Bon Jovi, baby!
Jack Bogdanski
John Kerry will have singer Jon Bon Jovi with him in Portland on Friday. Top that, Bush!
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11:27 a.m.
Aug 11, '04
Almost enough to make me not want to go.
11:35 a.m.
Aug 11, '04
Incidentally, Typepad's down at the moment. I'll have a post up whenever they get their act together.
11:37 a.m.
Aug 11, '04
So many possible jokes...is "Living on a Prayer" the new campaign theme song? How does one work "Slippery When Wet" into a stump speech w/o creating a Clintonesque scandal? And why import from New Jersey--weren't any homegrown Oregon rock stars available for this gig?
But mostly, my reaction is: wow, there's gonna be a LOT of big hair on that stage.
11:58 a.m.
Aug 11, '04
I hear Rick James cancelled.
1:06 p.m.
Aug 11, '04
I'm sure he'll be there in spirit.
Aug 11, '04
I just posted about this over on AboutItAll.com
This bothers me no end. Does having a cute movie star who was in a big movie a few years ago really impact the vote? Will having Jon Bon Jovi sing really change any minds?
What is Kerry's campaign trying to accomplish by bringing some old 80's rockers, and a has-been actor to Oregon? Who's it supposed to attract? Are they looking for more 35-45 year old yuppie voters? Can someone explain the concept?
1:47 p.m.
Aug 11, '04
Well, ridiculous as it is, it got all of us talking about his visit. So I'd have to say it is the PR factor. There are a lot of Entertainment Tonight viewers out there to attract to the polls.
Aug 11, '04
Exactly.
Why not Art Alexaksis (sp?) from Everclear? If he's good enough to be an Oregon delegate....?
Although I really don't think Kerry'd appreciate hearing "Volvo Driving Soccer Mom," heh...
2:15 p.m.
Aug 11, '04
Art was on-stage at the previous Pioneer Courthouse Square rally Kerry held, FWIW.
2:29 p.m.
Aug 11, '04
Will having Jon Bon Jovi sing really change any minds?
Probably. It will certainly not alienate anyone already supportive. But for those who enjoy Bon Jovi--or the idea of a candidate who does--it could be the thing that sparks interest. I don't know that it will actually help him all that much with the GTO crowd, but it sure can't hurt. The Volvo crowd is already in.
Aug 11, '04
This issue "bothers me to no end" too, but from the opposite end. What's the big deal with inviting musicians to perform at campaign rallies? I don't think the goal is to change minds or influence voting, it's simply to provide entertainment at what is otherwise a predictable and somewhat dull event. People already know what Kerry is going to say, and I bet having celebrities there actually does attract more people to the event. (Of course, I wouldn't personally choose Jon Bon Jovi, but I guess they get who they can get.)
6:48 p.m.
Aug 11, '04
Red's got the right idea. The usual political rule is to count on the principal showing up 60-90 minutes after the announced start time - in this case noon. I figured a good time to show up might be 1:00
But, then, I'd been hearing that Kerry's events have been running on time... so, show up at 11:30.
And then, Jon Bon Jovi... I figure Kerry ain't showing up until at least 2:30.
Just something to listen to while the candidate runs late... It's just not that complicated.
9:42 p.m.
Aug 11, '04
So meanwhile, Kerry's event here in Portland on Friday is open to the public, is expected to draw tens of thousands of people, and is the finale event capping of his cross-country tour.
Bush's event is in suburban Beaverton, and is open only to those members of the public who agree to volunteer to do some phonebanking for the campaign. Which I suppose is better than that other Bush/Cheney event (events?) where they required a loyalty oath... er, I mean commitment to vote for Bush in order to attend.
Aug 12, '04
I believe that for any Bush event you actually have to sign a "loyalty oath" stating you support Bush and plan to vote for him in Nov. to get in.
Aug 12, '04
Will having Jon Bon Jovi sing really change any minds?
No, but it says a lot about the candidate(s). One has a public forum where everyone can stop by, have fun, and learn. The other has a members-only soiree with caveats.
8:36 a.m.
Aug 12, '04
Cab-I heard the same thing about the Bush visit to Iraq. Soldiers had to fill out a questionnaire to ensure that they were "loyal" to Bush.
10:24 a.m.
Aug 12, '04
Will having Jon Bon Jovi sing really change any minds?
Nope, but those coming to the Kerry rally have probably made up their minds already. Politics and entertainment have already merged (even the congressional chambers are tv studios now) so we might as well have a soundtrack and get a little groove on. Rock the Vote is an obvious entertainment ploy, MoveOn has their Vote for Change tour, and I doubt that any artists have had to sign loyalty oaths (though some conservative Springsteen fans have stated their determination to never again patronize his shows now that he's come out for Kerry). Celebrities are visible (hence the name), have an established fan base, and make earned media that much easier. Why wouldn't we tap into that resource?
10:33 a.m.
Aug 12, '04
But Bon Jovi?! There must be better resources than that.
5:12 p.m.
Aug 12, '04
Hell, at least it's not Vanilla Ice or Milli Vanilli.
6:28 p.m.
Aug 12, '04
For what it's worth, Kerry's speech down Medford way is pretty klunky and clumsy.
Aug 12, '04
Here's the thing- can you think of any other big draw act that are 1. not currently in or have ever served time in jail 2. currently are or have every been drug addicts or 3. are died in the wool Democrats. So that leaves us Springsteen, Bon Jovi, and Melloncamp. Melloncamp already played, Springsteen probably declined (this early in campaign anyways). So we've got Bon Jovi left. That's cool. Hell, one of 'em got Heather Locklear so they must be doing something right.
P.S.- if any of y'all happens to catch a few snapshots I would love it if you could share. My sister in Ireland loves Jon to no end, and although I don't understand the attraction, I would love to send her a few pics. Please email me bout snapshots, signed items, audio of event, etc. She would melt and I would be very appreciative.
Aug 12, '04
Sheesh...
I cannot believe this post got so many responses.
I briefly thought about taking my 15 YO daughter to the event. See a Presidential candidate before the most pivotal election in my lifetime, etc. etc.
When I heard that 6500 had downloaded tickets in the first few hours, I thought, "No way!" am I going to get into that mess.
Does anyone think that the "stars" a candidate attracts really make a difference in anyone's vote?
If that premise is true, we're in far more trouble than I thought.
Aug 12, '04
My 11-year-old son is currently in Michigan staying with his grandmother and is righteously pissed that he's not in town for this. (I promised him we'd probably get the chance to go to another one once he gets back, which only sort of mollified him...and he could care less about Bon Jovi or DiCaprio - he wants to see Kerry.)
I'm heading over to the rally tomorrow with one of his 11-year-old friends (and his family) who's quite annoyed he's being dragged to this.
Ah, the irony...
Aug 19, '04
I am only nineteen and being able to see Jon Bon Jovi is the only ploy that would drag me to see a John Kerry rally. Jon Bon Jovi may be a Democrat, but he's one heck of a performer. If Jon Bon Jovi performed before Kerry went on I'd just stay to see him (Jon Bon Jovi) and then I would leave. I have better things to do with my time, like listen to my Bon Jovi albums while I track Bush's campaign trail. Yes, my ticket money may go to the Democratic party, but it's a small price to pay to see one of the titans of Rock & Roll!!!! The fact that Jon is a Democrat won't make me dislike his music, and seeing him standing by Kerry certainly won't have any influence over my decision to vote for Bush!!!!! The only people who entertainment stars have a hold over are the fans who very sickly obsessed with them. I have a feeling they won't be the ones at the polls on Nov. 2nd.
Aug 19, '04
So you didn't actually go, did you Youngster? 'Cause there was no ticket price.
Aug 19, '04
I only feel a little sheepish. Since I wasn't in the Portland area, like I said, I had better things to do like listen to my Bon Jovi albums and track Bush's campaign trail.