MegadethGate: "I want Santorum as president, but that's not an endorsement"

[Bruce Wayne]

I don't think it's that big a deal, but I just think it's awesome that a news story has come along that I get to refer to as "MegadethGate." One mustn't pass by such opportunities in life:

Anyway, Megadeth frontman Dave Mustaine has clarified that his saying that he hopes that Rick Santorum becomes president is not an endorsement of voting for Rick Santorum to become president. So it's not just Republicans, but also heavy death metal rock stars who get to pick their own version of reality. If you think about it, it's kind of a natural synthesis.

TPM2012
[font size="4"] MustaineGate: Megadeth Frontman Says He Didn’t Endorse Rick Santorum [/font]


News broke Wednesday that Megadeth frontman Dave Mustaine had endorsed Rick Santorum in the Republican presidential race. In an interview with Music Radar, Mustaine explained his thinking on the matter, and for context, here’s the full quote for context as reported by the website:

[font face="times new roman" size="3"]Earlier in the election, I was completely oblivious as to who Rick Santorum was, but when the dude went home to be with his daughter when she was sick, that was very commendable. Also, just watching how he hasn’t gotten into doing these horrible, horrible attack ads like Mitt Romney’s done against Newt Gingrich, and then the volume at which Newt has gone back at Romney… You know, I think Santorum has some presidential qualities, and I’m hoping that if it does come down to it, we’ll see a Republican in the White House… and that it’s Rick Santorum.[/font]

But the union is not official…not yet anyway. Mustaine sent out a press release later on Wednesday after his thoughts on the campaign broke, and the venerable metal guitarist backed away from his statement. From Billboard:

[font face="times new roman" size="3"]Contrary to how some people have interpreted my words, I have not endorsed any presidential candidate,” the rocker said in a release after earlier reports had him backing Republican Rick Santorum on Wednesday. “What I did say was that I hope to see a Republican in the White House. I’ve seen good qualities in all the candidates but by no means have made my choice yet. I respect the fact that Santorum took time off from his campaign to be with his sick daughter, but I never used the word ‘endorse.’[/font]

Well, I'm glad he cleared that up. Hey, kids: don't do drugs.

[MrSlayer]

1. Actually his problem is that he got off of drugs.

First four Megadeth albums kill, pure thrash while on drugs. Off drugs Dave brought us the sellout, born again Christianity and the inevitable right wing political turn. He covered the Democratic convention in 1992 for MTV and was a Democrat.

[Bruce Wayne]

2. Y'know, I kind of assume he was a crappy noise machine even when a Democrat.

[muntrv]

3. Good point. I was about to comment that Dave's been taking speedballs again.

[pstokely]

11. He switched from one drug to another, Jesus

nt

[Warren DeMontague]

20. In my experience, ex-cokeheads make for the WORST, most intolerant fundies*

not sure why; maybe it's chemical.

*this is not to say that everyone who kicks/is in recovery from that substance goes that way- but the ones who do, seem to really go off the deep end.

[FarLeftFist]

4. Talk to me when you learn how to spell 'death'.

[Phlem]

6. It's just the way they spell it.

The OP wasn't spelling it incorrectly.

-p

[Bruce Wayne]

9. Thanks. There's no reason to be megacriticle of each other.

It's megarood.

[Phlem]

12. No Megaproblem.

-p

[11 Bravo]

17. I love the smell of uninformed A-hole snark in the afternoon. It smells like FAIL.

[Initech]

5. I love metal but there's no denying Mustaine is a huge douche.

[savalez]

15. Metallica certainly thought so.

[Phlem]

7. Stick a fork in him

like said in another op. Dave's done.
No more money from me to you Dave.


-p

[flying rabbit]

8. Are you sure you want to say that Dave?

HAL

[Alexander]

10. A true Republican - Dave can't even take responsibility for his own words.

"You know, I think Santorum has some presidential qualities, and I’m hoping that if it does come down to it, we’ll see a Republican in the White House… and that it’s Rick Santorum."

That's an endorsement, no matter how you slice it. And then he later says

"Contrary to how some people have interpreted my words, I have not endorsed any presidential candidate,"

Reminds me of the Republican politicians who say something offensive or bigoted, and then offer the fake non-apology "I'm sorry if you were offended".

Songs like "Peace Sells", "Hangar 18", "Rust In Peace...Polaris", "Countdown To Extinction" and "Foreclosure Of A Dream" were all definitely written by a liberal Democrat, which Mustaine was back in the day.

It's fitting to see the decline in his political views accompanied by a decline in the quality of Megadeth's albums.

[LoveMeLoveYou]

13. Yeah actually it is endorsement...

I like Megadeth, but I don't agree with some of Mustaine's politics.

[joshcryer]

14. And which politics of Mustaine's do you agree with?

[Bruce Wayne]

16. Doubleplusgood, Citizen Josh. We must police that Wrongthought.

I appreciate your efforts at chastizing fellow DUers for sentence structures that leave any room for being interpreted as insufficient scorn for all things Republican.

[joshcryer]

19. That poster is no longer with us.

I do not consider infiltrators "fellow DUers."

[Hugabear]

18. In other words: "Please metal fans, buy my music and don't desert me"

Pathetic.

[Warren DeMontague]

21. add another suck-ass 'musician' to the right wing column

in this corner, we have Bruce Springsteen, U2, Michael Stipe, Phil Lesh, etc...

in that corner, we've got the 'Nuge, Toby Keith, and the Megadeth guy.