2018 Senate (& House)

The people that might/will elect Kid Rock are pretty much the same as him. If that's who they want advocating their constituency, that's fine I guess. They're cool with a guy who has spent more days in jail than college in one of the highest offices in the land. Oh, and a guy who vehemently stood by his support for the Confederate flag after the Roof shooting (you know, it's cool in Michigan) UNTIL Chevrolet threatened to stop sponsoring his tour, then he replaced all of them with American flags. Because, 'Murica.

 

KR probably learned more in his one day in jail than most political science grads learn in college. JMHO.

 

MMGA? Doesn't quite have the same ring to it.

 

Franken may have made that charge, but Coleman had been in Minnesota since the mid-'70s when he got elected, while Franken had largely built his career in Hollywood and New York. If anybody was truly a carpetbagger, it was Franken. Nevertheless, I wouldn't vote for Franken, because I generally don't like his politics. I think the "carpetbagger" charge is kinda dumb no matter who's raising it, because it has nothing to do with issues or the temperament or character necessary to do the job. And what makes a person "serious?" Is Franken not "serious" because he's a comedian? I don't think that's the case.

The root of the problem is that we've forgotten what the Senate is supposed to be. Unlike the House, it's supposed to be an elite institution that doesn't answer directly to the people and is somewhat insulated from daily politics. That's why the founding fathers made it an appointed body that answered to the states and gave members six-year terms. Allowing for the direct election of senators was one of the dumbest constitutional amendments we've ever enacted.

 

Maybe I should be more clear. I think Franken has turned out to be a good Senator, albeit a partisan one. However, I would like a world where someone like him or Kid Rock or Donald Trump would need to prove their political mettle by serving in Congress or at the state level before being elected to be a Senator. He may be serious now but possibly not in 2008. I guess he meant that he and Coleman were both from New York at some point but that Franken had grown up in Minnesota and Coleman hadn't so his opponent couldn't as easily refer to him as a carpetbagger. I think optics with things like dialect is what he was referencing.

I don't think Trump is serious.

I agree on your take on the Senate.

 

I agree. The best way to do that is to repeal the 17th Amendment.

 

Amen.

 

Of those 3, Franken is the only one I'd say has more than exceeded my expectations and that I'd venture to say I support more often than criticize. Most of the time he's an effective Senator. Were I a MN resident, I'd have no problem voting for him.

 

Hogwash! This "I've found God" excuse to absolving ones earlier moral depravities is complete BS. It's like a "get out of jail free" card that is used to explain away character flaws. Generally speaking, character flaws that still exist but are simply hidden better.

I agree with huisache that a persons full set of actions should be evaluated when determining the character of a person. We don't 100% absolve a felon when they exit prison but rather take their rehabilitation into account when evaluating them for jobs. In the same vein, a philanderer that has cheated on their spouse multiple times in the past shouldn't be evaluated with the same perspective. Though they may not be cheating now, the potential is there thus they don't get the same regard as someone who is faithful to their spouse. Accepting Jesus into your heart may help in the Church but has no bearing to a character evaluation for public office, IMHO.

By all appearances, Kid Rock has the morality of Larry Flynt.

 

In this conversation it doesn't go further than politics. We aren't talking about whether a person with a spicy past should be able to buy a house or get a job, we are talking about a person with a spicy past being the face of our communities, being the person that makes decisions that impact our lives. I believe its a bad idea for many reasons, not the least of which is that the next generation will look at a KR type (if they were elected to an office) and rightfully draw the conclusion that "it doesn't really matter what I do".

Not supporting the idiocracy and Entertainer-ization of our politics it not the same as tossing them in the trash due to a spicy past.

 

Agreed 100%. We need to go back to direct appointment of Senators so that if they fail to represent the interest of their State, the State Legislators can recall them.

 

I think we're talking about two different things now, which is probably my own fault for going off on a tangent.

Aside from KR, who I won't side with until hearing his political stances and level of competency for the job, I'm saying there are many amazing people who've transformed their lives and are highly competent, inspirations in this society. Some are much more worthy of holding office than those we have.

Many great people lead and have achieved impressive success but aren't wouldn't dare venture into politics because of transgressions from their distant past.

Many who do pass the unforgiving rigors of political vetting are so far removed from mainstream Americans they have no basis to judge the issues facing our society.

A perfect example of this elite disconnect is refugee approval in Britain. Recent polling shows the places overwhelmingly in favor of continued mass intake live in the areas that are virtually refugee free due to wealth.

Those effected directly by the problem are voting in high numbers against it. The same applies to American politicians.

Congressional lifers fight tooth and nail to block school choice and want socialist healthcare, yet these same people send their kids to private schools and were given exemption from the exchange so they can receive premiere healthcare.

 

One of my favs!

 

I'm 49 and I don't recall listening to a single Kid Rock song until now, and even then I quit listening after 15 secs.

 

I'm 50. Liberals!



His album Rock and Roll Jesus was pretty good. It was more "unoffensive" than these two songs.

 

I thought the same thing until a couple of years ago. Watch the whole video if you can.

 

Ditto, though I'm 41. I had never listened to him until tonight, played about 1 minute of the Cowboy song, and wished I had that minute of my life back. Bigger waste of time than listening to Michael Bolton.

As my dad used to say, "ZEE-ro talent."

 

If Billy Gibbons likes him, that is okay in my book.

 

Country over party. Good for them. I'm assuming they are voting in the best interest of all their constituents.

 

Lamar Alexander does not represent any one but himself (his wallet).

 

Jimmy Page thought Puff Daddy (or P. Diddy, Puffy, or whatever the hell he's calling himself now) was good enough to team up with him and help him rip off Kashmir. Or even worse, Paul McCartney teamed up with Kanye West. John Lennon and George Harrison would roll over in their graves if they saw their old collaborator in creating some of the best music of all time team up with those overhyped, no-talent losers. The point is that these rockers don't always have the best judgment in who's good and who sucks.

 

Musicians can give actors a run for their money in terms of insecurity and need to be accepted and loved. To be taken seriously in their craft means that they have to appreciate (or pretend to appreciate) anything that comes out in musical trends, embrace crossover acts with people they may or may not have ever listened to before, and talk about how that person is a gifted musician and a wonderful talent. Because they want people to say that about them. And of course, since music is pretty subjective anyway, not many of them want to go out on the limb and talk about what they don't like - because they'll probably get savaged in the media for being intolerant, since as we all know, it's unacceptable not to appreciate every style of music that anyone decides to roll out.

 

You're right, and I don't expect McCartney to publicly rip Kanye. However, if he had simply declined the invitation to work with him, nobody would have thought anything of it. He's a 70 year old man and and probably turns down a hundred such invitations a day. What likely happened is Kanye probably just wrote him out a check, or since McCartney is already a billionaire and probably makes tens of millions a year just sitting on his *** while people play Beatles songs, Kanye may have written out a check to Paul's favorite charity.

 

I'm a little dismayed that we can't all agree that Kid Rock has no credibility in entering politics. I'd say the same if Kanye West ever decides to run.