Anyone who actually expects fabulous prizes for voting needs to re-examine their priorities. Participation is its own reward, and excuse me for being overly earnest in the final days of Decision '08, but those who take the “what's in it for me?” attitude rather than exercising civic duty eventually wake up with the government they richly deserve. Enjoy, suckers.
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But despite all that, Wilco still decided to sweeten the pot. Fans of the Chicago alt-rock titans who go online to wilcoworld.net and make a simple, solemn promise to vote on or before this Tuesday receive a free and frankly magnificent download of Wilco and Fleet Foxes' cover of Bob Dylan's “I Shall Be Released.” All they have to do is check a box saying “I pledge to vote in the 2008 election,” and the download link from “Wilco HQ” will be in their inboxes.
Wilco is from Chicago, and the band makes no pretense of whom it supports in the general election, but Jeff Tweedy and company's carrot on a stick does not carry with it any imperatives for voting in one direction or the other. They will give “I Shall Be Released” to anyone who will show up and perform their due diligence on Tuesday.
But Wilco is not the only rocking entity offering musical incentives. Rock the Vote pioneered the idea of using popular musicians as nonpartisan vote motivators in 1990. By 1992, the nonprofit organization was running public service announcements featuring R.E.M., Queen Latifah, Eddie Vedder and others extolling the virtues of voting and political involvement. This year, Rock the Vote is in the free download business, as well.
At Rockthevote.com, fans of Menomena, Sara Bareilles, Maroon 5, Phantom Planet and the Duke Spirit, among others, can get free downloads for making a pledge to vote. According to the group's Web site, more than 2.5 million people have promised to pull a lever, fill in an arrow or check a box Tuesday.
But while it's nice to spike your digital playlists with free stuff, it's not nice to cynically troll for this gratis music and then stay home and snooze or watch TV judge shows when a perfectly good polling place is just down the street.
And if your boss gives you grief about leaving early to cast a vote, just quote Dylan: “I shall be released.”
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