"I believe in the promised land"

Bruce Springsteen takes the moment into his hands -- and joins John Kerry for a massive Wisconsin rally.

By Tim Grieve

Oct 28, 2004 | The presidential campaign comes rushing toward you in a million shrill words, a noisy, cross-country game of tit-for-tat played through TV feeds and the sharp remarks of a hundred sniping surrogates. It's loud and it's relentless, or at least it was until Bruce Springsteen stepped onto a small stage here Thursday afternoon.

With 80,000 people and the future of the nation in front of him, Springsteen played a wistful, acoustic version of "The Promised Land" then quietly offered the most eloquent stump speech of this long presidential race. "I've been writing about America for 30 years," he said. "I've tried to write about who we are, what we stand for, what we fight for. I believe that these essential ideals of American identity are what's at stake on Nov. 2."

Springsteen talked about the choice facing America on the recent "Vote for Change" tour benefiting America Coming Together, but this time he delivered his remarks with much more of the world watching. Hundreds of journalists from around the globe hung on Springsteen's every word. And with people jammed through the streets leading to Wisconsin's State Capitol, the city of Madison literally stood still to listen.

Springsteen ticked off a long list of the things that matter: economic justice, a living wage, a "sane and responsible foreign policy," civil rights, and "the protection and safeguarding of our precious democracy here at home." He said: "I believe that John Kerry honors these ideals. He has lived our history over the past 60 years, and he has formed an adult view of America and its people. "

Quietly strumming his guitar as he spoke, Springsteen said Kerry understands that people are not infallible, that struggle and heartbreak are an inevitable part of the human experience. "That's why we need each other," he said. "That's why 'United We Stand' ... and 'one nation indivisible' aren't just slogans. They need to remain the guiding principles of our public life."

Springsteen called on the country to face "America's hard truths, both the good and the bad." "That's where we find a deeper patriotism, that's where we find a more complete view of who we are. That's where we find a more authentic experience as citizens, and that's where we find the power ... to make our world a better and a safer place."

As the huge crowd grew quiet, Springsteen quoted the late Sen. Paul Wellstone -- "The future is for the passionate" -- and he said the time to act is now. "That's why I'm here today to stand alongside Senator Kerry and to tell you that the country we carry in our hearts is waiting." When he was done, Springsteen reached for his guitar and leaned into "No Surrender," the song that opens every Kerry campaign rally. As autumn leaves fell around him, Springsteen reinvented the song. The anthemic rock 'n' roll song became a meditation on promises made and hopes held tight, and he dedicated it to John Kerry.

The largest crowd -- ever, for anything -- in Madison's history exploded in applause. When Kerry took the stage a few minutes later, he fed on the energy. While he'll never match Springsteen's poetry, Kerry's Madison speech was strong and sharp and carried all the passion that Paul Wellstone or Bruce Springsteen could have asked of him. He hit Bush hard for ignoring reality in Iraq, for putting American troops at risk, for turning his back on the middle class in favor of the big corporations that support him. Somewhere in there, the usually humor-challenged Kerry got off a good line that underscored the cultural divide -- and so much else -- between the candidates: When Bush heard that "The Boss" was performing in Madison, Kerry said, "he thought we meant Dick Cheney."

Kerry's aides were overjoyed. Kerry spokesman Mike McCurry has been unusually serious and quiet over the last two days. In Madison Thursday afternoon, he was beaming. As Kerry began speaking, he said: "It doesn't get any better than this."

Springsteen will appear with Kerry again tonight at Ohio State University in Columbus. The Midwest focus is intentional, of course, and not just because Springsteen's working-man sensibilities play better in big cities here than they would in a condo complex in Palm Beach. Kerry can win without Florida if he can hold on to upper Midwest states like Wisconsin, but it's hard to conjure up any calculation that gets Kerry to 270 Electoral College votes if he loses both Florida and Ohio.

On the press plane Thursday morning, Kerry spokeswoman Allison Dobson said the campaign believes Kerry is up by about 2 points in Ohio now. And a new Los Angeles Times poll puts Kerry ahead there by 6. But both campaigns are treating Ohio as anybody's to win. Bush will be in the Buckeye State Friday with Arnold Schwarzenegger. Kerry will return Monday night -- if not sooner -- when Springsteen will appear again with the candidate at an election-eve rally in Cleveland.

Next Page: After the evening news shows, a satisfied Mike McCurry told Salon: "We won the day"

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