Exploring Kid Rock’s Political Leanings
Kid Rock’s political leanings aren’t really a secret at this point. The Michigan native and rap-rock superstar has always been on the Republican side, but unlike many celebrities on both sides he has never been argumentative about it. In fact, he routinely goes out of his way to make sure others don’t let political disagreements get in the way of otherwise healthy relationships. A fiscal conservative with views on social issues falling somewhere in the middle, Kid Rock infuses his political beliefs into his public appearances much like he does into his songs – with his music resounding more of patriotism and red, white, and blue more than singular political ideologies. His activity throughout the last presidential election showed that.
Kid Rock quickly endorsed Mitt Romney for the 2012 presidential election, but he was never one to persistently bash Romney’s opponent, President Barack Obama. Instead, his anger was consistently targeted toward Congress. “If people vote the other way, then I’ll support our president, whoever’s elected,” he told Billboard. “More importantly, somebody’s just gotta smack the fuck out of Congress and get them to start working together, and put this bullshit aside and get this country back on track.” Although Kid Rock admits that his leanings to the right are obvious, he believes that certain Republican views are outdated – especially in appliance to social issues. “I’m supporting Mitt Romney, but as much as I believe that marriage is between a man and a woman, let gay people get married if they want,” Kid Rock said. “I think a woman should have a right to choose if she wants to have an abortion or not — that’s not up to anybody else.”
Many politically active individuals are so persistent in their views that it can create strains with good friends, and even family. Kid Rock loves talking about his politics, but it never overrides his relationships with others. Kid Rock teamed up with another politically outspoken celeb in Sean Penn to produce a PSA on political differences. The video initially features Kid Rock and Penn at a bar, debating politics. There are few larger contrasts in ideology between the two; Penn is notorious for his liberal views, and Kid Rock is known for his conservative ones. Kid Rock mocks Penn for voting “O-Bummer” into office, and Penn slams Kid Rock for being a “seal-clubbing, Confederate-flag waving, oil-hoarding, Chick-fil-A eating… troglodyte.” A woman with a Caribbean accent interrupts the verbal battle to remind them of their privileged lives, and how fortunate they are to live in a country more free than most. Meanwhile, a CNN anchor announces the 2000th American casualty in Afghanistan. The mood changes sharply, and the political barricades soon subside for a humorous in-my-own-shoes montage, where Penn watches NASCAR and Kid Rock witnesses a gay marriage. Both actors firmly show their political positions, while more importantly emphasizing one thing: not to let politics divide us.
As someone who introduced former nominees Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan at several campaign events, Kid Rock’s charismatic stage presence extends from the musical realm to the political sphere. This is the case with many musicians, from Bruce Springsteen to Bono, but Kid Rock stands out with his emphasis on keeping things civil. “I really believe strongly that it’s OK to disagree on politics and the direction of our country without hating one another,” he said at a Paul Ryan event. Kid Rock and Romney are both Michigan natives, and share similar views. It seems with his election results he could have used a more bipartisan approach in his campaign, similar to Kid Rock’s. Even with his political views so open, Kid Rock has managed to not isolate his fan base. Even in his music, Kid Rock’s political views are apparent but not overriding the songs’ main appeals — like the hooks and ferocity. From the first track on Rebel Soul, there are glimpses of political subject matter — like soldier casualties, Wall Street exploitation, and presidential disappointments. Still, he tries to prevent his songs from becoming Republican anthems. He does so successfully for the most part, with his best tracks sounding like American anthems with only one ideological allegiance, that being to patriotism.