I am a Springsteen fan.
I have been a Springsteen fan since 1978. Sometime in that year, driving up and down the main drag, I heard the song “Racing in the Streets” and have been a fan ever since. (more about that in another post)
I’ve also been aware of politics from a very young age. My grandpa, who entered the US from Mexico in the 1930’s (more about that in another post) was always interested in the political world, and I think that’s what got me interested and aware. He was a Democrat, so through the laws of physics and heredity, I was a Democrat. Let me list the reasons why: ________. (That didn’t take long). But although I didn’t have a reasoned position, I was a pretty strong believer.
As an adult (wife, kids, job, mortgage, debts, etc.) I changed my mind. (more about that in another post). One day, I was driving down the freeway and saw the endless river of taillights in front of me (Southern California) and I thought that all of those people were like me… they were taking care of themselves by getting a job, buying a car, living somewhere that they had to pay for, buying food, clothing, , taking vacations, going to the movies, buying Springsteen records (Never a number 1 single! Maybe they were buying other records), and whatever myriad other things that they decided to spend their money on. But the thought that they got up every morning and went out and took care of themselves made me think that they were like me in that way. And I wondered how they voted.
I mentioned I am a Springsteen fan. Mr. Springsteen is one of the greatest songwriters and performers that exist in the history of rock and roll. I say one of the greatest, because there will be other opinions. So, being a big fan, I naturally read his autobiography “Born to Run”. If you are a fan, you will enjoy the book. If you are not, you would probably enjoy it, but I don’t think many non-fans would read it.
So here’s the heart of the matter: Mr. Springsteen has used his prodigious talents to make his own choices in life. The rewards of his efforts and talents, opportunities and luck, have bettered his situation and that of his family. The choices he makes better his world. He accrues what he can financially, he buys the houses he wants, buys food he wants to eat, clothes he wants to wear. He takes trips to the places he decides to go and buys whoever’s records he wants to. He’s never asked me to give him a single dime. He has always offered me a product that I willingly and joyfully pay for. I don’t think he’s asked anyone else to give him anything. According to his autobiography, he just asked for an opportunity to use his talent, and then has made the most of that. He hasn’t cheated anyone that I’ve even heard rumor of, he clearly loves his family and appears to be a generous and kind individual.
Conclusion: Mr. Springsteen lives his life as a conservative.
Mr. Springsteen preaches liberal politics in the public sphere. Of course, much of it is sensible. There’s no reason to hate people you have never met based on things that they didn’t do. There’s not really even a reason to hate people you disagree with politically (reminder to world).
I contend that if Mr. Springsteen voted the way he lives, he would vote for the conservative candidate. That would require him to either understand that not all conservatives are racist, selfish haters or decide that he is going to vote the way he lives his life, and also not be a racist, selfish hater.
I suspect that all those people in front of me on the freeway, however they may be voting, are not racist, selfish haters. I encourage all of them, and Mr. Springsteen, to vote the way they live.