigan and Chad Stokes Urmston performed at Sanders' rally in New Hampshire and shared their support.

"It's a real honor to be here" Stokes Urmston told the crowd. "We've been Bernie fans for a long time now and really admire his courage to say what he believes all these years. It's the same thing from 30, 40 years ago, he's been saying the same thing and finally the world caught up to him."

"Let's get behind Bernie with all that we have" Corrigan added.

And ahead of Sanders' joint rally with Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar in Minneapolis on Sunday, New Power Generation, Prince's longtime backing band, announced its endorsement.

"We're really proud to stand with Sen. Bernie Sanders as he attempts to bring America back to the people. It's time for the people to take back the government," said Morris Hayes, the late star's musical director and longest standing band member. "Like the good Senator says, it's not me or him, it's us."

Such support has come as the campaign aims to make live music central to its events, Sanders deputy campaign manager Ari Rabin-Havt said.

"One of the questions Bernie always asks before an event is do we have a band. So we try to have a musical event at every rally because that's something he really believes in" Rabin-Havt told CNN. "For Bernie, political events should be fun, should be cultural and should be entertaining. And it's not just I'm about getting famous musicians to perform. We try to have local musicians of a variety of genres from rap to blue grass to reggae perform."

That was on display last weekend, when Jack White, of the former band White Stripes, opened at Sanders' rally in Detroit, where Democratic Rep. Rashida Tlaib offered her endorsement to the Vermont senator.

In the middle of his seven-song set, White, performing at his high school alma mater, told the crowd why he backed Sanders.

"Listen, I've never done a political rally before. I'm not really politically affiliated too much. I don't consider myself a member of any party or anything I just listen to the issues" White said. "I want to listen to someone and understand that they're telling me the truth if I trust them. Bernie Sanders is telling the truth, and I really do trust him."

White noted that Sanders' position on abolishing the electoral college is what drew him toward the senator's candidacy. That endorsement came just days after singer Jason Mraz also announced his support for Sanders.

"To me, he's the only candidate who can continue to drain the swamp," Mraz wrote on his website.

...The Sanders campaign, of course, has incorporated other celebrities into their campaign. Actress Susan Sarandon, who supported and campaigned for Sanders in 2016, joined the senator once more on the campaign trail in Iowa over the summer. Rapper Killer Mike and actor and activist Danny Glover, who both endorsed Sanders in 2016, have also repeatedly joined Sanders on the campaign trail this time around. Actor Danny DeVito and John Cusack have also made appearance in support of the senator.

But the sway he holds with musicians continues on. Many have not gone as far as formally endorsing Sanders, but still have suggested an affinity for the politician.

On the day she released a remix of "Good as Hell" with Lizzo, Ariana Grande tweeted the lyric, "baby how u feelin."

Sanders, unprompted and not opting for the obvious lyrical reply ("Good as hell"), said, "Ready to fight for Medicare for All."

Grande retweeted Sanders' response: "screaming."

Lizzo has also shown an appreciation for Sanders. Over the summer, the singer called on her followers not to focus on Sanders' age and think critically about the Democratic presidential candidates.

And of course, rapper Cardi B has continued to show her support for Sanders.

Cardi B filmed a video with Sanders in July to talk about how his agenda will address raising the minimum wage and unemployment. The rapper tweeted earlier that month: "I been reading about Bernie Sanders and I'm really sad how we let him down in 2016."

Sanders returned the compliment.

"What it means is, what Cardi B does, not only is she an enormously popular entertainer, what she is doing is speaking to young people about the important issues that are on their minds and I applaud that very much," Sanders told CNN in July.

In 2006, Blue America persuaded Rickie Lee Jones to join with a couple of the guys from the Squirrel Nut Zippers, Tom Maxwell and Ken Mosher, to record a song, "Have You Had Enough," that was easily turned into customized radio spots and online ads for Democratic challengers like Kirsten Gillibrand and Chris Murphy (both of whom ousted Republican House incumbents that year and are now senators).

It's a shame none of the presidential candidates have persuaded Max Frost to turn his "Adderall" smash into an anti-Trump campaign song. Or, maybe it already is. The video would just need a few image swaps.