Bruce Springsteen vs. Ronald Reagan
Michael Dwyer/AP Photo
Conservative columnist George Will saw Springsteen play in Washington, D.C. and wrote about the show, praising Springsteen: "He is no whiner, and the recitation of closed factories and other problems always seems punctuated by a grand, cheerful affirmation: "Born in the U.S.A.!" Will admitted in the column, he had not "a clue about Springsteen's politics, if any." But that didn't stop Reagan from referencing Springsteen in a speech. Inspired by Will the campaign allegedly hoped Springsteen would endorse the president. However, Springsteen is an avid liberal, and the song's message was much more cynical than Will had interpreted, making Reagan's allusion to all the more ironic.
