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Tom Morello Charts Similarities with Obama, Talks Election 2008

7/15/08, 3:13 pm EST


Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello can’t help notice the similarities between himself and Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama. “Well, you know, being the half-Kenyan Harvard graduate from Illinois in his early forties, not running for president this year’s election gives me a unique perspective,” Morello tells Rolling Stone’s Austin Scaggs. “I’ve always felt more comfortable on the other side of the barbed wire fence, you know, lobbing musical Molotov cocktails at the party.”

“If America elects a black president it will be a different country than the one I’ve seen my entire life and that would be a step definitely in the right direction,” Morello added.

A member of Rage Against the Machine supporting a presidential hopeful? Has the band softened on its radical edge? ” I don’t think it has anything to do with rebelling against a President. It has to do with policy. The Democratic Congress was elected in 2006 to end the war and they rolled over like lap dogs,” Morello adds. So who does Morello think will win this election? “In the next presidential election America will get the president it deserves. If after eight years of Bush’s foreign and domestic crimes that we elect a Republican president, you know, it seems to me like you should be able to run a barnyard animal against a Republican and win in a ninety-ten split,” Morello says. “So if America elects McCain over, you know, the clearly intelligent, erudite, fair-minded Barack Obama, then either way we’ll get the President we deserve.”

[Photo: Miller/Getty]


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Comments

T-Cap | 7/15/2008, 6:42 pm EST

Brutal shot at McCain with that last quote.

Alix | 7/15/2008, 8:11 pm EST

These articles are quite biased.

Johnny Rottens Disabled Cousin | 7/15/2008, 8:19 pm EST

McCain is a dolt. Obama isn’t perfect, but he offers exponentially more opportunity for improvement in our country. Morello is a stone-thrower and an agitator and his opinion means no more than any of ours, but he does Obama no good by publicly ’supporting’ him. A lot of people will see that and say, ‘eh, Hollywood’.

sy | 7/15/2008, 8:26 pm EST

well here’s an easy similarity between the two: they’re both heavily overrated.

TroyScott | 7/15/2008, 8:52 pm EST

WOW, what a racist comment!!!

joj | 7/15/2008, 9:38 pm EST

Go Morello!

pflo | 7/15/2008, 10:56 pm EST

Racism. I support Obama, but not because he’s HALF black.

If Morello is so political all the time he should get off his duff and enter the foray.

His ludicrous career ripping off “How Many More Times” and “Immigrant Song” guitar riffs over and over again is getting long in the tooth. And his solos make CC DeVille look like a virtuoso!

arch stanton | 7/16/2008, 1:46 am EST

Morello has it right. America deserves whoever it puts in office. If McCain wins were a joke for four more years. Then again Vedder supports the Democrats which makes me think maybe jumping over to McCain isn’t so bad. Long Live Cobain.

vince | 7/16/2008, 2:43 am EST

lol

Tom Morello’s solos make CC DeVille look like a virtuoso? Are you mad?

Kenny | 7/16/2008, 10:19 am EST

Voters are beginning to wonder how Obama so skinny can be such a big wind bag.

stupid Alix | 7/16/2008, 10:37 am EST

Biased? Really. Go watch Fox News. Or listen to Rush Limbaugh. Or tune in to The O’rielly show.

The Ugly | 7/16/2008, 10:59 am EST

I’m currently in working France this week, and there is very little TV in english. So, at night, I have been watching CNN, BBC, etc. constantly.

Throughout the interviews and clips I’ve seen, I’m noticing a consistent theme. Obama and his staff consistently base their arguments on “feelings” and agitate people based on the idea of “change”. So that begs the question: Why are there never any actual supportive numerical facts or specific references to back up their claims regarding the Iraq war, or health care, or “The Poor”?
Is it because his campaign is nothing but a marketing game? Is there any true substance behind the marketing?

Personally, I don’t care if our president is black, white, or has spots. I do care if he/she actually makes attempts at doing a good job. As an Illinois resident, I know that so far, Obama really hasn’t done anything as a Senator but market himself. Where’s the substance? I really don’t think we need a talking-head running the country.

The next time you hear Obama speak, really listen to every sentence, and after each one, ask yourself if it truly meant anything or if it just sounded really good.

One thing I’ve noticed about Bush. He can’t talk worth a damn. Everything that comes out of his mouth sounds awful. But in reality his primary job as president is as a manager, with speaking being secondary. Whether or not he’s doing the right things, I don’t truly know, this country is in a tough spot right now. …but I do know it would be A LOT worse with someone who can talk but not manage.

Antony | 7/16/2008, 11:40 am EST

A class rank of 894 of 899 from the US Naval Academy does not qualify you to become president. Neither does getting shot down as a passenger in an airplane. McCain has served our country honorably and it’s unfortunate that he was a POW, but this does not make him the better candidate for president. Our country deserves the most qualified candidate possible. Clearly Obama is the most qualified between the two remaining choices that we have, and I’m a registered republican!

Antony2 | 7/16/2008, 11:51 am EST

Excuse me NY Times says, “… he [McCain] finished 790th out of 795 and is best known for antagonizing his superiors.”

H. Bomb | 7/16/2008, 2:33 pm EST

I’m not sure how ANYTHING Morello said here is racist.

He just said “If America elects a black president it will be a different country than the one I’ve seen my entire life and that would be a step definitely in the right direction,” which is absolutely TRUE!

The sociological impact of electing a black president would be immeasurable, since kids of the most forsaken and loathed segments of society could now say “I wanna be president!” and it would actually be a realistic aspiration! So, even if you vote for Obama just because he’s (half) black, I really don’t see anything wrong with that. It’ll simply be one small reversal in this country’s long history of white plutocracy.

JP | 7/16/2008, 3:24 pm EST

I’ve got to say, The Ugly, you’ve spent alot of time focused on Obama and absolutely no time focused on the past 7 years. If you haven’t figured out what a complete incompetent George W. Bush is, then do everybody a favor and stay in France and don’t vote.

The republicans’ creditability is so shot that Tom Morello is absolutely right on with his barnyard animal zinger. I am also concerned about Obama’s style over substance. He is, after all, just a politician with presidential ambitious. Which makes anyone suspect, republican or democrat.

Scrivano | 8/3/2008, 2:09 pm EST

I am not a republican or demorcrat yet. I have not decided as this will be my first time voting. and I have realy wanted to see both sides and fill myself with as much info as possible befor I
decide. I have to say I don’t see a lot of substance with his talks . I don’t feel a lot and personaly it looks like marketing. Its gotta be easy to market the democrats right now for sure. And there for its a perfect time for a
Black president that speaks about change to appeal to the public that do not educate themselfs. People that “vote for him because he’s black is good enough”. Most people don’t look into it and listen to what he has to say and think he’ll be a good president. Because. I don’t hear much when he talks except selling to the public. As if the democratic party needed a good speaker to get their needs and wants done and not a real thinker. I don’t believe even after this election I will know if I am democrat or republican as obama is not giving me a good idea of what to think. I do know is to realy realy think about what is realy going on and what politicians are saying or lack theRe of. Don’t vote just because vote if you realy know. I will still keep an open mind untill it becomes time, but realy I’m just not feelin obama. Rage against the machine even told the crowd at lalapoluza in chicago last night to question obama and the democratic party. Anyway sorry for any gramar or spelling as I had to type this from my phone.

Rick | 9/23/2008, 12:04 am EST

Really the reason why we here non of Obama’s substance is it’s never shown to us. Many call him the media’s favorite candidate which I disagree with because in the primaries all they did was knock him and promote Hillary. Now, they won’t promote McCain but, the won’t give details on Obama. And Tom is defiantly not overrated.

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