Frank Zappa |
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Fri. November 03.2000 12:00 AM EST |
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Music Industry Banks On Gore |
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Bill Clinton may lead more of a rock 'n' roll lifestyle, but self-confessed straight arrow Al Gore has received more financial support from the music industry. The vice president, despite a record of criticizing the entertainment
That compares with $122,824 in music-industry money raised by President Clinton for his 1996 re-election campaign, and $91,400 raised by Gore's chief opponent in the presidential race, Texas Gov. George W. Bush, according to the CRP. Artists such as Sheryl Crow and Cher publicly have voiced their support for Gore, performing at fund-raisers for his campaign. "What I believe is we are only as strong as our weakest member, and I believe that there are lots of things that we are not doing for people," Cher, a registered independent, said Tuesday, October 31. "It pisses the sh*t out of me that we are not helping the weakest ones among us. "But when I've had occasion to speak with Al and Tipper, I really like them, and I really believe that they really care about people," Cher added. This sentiment comes in spite of Gore's somewhat bipolar relationship with the music industry, which dates back to the mid-'80s, when his wife, Tipper, spearheaded a successful campaign to label albums containing R-rated lyrics. Meanwhile, Lieberman remains a leading cultural crusader against explicit sex and violence in music, movies, TV, and video games. But Gore's support for the environment and his pro-choice stance on abortion, for example, combined with a distaste for Republican nominee Bush's more conservative views, have kept the music industry largely in the Democrats' column this year, particularly with the election being so closely contested. Not all the news is as good for the vice president. Gore and Bush are much closer in the unregulated soft-money race ($965,056 for the Democrats, $918,830 for the GOP), according to CRP calculations through September. While artists are more solidly behind the Democrats, the corporate side of the industry is hedging its bets. For example, Sony Music Entertainment has given $161,980 to Bush and just $66,500 to Gore. The Walt Disney Company has given more than three times as much to the Texas governor, $340,350, compared with $125,000 to Gore. Time Warner has been a bit more evenhanded with its donations, giving the vice president $241,556 and Bush $258,000. "Businesses tend to do that, to make sure their interests are protected no matter who's elected," said Cary Haney, a researcher with the CRP. "You may have instances where the head of the company is more inclined to support one candidate over the other, but they'll give money to both sides in the best interest of their company." The soft-money figures are likely to at least double in the last days before the election, Haney said. There is no limit on the amount of soft money that can be raised; this unregulated financing goes directly to the parties, not the presidential candidates. Those latest figures are not yet available. "The last part of the election is where you really see the soft money come in," Haney said. "You're going to see a dramatic rise in the amounts that come in these last days." Gore is bringing out some of the bigger names in the music business to help him raise that money. A September 14 fund-raiser was headlined by Crosby, Stills & Nash, k.d. lang, Paul Simon, Lenny Kravitz, and Crow, whom the CRP lists as a soft-money contributor. Other notable Democratic soft-money givers include producer Quincy Jones, Motown founder Berry Gordy, and Gail Zappa, wife of the late Frank Zappa. Zappa's support is somewhat surprising, considering her husband's outspoken opposition to Tipper Gore's lobbying efforts to label records. Gail Zappa could not be reached for comment. While she has apparently been able to reconcile those differences with the Democratic nominee, others haven't been quite as forgiving. "We know Al and Tipper hate hip-hop ... They've tried to give themselves face-lifts in order to get support from the music industry and young people, but it isn't going to work," said Phyllis Pollack, a publicist for DefPress who has represented artists such as N.W.A and the Geto Boys. "With Lieberman you just get more of the same. Al Gore is as much pro-censorship as is his wife as is Lieberman." Howie Klein, the president of Reprise Records, has also been outspoken against the Democratic ticket, saying, "Gore is either stupid or cynical, either of which should disqualify him for president," after the vice president selected Lieberman as his running mate. A lack of excitement about the Gore candidacy has led many on the left to support Green Party candidate Ralph Nader, who boasts some big-name supporters of his own. Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder publicly endorsed Nader at a recent rally in Seattle, introducing the longtime consumer advocate as "someone who represents us and not the corporate interests." Nader has also received the support of Linda Ronstadt, Jackson Browne, ex-Dead Kennedy Jello Biafra, and Willie Nelson, though he trails significantly in music-industry contributions. The Green standard-bearer has raised $16,800 so far. "I'm leaning toward Ralph Nader," Nelson said last month. "I think he has a good plan. I'm gonna see what happens down toward the end of the election, and I wish him luck. Naturally if it looks sorta bleak and he has [a slim chance], then I'll have to decide myself out of the ones who are running who would do the best job not only for the farmers but all the grass-roots independent producers in the country." Gore is pushing hard for voters such as Nelson to reconsider his candidacy in this final week of campaigning, saying a vote for Nader will only help elect Bush. He's already changed the mind of one country music star, Billy Ray Cyrus, who earlier this year wrote the Bush campaign's theme song, "We the People." According to Salon.com, a spokesperson for Gore said Cyrus has asked Bush to stop using the song now that he's a Gore backer. But Bush still has friends in country music, a more reliable base for the GOP than other genres. The Oak Ridge Boys - the only recognizable name on the CRP list of Bush contributors - wrote of their support for Dubya on their Web site. "We were thrilled to see the positive air around him, because, obviously, we believe that this honorable man has a great vision for our nation's future and we will do what we can to help him get elected," lead singer Joe Bonsall wrote. The Oak Ridge Boys recently campaigned with Bush in Missouri. Bush cannot expect that kind of vocal support from most in the industry, at least those on the artistic side who see the choice as a clear battle between good and evil. "The vice president wants this country to go forward, and if you vote for him, it will go forward," pop veteran Elton John said at a recent fund-raiser for Gore in New York, according to the Associated Press. "But it's back to the Dark Ages, I'm afraid, if you vote for the other guy." But do such comments influence voters at all? Probably not, although Gore is hoping to capitalize on his rock 'n' roll connections, bringing along Jon Bon Jovi to help him campaign Monday, November 6 in Wisconsin, one of the battleground states expected to decide the election. "Livin' on a Prayer"? We'll see on Tuesday. |
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Bon Jovi |
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Jon Bon Jovi |
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Sheryl Crow |
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Cher |
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Crosby, Stills & Nash |
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Quincy Jones |
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Frank Zappa |
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N.W.A. |
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Geto Boys |
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Pearl Jam |
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Jackson Browne |
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Willie Nelson |
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Dead Kennedys |
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Billy Ray Cyrus |
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