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You can vote to buy Kid Rock souvenirs or albums, but not necessarily to send him to the U.S. Senate.
The attention he draws since Wednesday tweets about a supposed campaign is the product of a Warner Bros. Records promotion. Its name is in the URL and at the bottom of the Michigan stuntman's merchandise page at his new "Kid Rock for U.S. Senate" site.
Kid Rock (Twitter photo)
The label apparently is flogging his next album by using the political process as a plaything -- though the performer still insists he considers a possible candidacy.
"I’ve got 15 days from my announcement to file paperwork with the FEC [Federal Elections Commission]," Kid Rocks yelps in a statement Thursday headlined: "Once again the press is wrong."
He adds: "Like politicians write books during their campaigns, I'm planning on putting out music during mine. . . . It's not a hoax, it's a strategy and marketing 101!"
Okay then. That pretty much is all we need to know.
Original article, Wednesday evening:
When I was a boy I was told that anybody could become president. I'm beginning to believe it.
-- Clarence Darrow
Could that be true for U.S. senators as well?
Stunt or serious?
Kid Rock, aka Rob Ritchie, is a vocal supporter of President Trump and now claims he may run in 2018 for the seat held by second-term Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich.
The performer has a Kid Rock for Senate page that focuses on merchandise sales. Tellingly, there's also no candidate bio, no issue positions, no request for donations and no signup for volunteers. And "Pimp of the Nation" is one of the slogans.
Pagetop banners announce "Spend $35 and get a FREE Kid Rock for US Senate Bumper Sticker" and "Shop the Kid Rock Official Store."
Items with campaign slogans are pricey. While candidates typically give out yard signs and bumper stickers to boost visibility, this 46-year-old political novice wants $15.99 for each of his signs and $4.99 per sticker. T-shirts are $24.99 and caps are $15.99.
If he ran, ballots he would list his real name, as would petitions to qualify as a candidate. That's why this Deadline reader is among skeptics:
Of course, he also can't run as "Kid Rock" https://t.co/oR2mf6i1m7
— Terry Blastenbrei (@elSicomoro) July 13, 2017
Still, the purported candidate or possible candidate insists it's the real deal:
I have had a ton of emails and texts asking me if this website is real… https://t.co/RRVgISDFeq The answer is an absolute YES. pic.twitter.com/uYCUg6mjW1
— Kid Rock (@KidRock) July 12, 2017
Stay tuned, I will have a major announcement in the near future - Kid Rock
— Kid Rock (@KidRock) July 12, 2017
A video tweeted by the influential Politico news site looks at past examples of how "Kid Rock flirts with politics:"
Is Kid Rock really running? Here are three of his past flirtations with politics https://t.co/WD3lZSYqVE pic.twitter.com/UU6EFmCUkx
— POLITICO (@politico) July 12, 2017
