Bob Weir: "Don't vote for Nader; he's an asshole"

[CatWoman]

LOLOLOL

The Grateful Dead's Bob Weir is pleading with Deadheads everywhere not to vote for Ralph Nader. Performing on Saturday in Boston, Weir told the band's followers to be sure to vote, but the exorted, "Don't vote for Nader. I know him. He's an a--hole," our spies tell us. The band then broke into "Johnny B. Goode," a theme song of the Kerry-Edwards campaign ...


http://www.nydailynews.com/front/story/218422p-187827c.html

[Feanorcurufinwe]

1. John Kerry's musical tastes

He puts up signed posters of Bruce Springsteen and the Grateful Dead (but only on the walls of what's known as his 'hideaway' Senate office).

<snip>

"I can certainly speak to that side of John Kerry," stresses Sanders, who at one time was a Hollywood music-industry attorney. "I know that he appreciates pop culture and contemporary music, and it goes back a long way."

Way back to the Mekong Delta, where the officer in charge of a PCF-94 crew had orders to go up river and travel deep into enemy territory and try to win the hearts and minds of the Viet Cong as part of a psychological operation. Kerry's boat was equipped with not-very-high-tech loudspeakers and unintentionally comedic tapes that when played were supposed to encourage the enemy to throw down their arms and give up. "The idea that anyone would think that would work is amusing enough. But the tape that was the biggest hoot had these legendary ghosts moaning and woo-hooing and telling the VC it was useless to fight," Sanders recalls. "John took those tapes and threw them away."

Instead, Kerry played a steady stream of rock from Jimi Hendrix and the Doors. "John happened to really like Jim Morrison. Sure, our commanders would not have approved. But the enemy probably found it more pleasant. And the young Vietnamese kids would be running off the river banks, dancing and waving at us."

More recently, Sanders has gone with the senator to see the Rolling Stones and other musician pals on tour. "We're both friends of Stephen Stills, and John likes the Dead. John is also pretty good friends with Bono. He prefers traditional hardcore rock. I don't think he has anything against rap and hip-hop, but that's not part of his style."
http://laweekly.com/ink/04/36/deadline-hollywood.php

[Westegg]

2. Momma, your cats are makin' eyes at me...

....I wonder if Bobby said any more than that. And I wonder what Jerry thought of Nader. Anyone know? Or do I have to look it up myself?

[MyUncle]

4. I am sure Bob wanted to say more, but he forgot the words.

In a loving way...

[djg21]

5. He and Mickey are politicing hard!

Didn't say much at SPAC, except for encouraging folks to register. The Kerry stickers were all over the stacks however. We'll see what they say tonight in Hartford!

[MyUncle]

7. Are you following them around?

If so, I am officialy jealous.

[djg21]

19. Reliving my "Youth"

My wife only lets me out of the house to go to 2-3 shows each tour. :-) A real job, a mortgage, a 40-yr old body that needs sleep, and other sundry commitments preclude me from "going on tour."

I do follow pretty closely on dead.net, and on rec.music.gdead, however. And the voter registration drive and the Band's support of the Kerry-Edwards ticket has been a frequent topic of discussion. It has become a staple of each show (Like Phil's "organ-donor rap").

[BrotherBuzz]

15. Were Bob Weir and Mickey Hart politicing when they were...

encamped at the Bohemian Grove? If so, I hope they stayed away from the Hillbilly and Owl's Nest camp!

[Westegg]

6. Garcia said (according to Jesse Ventura!):

"I always remember what Jerry Garcia of the Grateful Dead said... Jerry Garcia said if you're picking the lesser of two evils, you're still picking evil... so my advice is to be positive, don't vote against someone, vote for someone."

[Feanorcurufinwe]

8. can I borrow your time machine?

And I wonder what Jerry thought of Nader.

:wtf:

[Westegg]

10. What Jerry "thought." As in "the past." When he was living.

...Surely Jerry and Nader crossed paths.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

11. Yeah. Can I borrow your time machine so I can ask him?

Maybe I can catch a tune while I'm there.

[Westegg]

13. Borrow? No. Rent? But of course! My rates are...

more than reasonable. Even though I'm the only game in town.

Ask around. They'll all tell you the same. You try one of these fly-by-nite concerns and you don't know WHERE you'll end up. My beauty'll get you to within 12 hours PRIOR TO (and that's the key when you're talking quality time travel, am I right?) any historical event you choose, friend. Step on board. As my slogan sez: "It's the ride of SEVERAL lifetimes!"

12. I'm betting that Jerry thought

something like this.

The Dead have been fairly politicized recently, but the Grateful Dead usually stayed fairly apolitical from my memory.
I once tried to get them engaged in promoting a rally back in 1978 and talked to Garcia and he specifically said to me that the band was fairly anarchical in their perspective and that they usually stayed apolitical because there were so many different perspectives in the band.

So the Grateful Dead were apolitical and the Dead are being more political. What element is different? That might give you some idea of what Jerry thought, if it's really that important what he thought about Nader back at that point in time.

Also remember that John Barlow is not exactly a liberal, but more of a libertarian.

here's an interesting interview with him
http://www.motherjones.com/news/qa/2003/02/we_268_01.html

[Westegg]

14. I appreciate your insight, and I do take your meaning. Also...

yeah, it's not that it's important, per se, what Jerry might have thought about Ralph back when. I was just kinda curious....

[sangh0]

17. Barlow is not "more of a libertarian"

He is a full blown Libertarian. So was Weir, but I dont know if that's still true. Kreutzmann might as well join a militia. Garcia wasn't into politics. He preferred "chasin the dragon"

18. I was just being polite

you know, my saying more of a libertarian than a liberal was just being polite. Thought I'd let people investigate on their own.

That's why I provided a link.

[russian33]

3. That pretty much summarizes Ralph Nader

[B. P. R. D.]

9. I hope the Electras reunite

Minus those two republican assholes who don't want to help their old friend.

[Emboldened Chimp]

16. Kick!

Hahaha! Right on, Bob!