Male Rock Fans Likely To Vote Republican
LOS ANGELES - If you are male and a Led Zeppelin fan, chances are you may be leaning toward voting Republican in the U.S. presidential election, according to a survey of rock radio fans released on Wednesday.
The Jacobs Media’s Media/Technology Web Poll IV of more than 27,000 respondents cited stronger than expected interest in the November 2008 election among fans of rock, classic rock, and alternative radio stations.
It also found that John McCain, the Republican candidate for U.S. president, was the top pick for the Oval Office for men and classic rock partisans — those people who tune in to stations playing music from the “original classic rock era” of 1964 to 1975, comprised of bands like Led Zeppelin, The Who and Pink Floyd.
Jacobs Media said the survey, conducted among 69 U.S. rock-formatted stations in markets as diverse as Los Angeles and Knoxville to Buffalo, found 84 percent of the respondents planned to vote in the November election.
“People are clearly engaged by this election, even rockers. A lot of stations tend to shy away from politics because it’s so polarizing, but this data suggests they’d better find a way to talk about politics this fall to keep listeners interested,” said Fred Jacobs, president of Jacobs Media. He said the company threw the political questions in as an afterthought and was surprised by the results.
The survey was conducted in late February and early March.
About 30 percent of the respondents called themselves Democrats, while nearly 22 percent described their politics as Republican and 21 percent declared they were independents.
About 26 percent of the respondents either named a different party, preferred not to answer, or refused to categorize themselves.
The survey found women and fans of alternative radio, featuring ’80s and ’90s rock, tend to be Democratic, while men and classic rockers lean Republican.
Asked about their overall presidential preference, Democrat Barack Obama led the pack with 26 percent support among those planning on voting in the November election.
McCain ranked second with 22 percent and Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton drew 18 percent.
There were also a fair share of write-in votes. Mickey Mouse ranked as the top presidential choice of 11 respondents, and singer Ted Nugent was written in by three members of the Rock sample.
(Reuters)
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In the immortal words of O.S.I Agent Brock Samson….. So uhhh, what are you trying to say little man? ……. That you don’t like Zep? ……..
Go Team Venture!
April 3rd, 2008 at 6:34 pmthis doesnt surprise me. I started listening to rock when i was about 5 years old. always had older brothers so i was lucky enough to avoid all the crappy music some people get involved with. they will be playing AC/DC and Lynard Skynard at my funeral.
April 3rd, 2008 at 6:47 pmVan Halen is my personal fav, but I do like my Zeppelin.
April 3rd, 2008 at 7:39 pmThis makes sense. It’s no coincidence that rock artists and songwriters are some of the smartest and most independent thinkers you’ll ever meet. I know, I’m one of them…we’re also modest. lol…
April 3rd, 2008 at 7:52 pmNo surprise to me. The rockers and metalheads might not fit in Christian Coalition, but we usually aren’t liberals. Well, the fans, at least. For the bands, you have to bow down to the altar of Lennon (sounds just like Lenin) if you want to get anywhere.
The guys who listen to that electronic crap (WARNING: Trance turns you into a fucking moron!) and rap/rock abominations (I’m looking at you, Fred Durst, turn your damn hat around) are usually moonbats. Don’t get me started on System of a Down. Stupid name, bad music, lyrics make no sense, and a truly atrocious singer. Serge, just once in your fucking life, try to stay on key.
I saw them, Kittie, and some local band I can’t remember the name of, must be at least five years ago, one of their early shows. SOAD and Kittie sucked. The local guys blew them away. Sadly, they weren’t a bunch of schoolgirls or hygene-challenged freaks, so the record labels took no interest in them.
I been to quite a few concerts where the opening act was much, much better than the headliners.
April 3rd, 2008 at 7:52 pm[…] E-LIS - Welcome to Eprints for LIS wrote an interesting post today onHere’s a quick excerpt […]
April 3rd, 2008 at 7:59 pmHi, My name is JimmyB and I have listened to and DJ’d trance/techno whatever you want to call it for many, many years….. I’m here on pat dollard, I vote republican and I’m not a moonbat……
Now I’m not talking about Seaside Height’s NJ Guido trance stuff, but good techno/ trance from new york like Frankie Bones, The Dever or Tiesto, Ferry Corsten, above & Beyond…. are gods. To hear a good DJ break it down is simply sublime.
I listen to literally every kind of music you can think of, and I hate when people make assumptions about who I am, because of the music I like….. I know of quite a few people who listen to this and are conservative, republican….. we listened to & partied to this when we were young and it’s carried over into adult life
April 3rd, 2008 at 8:13 pmIt’s no doubt. Most modern music is derivative crap seriously lacking in creativity. Rap/Hip Hop isn’t even worth mentioning. Soul/R&B? Give me a break, that stuff was once good when it had talent like Stevie Wonder, James Jamerson, E,W&F, Gaye, Redding. Now, it’s pure shite in just about every sense.
As far as rock… it has all been done before in the 60’s & 70’s, and it was done much better. There will never be anything from the 80’s-90’s-00’s that will even come close to *pick and artist of any genre from the 60’s & 70’s*. Beatles, Who, Zeppelin, Elton John, Yes, Rush, Genesis, Pink Floyd, Billy Joel, CCR, Queen, etc.
Seems to me that people who concern themselves with more intelligent music, and are able to rise above generational stupidity, tend to be…well, more intelligent. And thus…not Obama voters.
April 3rd, 2008 at 8:14 pmWell, I realize that the majority of Zep listeners will vote “republican” but I know my fair share of hippies that like Zep and will vote Obama no matter what.
But I’m that majority of Zep listeners that will vote “republican”
I’d also like to point out that I like Alt-Rock as well 
April 3rd, 2008 at 8:18 pmFemale
Rock listener (past and present)
Voting McCain (R)
Mickey Mouse would never get my vote …
April 3rd, 2008 at 8:25 pm
Danzig
April 3rd, 2008 at 9:01 pmThis survey tells me more about LA than music and politics. I can’t stand Led Zeppelin (anymore) but I’d definitley be comfortable were it playing at a right wing gathering. A lot of the bands everyone has listed above grated on me(lyrically usually) over time, but they each have at least one song I could never delete from an i-tunes playlist.
Mickey Mouse wouldn’t get my vote either but Modest Mouse would if their politics matched as strikingly as the lead singers resemblance to Teddy Roosevelt in their music video ‘Float On.’
April 3rd, 2008 at 10:38 pmI tried to provide a link to youtube but it didn’t seem to want to google.
Like A Rock — WOO HOO!!!!!
April 4th, 2008 at 3:01 amKind of surprising since a lot of rock stars themselves lean towards the left. Pink Floyd has some pretty powerful songs that would definitely classify as anti-war (”Us and Them,” “When the Tigers Broke Free,” the entire “The Final Cut” album). LZ’s not as political, but “No Quarter” would probably qualify too.
For the record, I’m a huge classic rock fan and I’m voting Democrat.
April 4th, 2008 at 7:58 am@Byron:
You think No Quarter is anti-war? Are we talking about the same song? Just because it’s not cheerful doesn’t mean it doesn’t recognize that some things need doing.
Close the door, put out the light.
You know they won’t be home tonight.
The snow falls hard and don’t you know?
The winds of Thor are blowing cold.
They’re wearing steel that’s bright and true
They carry news that must get through.
They choose the path where no-one goes.
They hold no quarter.
Walking side by side with death, The devil mocks their every step
The snow drives back the foot that’s slow, The dogs of doom are howling more
They carry news that must get through, To build a dream for me and you
They choose the path where no-one goes.
They hold no quarter. They ask no quarter.
April 4th, 2008 at 9:03 amThe pain, the pain without quarter.
They ask no quarter.
The dogs of doom are howling more!
OK, I was a high school Led Zeppelin fan. I guess this proves the point.
April 4th, 2008 at 12:37 pmOh, and Byron: have you even listened to what Hillary and Obama are promising: higher taxes, less job creation due to higher marginal income and capital gains taxes, huge new federal programs that need to be funded, like insurance for all, including non citizens, cabinet level position of “Poverty Czar,” is that like an official “Robin Hood,” look for where to steal money from the “rich” and give it to the “poor?” Oh, and bail out all persons who took out a bad loan with no money down, so you sucker can pay for it and pay your own loan, too, and pull out of Iraq so the bad guys can declare victory, and have cozy chats with Chavez and Akmanindidjad, so they can make all kinds of promises and pretty much do an imitation of Neville Chamberlin and Hitler. Oh, and confiscate corporates profits, so the corporations will have lots of incentives to innovate, create jobs, and make money. Oh, and reneige on trade agreements made with our staunchest North American allies, Mexico and Canada–piss off our closest neighbors. I thought they were going to improve America’s relations. Yeah, what great promises.
April 4th, 2008 at 12:43 pmByron, I’m sorry to hear that your intelligence and common sense has gone the way of Led Zeppelin. Both of which broke up a long time ago.
April 5th, 2008 at 11:19 am