Senator John Mellencamp?

By Jeralyn, Section Elections
Posted on Wed Feb 17, 2010 at 05:15:48 PM EST
Tags: John Mellencamp (all tags)

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How great would it be to have John Mellencamp, champion of the farmer and the little guy, in the U.S. Senate? There's a grass roots effort underway in Indiana to draft him.

Above is a video I took of him singing "Our Country" at a John Edwards event during the Iowa caucuses in December, 2007.

I hope he says yes. Maybe it's finally time to rock the vote for real. [More...]

Via Alternet:

Mellencamp has a history of issue-oriented political engagement that is the rival of any of the Democratic politicians who are being considered as possible Bayh replacements.

And Mellencamp has something else. He has a record of standing up for disenfranchised and disenchanted working-class families in places like his hometown of Seymour, Indiana.

In other words, he's worthy of the consideration that has led to talk of a "Draft John Mellencamp" movement. In fact, he might be just enough of an outlier to energize base votes and to make independent voters look again at the Democratic column.

Run, John, Run.

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Senator John Mellencamp? | 12 comments (12 topical)

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Mellencamp (none / 0) (#1)
by jharp on Wed Feb 17, 2010 at 05:26:27 PM EST

He has no chance without a primary.

Remember that the Indiana Democratic party gave us Evan Bayh. At best we'll be challenging with someone only a tad left of Bayh.

It would be mad cool... (none / 0) (#2)
by kdog on Wed Feb 17, 2010 at 06:10:27 PM EST

and I think he could win for sure.

For his own sake though, maybe its best he didn't...the mudslinging, the banging his head against a wall for 6 years, all the bullsh*t...and for what? This puppy is probably too far gone. He seems like too nice a guy to push that mess on him.

Like Springsteen... (none / 0) (#3)
by Jerrymcl89 on Wed Feb 17, 2010 at 06:25:46 PM EST

... Mellencamp has been active politically for a long enough time that I imagine he'd have run for something already if he was interested. But it's a lot easier to maintain your moral purity as a political artist than as an actual Senator, so I don't blame him if he'd prefer not to. Still, it's worth asking.

I love this idea! (none / 0) (#4)
by esmense on Wed Feb 17, 2010 at 06:28:52 PM EST

but I don't know anything about the Democratic establishment in Indiana. I presume Bayh famous name was a big reason he had establishment support (he certainly has never had much else going for him). Maybe for that reason (he has a famous name) Mellencamp will look attractive to them too.

jeralyn, what has you convinced (none / 0) (#5)
by cpinva on Wed Feb 17, 2010 at 07:16:35 PM EST

he'd even run as a democrat? has he indicated such at any point in time? personally, i kind of wish al franken had a clone, who lived in indiana.

it's one thing to support good causes, it's quite another to be able to provide penetrating analysis, and pointed legislation, to address those issues at the legislative level. i've not seen any indication mr. mellencamp has demonstrated that intellectual ability.

We could do worse and probably will (none / 0) (#6)
by mmc9431 on Wed Feb 17, 2010 at 08:53:23 PM EST

Right about now I'd be more than happy to have someone that really believes in the Democratic platform in DC! The party problem seems to be that we have too many thinkers now. (And no doers). And the only thing their thinking about is lining their own pockets.


That's a good point (none / 0) (#7)
by richj25 on Wed Feb 17, 2010 at 09:10:50 PM EST

Senator is an important job so you'd want someone
in there who has some idea how to do it. Its more
than just voting, there's all the behind the scenes
sausage making that goes on. It may be distasteful
but I wouldn't want one of my senators to be the
chump who gets screwed on every deal and doesn't
know it.


Not much to it... (none / 0) (#10)
by BigElephant on Thu Feb 18, 2010 at 09:39:38 AM EST

If you're a good salesperson you have the potential to be a good senator. There was a time when I thought that "celebrities" didn't have the qualification to be senators/elected officials. But after having met many politically active celebrities, and a good percentage of sitting senators -- I think most of the celebrities at least seem to understand the major issues of the day at least as well, and seem more passionate.

I honestly think that if we replaced every senator with a celebrity, we wouldn't be any worse off (and of course, we'd keep Franken, as he is a celebrity -- and has IMO quickly become one of the most respected senators -- with some seniority, due to the stupid Senate processes, one of the most effective).


: Al Franken went to Harvard (none / 0) (#11)
by richj25 on Thu Feb 18, 2010 at 11:57:37 AM EST

John Mellencamp went to a two year college where,
by his own admission, he spent most of his time
smoking weed. This is not a good comparison. That's
not to say that Mr Mellencamp is not intelligent. I
don't know the man so he may very well be but I'd
need some indication that he'd be able to understand
what he was supposed to be doing before I'd consider
voting for him.

: I honestly think... (none / 0) (#12)
by kdog on Thu Feb 18, 2010 at 12:02:25 PM EST

if we picked names at random outta the white pages to replace every senator, we'd be better off...by far. At least for 6 months, until the machine got its claws into the randoms.

why do you think he (none / 0) (#9)
by Jeralyn on Wed Feb 17, 2010 at 11:42:01 PM EST

traveled the country stumping for John Edwards and also campaigned at Hillary and Obama events?

He was the featured performer at the 2004 DNC convention in Boston.

Of course he's a Democrat. And a good one.


Indiana primary (none / 0) (#8)
by StevenT on Wed Feb 17, 2010 at 11:37:27 PM EST

I saw him singing during the Indiana primaries too where the expected crowded of 10000 became 30000. That is when i knew Hillary had won the state ^^!