Dave Mustaine endorses Rick Santorum

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Yeah, Dave has always been a bit of an as*hole, but up until the late 90's I guess he was our as*hole and basically liberal. He's a bit of a sad character really in thinking he still (or ever) has enough influence over "the kids" to sway an election.

As for Marty, he said that he couldn't care less about politics on his facebook page, but at least he's not full metal wingnut.

I used to be a bit of a metal fan back in the 80s and 90s and I still love many of the classics (Sabbath, Priest, Maiden etc). Speed and trash metal was just a phase for me.

Anyway, fan or not, I don't know many musicians that I would characterize as intellectuals. Why would I give anything about their political opinions unless they were expressed in their lyrics? I mean, I don't care about the political affiliation of my doctor, hairdresser or mailman. They do their job, I appreciate their work. Beyond that, I don't care what they might think or believe, or which party they vote for.

Megadeth was never the smartest or deepest of bands, and Mustaine was never a Bob Dylan intellectually, but
Liberalism (at least in the sense of Freedom and rejection of authority) was expressed somewhat in Megadeth's lyrics.
To have Mustaine embrace the most authoritarian of current candidates was a bit of a shock and disappointment.

But you do have a point.
I like lots of artists I have political or philosophical disagreements with, Leonard Cohen, Johnny Rotten, Neil Young, Pink Floyd, the Stones, Bryan Ferry (and Ferry might be an actual Nazi sympathizer!) And in literature, I actually like some of John Dos Pasos.
So I guess in a way I was a hypocrite in wanting to ditch my Megadeth stuff so quickly. I just dislike Santorum so much.

And actually as a female, I do have an interest in the political views of my doctor. If my doctor was rabidly anti choice, he or she might sacrifice my health or life for an ectopic pregnancy or something.

Good point. I agree that if someone's political opinion affects their work, it becomes an issue. I wouldn't buy the albums of a band with racist lyrics, for example. But as long as people manage to keep their controversial views separate from their job or artistic work, it doesn't really matter to me.

That's also why it irks me when politicians publicly talk about god and religion, although I don't have anything against religious politicians.

I tend to enjoy music for the music itself, not the politics of the musician.
Some of what I like is leftist (Green Day, U2, etc...) but oh well.

^ Bono pisses me off for "some" reason

I don't know or care diddly about Bono or for that matter about any celeb....

It'll be even better when James Hetfield or Lars Ulrich comes out for Gingrich.

This whole primary's been awful for anyone who isn't an Obama fan.

i Know you were joking, but on another site we were discussing "Metal endorsements" and were wondering about Metallica. On one hand, James said stuff about "pulling themselves up by their bootstraps" early in their career, but on the other, they do seem to be antagonistic toward conservative Christianity, and there's that pacifism streak ("One"), And they did work with ultra lib Lou Reed, So it's any one's guess whether they are donkey, elephant or neither. Unfortunately, it may whichever party is more for SOPA-yick.

Embracing conservatism and Christianity has been a trend among aging metal guys in recent years. Mustaine's just one of the more vocal and asinine of the bunch. Most of the guys in Iron Maiden are devoted Christians (and if you study some of the lyrics on their recent albums it's obvious). Alice "Dead Babies" Cooper. Blackie "I F**k Like a Beast" Lawless. Even Slayer's Tom Araya has admitted to believing in "a loving God." Really, Tom? (Maybe he can toss copies of The Watchtower into the audience while he serenades them with "Dead Skin Mask" and "Necrophiliac." )

Maybe its just their way of atoning to society and with themselves for trying way too hard to be dark and edgy for its own sake. Then again embarassing themselves like this might give them enough fuel to be dark and edgy again in their 60's and 70's to go back to being darklords of death metal! It all makes sense now.