Kid Rock is running for Senate. Or is he?
The musician has launched a new campaign website, but it sure does look like a viral marketing stunt.
Updated by Aja Romano@ajaromano
Kid Rock launched a website on Wednesday that suggests the musician and Donald Trump supporter is mulling a bid for a Michigan senatorial seat. Kid Rock For Senate immediately went viral, and sparked debate over whether the site is an attempt to gauge interest in a real political run, or just an instance of viral marketing.
Rock, whose real name is Robert Ritchie, added to the confusion with a tweet affirming that the website — though not necessarily the senatorial bid — is real.
I have had a ton of emails and texts asking me if this website is real… http://kidrockforsenate.com The answer is an absolute YES.
Most skeptics are assuming the website is a viral marketing campaign for an upcoming Kid Rock album, rather than the beginnings of an actual political campaign. The Kid Rock for Senate landing page is hosted on Rock’s commercial Warner Brothers Records artist website, where, in addition to a small selection of “Kid Rock for Senate” apparel and yard signs, he’s also selling more traditional fan merchandise (including this controversial pro-Trump T-shirt).
Additionally — and more importantly — the musician has reportedly not filed any paperwork with the Federal Election Commission suggesting that he actually intends to run for office.
KID ROCK HAS NOT FILED ANY PAPERWORK AT THE FEC
Still, this isn’t the first time Rock has made political overtures. Though he has no actual political experience, he’s a self-defined “Republican on certain issues” who previously campaigned for Mitt Romney in 2012 and supported Ben Carson before backing Donald Trump in Michigan’s 2016 Republican primary. He also performed at last year’s Republican National Convention in Cleveland, and in April, visited President Trump in the Oval Office, along with former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin and musician-turned-political-activist Ted Nugent.
Earlier this year, he was also reportedly being sincerely considered as a potential GOP candidate for the 2018 Michigan Senate race. If he were to run, he’d be facing off against Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), who is up for reelection.
Should Kid Rock seriously wish to run for office, he must either raise or spend $5,000 for or on his campaign, after which he has 15 days to file with the FEC. And, notably, he’s alreadypromised a major announcement in “the near future” which could fit the bill — or be something completely different.
Stay tuned, I will have a major announcement in the near future - Kid Rock
In all likelihood, the Kid Rock for Senate website is a well-played viral marketing campaign that builds upon a somewhat long tradition of famous entertainers teasing political runs or being put forth by their fans as possible candidates. Given that the move comes just days after a similar attention-grabbing effort to push the Rock to run for office — that’s theRock, not Kid Rock — it seems possible that Kid Rock may be seizing the moment to steal the limelight from his sedimentary relative.
This is going to be super confusing post-2020 when we have to explain that President The Rock isn't the father of Senator Kid Rock. https://twitter.com/KidRock/status/885240249655468032 …
If that’s his aim, it’s worked — and at the very least, it’s given Twitter plenty of joke fodder.
Kid Rock 2018
Fred Durst 2020
Buckcherry guy 2022
A sentient Axe Body Spray bottle 2024
Congratulations to Kid Rock for having stronger messaging than the Democratic Party
"I like that Kid Rock isn’t afraid to bawitdaba,” said Tom Frank, 48, a steelworker. “Other politicians, they don’t da-bang da-bang diggy"
On second thought, a successful Kid Rock candidacy may not be such a stretch after all.
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