Pitchfork

With the general election less than seven months away (crazy, right?), Senator Barack Obama has quite a long road ahead of him.

Not only must he triumph over Democratic nomination challenger and fellow Senator Hillary Clinton, but he'll also-- should he prove the victor-- need to recover from that contest on a dime in order to mount up a formidable challenge against the presumed Republican presidential candidate, Senator John McCain.

So who better to ride in on a white horse and boost the spirits of a man who seeks to be boss of this country than Thee Boss of your rock'n'roll life, Mr. Bruce Springsteen?

Bruce recently took to his website to post a thoughtful missive voicing his support of Senator Obama. As the preeminent entertainer writes, "Senator Obama, in my view, is head and shoulders above the rest.

"He has the depth, the reflectiveness, and the resilience to be our next President. He speaks to the America I've envisioned in my music for the past 35 years, a generous nation with a citizenry willing to tackle nuanced and complex problems, a country that's interested in its collective destiny and in the potential of its gathered spirit. A place where '...nobody crowds you, and nobody goes it alone.'"

Check out Mr. Springsteen's message in full below. As he concludes, "Over here on E Street, we're proud to support Obama for President."

Ooh, maybe this means Bruce will link up with his old pals the Arcade Fire for another rip-roaring rally?

And with all the national media focus on the heated Obama/Clinton contest, it's easy to forget this country is full of other upstanding folk on all levels of government who will be vying for somebody's vote on Tuesday, November 4.

Among those is Oregon's U.S. Senate hopeful Steve Novick, who, like Obama, faces a tight race within his own party on his quest to go up against-- and prevail over-- incumbent Republican Senator Gordon Smith.

Also like Obama, Novick seems to have struck a chord with the indie rock elite. A bunch of big names from Oregon and elsewhere recently stepped up to show Steve some love. Among them: R.E.M.'s Michael Stipe, Decemberists frontman Colin Meloy, Spoon principle Britt Daniel, producer and Death Cabbie Chris Walla, Sleater-Kinney's Corin Tucker, Rufus Wainwright, ex-Nirvana bassist/Flipper member/political blogger Krist Novoselic, Pearl Jam's Stone Gossard, and more.

As Meloy said in a press release, "I think we need a new kind of progressive leader in the U.S. Senate who isn't afraid to take on the tough issues. Meeting with Steve, I was quite impressed with his command of the challenges we face and his candor about what it will take to turn this country around. I'm proud to give him my support."

Meloy also made clear his intent to re-register to vote as a Democrat, adding, "I encourage everyone to get involved the elections happening across the country, regardless of who you support. The issues are too important, the stakes are too high, to leave it to someone else to decide for you."

Well put, Mr. Meloy! And on that note, and without deigning to too much handwringing, you really ought to do the voting thing. Go find November 4 on your calendar and circle it, highlight it, underline it, deck it out with Hello Kitty stickers-- whatever it takes!

Of course, before you do the voting thing, make sure to do the registering thing. Plenty of info about that can be found right here.

A message from Bruce Springsteen:

Dear Friends and Fans:

Like most of you, I've been following the campaign and I have now seen and heard enough to know where I stand. Senator Obama, in my view, is head and shoulders above the rest.

He has the depth, the reflectiveness, and the resilience to be our next President. He speaks to the America I've envisioned in my music for the past 35 years, a generous nation with a citizenry willing to tackle nuanced and complex problems, a country that's interested in its collective destiny and in the potential of its gathered spirit. A place where "...nobody crowds you, and nobody goes it alone."

At the moment, critics have tried to diminish Senator Obama through the exaggeration of certain of his comments and relationships. While these matters are worthy of some discussion, they have been ripped out of the context and fabric of the man's life and vision, so well described in his excellent book, Dreams From My Father, often in order to distract us from discussing the real issues: war and peace, the fight for economic and racial justice, reaffirming our Constitution, and the protection and enhancement of our environment.

After the terrible damage done over the past eight years, a great American reclamation project needs to be undertaken. I believe that Senator Obama is the best candidate to lead that project and to lead us into the 21st Century with a renewed sense of moral purpose and of ourselves as Americans.

Over here on E Street, we're proud to support Obama for President.

[signature of Bruce Springsteen]