vashti1999
06-23-2004, 10:22 PM
NEWARK, N.J. -- A concert promoter and Democratic activist is gathering signatures in an effort to draft Bruce Springsteen for a benefit concert to oppose President Bush's re-election bid.
Promoter Andrew Rasiej wants to hold the event at Giants Stadium on Sept. 1, during the Republican National Convention in New York, but said it's contingent on Springsteen's agreeing to be there, which he hopes would lead other artists to join in.
A Springsteen spokeswoman, however, said he will not play.
"Bruce Springsteen will not be performing at any events tied to the Republican or Democratic conventions," spokeswoman Marilyn Laverty said.
Rasiej, 46, founded the Irving Plaza concert hall in Manhattan and, among other political roles, served as technology adviser to former Democratic presidential candidate Howard Dean.
A Springsteen fan and fellow Jersey guy from Bogota, Rasiej has created a Web site, www.draftbruce.com, with a petition seeking electronic signatures from Springsteen fans or Bush foes imploring The Boss to oppose the president. On Wednesday afternoon the site stated it had collected nearly 11,000 signatures over the previous 24 hours.
"It's really not so much about Bruce," said Rasiej. "I'm viewing this effort as a barometer of public sentiment." He said 120,000 people had signed the petition by Wednesday afternoon.
A more conventional barometer, a Quinnipiac poll released on Wednesday, found that New Jersey public sentiment is more against Bush than for him, giving Democrat John Kerry a 46 percent to 40 percent lead over the Republican president, with 7 percent favoring Ralph Nader.
The margin of sampling error was plus or minus 3 percentage points for the survey of 1,167 voters, taken June 15-20.
It is a much closer margin than the actual vote in New Jersey in 2000, when Bush lost to Al Gore by 16 points.
Springsteen has been openly critical of the Bush administration.
A May 26 speech by Gore criticizing Bush is reprinted on Springsteen's Web site, www.brucespringsteen.net, preceded by a message from The Boss.
"A few weeks ago at N.Y.U. Al Gore gave one of the most important speeches I've heard in a long time," Springsteen tells fans. "The issues it raises need to be considered by every American concerned with the direction our country is headed in. It's my pleasure to reprint it here for my fans."
The speech is then quoted: "George W. Bush promised us a foreign policy with humility. Instead, he has brought us humiliation in the eyes of the world."
Reacting to the poll, Brian Nelson, executive director of the New Jersey State Republican Party, said Kerry's narrow lead was a poor showing after Gore's lopsided state margin in 2000.
Of Springsteen's Web site, Nelson added, "The Boss should continue to focus on music, which is his strong suit, instead of politics."
Copyright © 2004, The Associated Press
Promoter Andrew Rasiej wants to hold the event at Giants Stadium on Sept. 1, during the Republican National Convention in New York, but said it's contingent on Springsteen's agreeing to be there, which he hopes would lead other artists to join in.
A Springsteen spokeswoman, however, said he will not play.
"Bruce Springsteen will not be performing at any events tied to the Republican or Democratic conventions," spokeswoman Marilyn Laverty said.
Rasiej, 46, founded the Irving Plaza concert hall in Manhattan and, among other political roles, served as technology adviser to former Democratic presidential candidate Howard Dean.
A Springsteen fan and fellow Jersey guy from Bogota, Rasiej has created a Web site, www.draftbruce.com, with a petition seeking electronic signatures from Springsteen fans or Bush foes imploring The Boss to oppose the president. On Wednesday afternoon the site stated it had collected nearly 11,000 signatures over the previous 24 hours.
"It's really not so much about Bruce," said Rasiej. "I'm viewing this effort as a barometer of public sentiment." He said 120,000 people had signed the petition by Wednesday afternoon.
A more conventional barometer, a Quinnipiac poll released on Wednesday, found that New Jersey public sentiment is more against Bush than for him, giving Democrat John Kerry a 46 percent to 40 percent lead over the Republican president, with 7 percent favoring Ralph Nader.
The margin of sampling error was plus or minus 3 percentage points for the survey of 1,167 voters, taken June 15-20.
It is a much closer margin than the actual vote in New Jersey in 2000, when Bush lost to Al Gore by 16 points.
Springsteen has been openly critical of the Bush administration.
A May 26 speech by Gore criticizing Bush is reprinted on Springsteen's Web site, www.brucespringsteen.net, preceded by a message from The Boss.
"A few weeks ago at N.Y.U. Al Gore gave one of the most important speeches I've heard in a long time," Springsteen tells fans. "The issues it raises need to be considered by every American concerned with the direction our country is headed in. It's my pleasure to reprint it here for my fans."
The speech is then quoted: "George W. Bush promised us a foreign policy with humility. Instead, he has brought us humiliation in the eyes of the world."
Reacting to the poll, Brian Nelson, executive director of the New Jersey State Republican Party, said Kerry's narrow lead was a poor showing after Gore's lopsided state margin in 2000.
Of Springsteen's Web site, Nelson added, "The Boss should continue to focus on music, which is his strong suit, instead of politics."
Copyright © 2004, The Associated Press