[The Flying Mouse]

Originally Posted by lorenzoduke

Bringing the band to perform at a political rally doesn't seem much like separating the politics from the music to me.

He was singing a patriotic song. He needed a band. We wanted to use his own. I doubt he held a gun to anybodys head.
We don't know what happened between Meat and the band, and we don't know how wiling each member was to take part.
As we don't know, it's best not to speculate.

Originally Posted by lorenzoduke

Had Meat merely used his own vote rather than attempting to use his fame to try to influence others political decisions, this discussion wouldn't exist.

Celebrities try to influence the public all the time.
In England we have footballers that try to sell you underwear and shaving razors. We've got a rugby player trying tobget us all to play Bingo, TV chefs trying to flog you their own products or send you to a certain supermarket (and even Gordon Ramsey doing an add for Spec Savers).
Shop here, buy this, think that.
The cult of the celeb was here long before Meat sang for Romney, and it still means more nor less.

If Paul Crook told me such or such a guitar was good, i'd believe him. He's a guitarist. But what makes David Beckham an expert in underwear? Brittany Spears in perfume? Or Reg Holdsworth in double glazing windows?

Anyone who takes Meat's views over their own is a dunderhead, and needs to be put into an institution for their own good. Just like anyone who stays in a hotal based on the fact Lenny Henry claims to stay there.

A sane person knows the difference between professional opinion and personal opinion.

Originally Posted by lorenzoduke

Unless everyone in the band is a Republican, that shows a lack of respect for them.
Unless L'il Jon gave his permission for his recorded performance to be used at the rally, that shows a lack of respect for him.

You know that any of the band members didn't want to do it?
I don't know one way of the other, so I don't feel like I can speculate.
Do you know for a fact Lil Jon was against his recording being used?
I only hope that part of the deal was a payment from the Romney camp to go to the charities the song was in aid of.

To say "there's no way Lil Jon would do this" is projecting again. It's not right, and it's not realistic.

Originally Posted by lorenzoduke

Telling people to argue with their friends and family is asking people to show a lack of respect for those people.

Only by suggesting that they are dumb enough to do what they are told by a singer.
I might ask you to share my commercial page with your friends and family. It doesn't mean I disrespect them.

Originally Posted by lorenzoduke

To those who don't mind a celebrity telling them who to vote for and who don't consider it pompous and ridiculous for that person to tell them to argue with family rather than respect their views, more power to you. No I won't be burning my albums or missing concerts because of this, but Meat basically using his fanbase and his fame to try to tell people how to vote makes me respect him less, as does him giving a huge unqualified endorsement to someone we later find out he completely disagrees with on numerous important topics of civil rights.

See above
I don't think that any celeb backing Obama is overstepping their bounds. Why should Meat be doing so just because it's for the other camp?
Let's have the same rule for everybody here.
Is the issue with the fact he endorces a candidate, or is the issue his choice of candidate?