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Can Lady Gaga Save Harry Reid from Sharron Angle?

2 years ago
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Suzi Parker
Suzi Parker
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Could Lady Gaga be Harry Reid's savior?
This week, Reid's Senate re-election campaign got a boost that money can't buy, thanks to Lady Gaga's Twitter love notes to him about "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" -- and her postings urging millions of fans to "CALL HARRY REID" to schedule a vote on repealing the policy that prohibits gays from serving openly in the military.

Anyone under 30 who may not have known the Nevada Democrat or his position as Senate majority leader certainly does now.
Reid is in a dead-heat with Republican and Tea Party favorite Sharron Angle. This week, a Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of likely voters in Nevada found Reid and Angle tied at 48 percent. A CNN-Time poll has similar results.
Note to Harry: You may need to call in Mama Monster and her fans -- known as Little Monsters -- for reinforcements.
Reid is a 71-year-old politician whose brightest days may be behind him. Lady Gaga is a 24-year-old tsunami who knows how to get attention and politically energize the base that belonged to President Obama in 2008. Imagine if Lady Gaga went door-to-door with Reid. What red-white-and-blue creation would she wear? The imagination reels.
Reid, who follows pop culture, has targeted young voters in the past. In July, the Las Vegas band The Killers performed at a campaign rally for Reid. His spokesman, Jim Manley, told The New York Times earlier this week that Reid absolutely knows who Lady Gaga is, even though Reid's musical tastes trend "more towards Wilco and The Killers. But the ("Don't Ask, Don't Tell") provision is facing fierce opposition from Senate Republicans next week, so he'll take support anywhere he can get it."
Angle is trying to lure Sarah Palin to officially endorse her. Palin has donated $2,500 to Angle's campaign. In October, Obama will campaign with Reid in Nevada.
But Lady Gaga is the one Reid needs before Nov. 2.
Lady Gaga, who won eight MTV Video Music Awards Sunday night, would be the perfect fit to shake up Reid's campaign. Neither Wilco nor The Killers have the rabid, obsessive following that Lady Gaga possesses. Neither band gets the press coverage that Lady Gaga does. They aren't household names.
With one tweet, Lady Gaga could activate her national base of nearly 18 million Facebook fans and 6.3 million Twitter followers to help Harry Reid save his job with grassroots activism and dollars. A Gaga television or radio ad could play very well in America's playground – Las Vegas. Reid could promote Lady Gaga's message of love and unity to counter the vicious attack ads by Angle.
At Sunday's MTV Video Music Awards, Lady Gaga showed up with four retired gay veterans from the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network as escorts. The appearance inspired Colorado college students Lauren and Ellie to make YouTube video calling on Sen. Michael Bennett (D-Colo.) to repeal "Don't Ask, Don't Tell."
On Wednesday, Bennett responded to the pair via YouTube. He supports the repeal. Click on play below to see video:

"Michael appreciates feedback from his constituents, and as a former superintendent of schools he encourages young people to engage in democracy and to make sure their voices are heard," Adam Bozzi, spokesman for Bennett, told Politics Daily.
Lady Gaga could be the Left's answer to Palin. She has taken on the hate group, Westboro Baptist Church, and the immigration brouhaha in Arizona. A rumor circulates in the LGBT community that she may show up in Washington next week for the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" vote. She speaks, and a generation listens, retweets and activates.
The Servicemembers Legal Defense Network Web site currently has a post with instructions to Lady Gaga fans about how to call their senators.
"Tell your senators to vote with Sen. Reid and Sen. Carl Levin in opposing the filibuster, defeat amendments to strike repeal, and defeat any crippling amendments," the site says. "Senators should follow the lead of Sen. Carl Levin who will be managing the defense bill."
One comment on the site said, "Thank you Lady Gaga! I called my Senators from Iraq . . . it took all of three minutes (one minute was dedicated to all the numbers I had to push on the telephone). Lets keep the pressure up!"
Harry Reid's campaign Twitter account spent Wednesday responding to Little Monsters who had replied to his "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" action. The account had also started following some of Lady Gaga's fans. One fan, HausofGem, wrote, "I want to thank Mr. @HarryReid. 1. For following me. 2. For supporting #DADT."
Reid should harness these Lady Gaga fans and lure them to his side. And quick. As Lady Gaga would say: Paws up, Harry.
Filed Under: Senate, Democrats, Republicans, Woman Up, 2010 Elections, Tea Party
Tagged: 2010 Senate Elections, 2010 Senate Races, dont ask dont tell, Harry Reid, Lady Gaga, Nevada Elections, Nevada Senate Races, Sarah Palin, Sharron Angle
More articles from Suzi Parker »

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22 Comments

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plansmaker

NOTHING CAN SAVE HARRY REID...NOTHING!!!

September 20 2010 at 2:10 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
longshotplayer

i'm in favor of repealing "DADT" but they should have their own barracks. then you could have lesbians and gays in the same quarters.

September 16 2010 at 5:42 PM Report abuse +1 rate up rate down Reply
bagsamoney

HARRY POTTER couldn't save Reid from his legacy of 14% unemployment in Nevada!!!

September 16 2010 at 4:36 PM Report abuse +11 rate up rate down Reply
CHARLES JONES

Lady Gaga has taken on the Westboro Baptist Church? Big deal taking on a No-Brainer issue like them! They should be ignored and standing in a cold lonely parking lot the next time they protest...not being egged on by people fulfilling their protest urges. Not getting more desired attention and pub courtesy of Gaga.

September 16 2010 at 4:32 PM Report abuse +1 rate up rate down Reply
sgtawol

Wow! That's all we need now; vote for someone just because an immensely popular personna endorses him/her! Forget their qualifications, voting record, or idiologies. Don't get me wrong, I am not a resident of Nevada, nor do I oppose Lady Gaga's right to express her beliefs. I just think that to support a candidate simply because she endorses him is ridiculous.

September 16 2010 at 4:30 PM Report abuse +16 rate up rate down Reply
FRED

Here is what will happen: Lady Gaga has maybe 25 fans in Nevada. This will inspire about 2 of them to go out and vote for old Harry. It will also inspire about 1,000 "normal" people to go out and vote against him. Yeah, that is going to work great!

September 16 2010 at 4:28 PM Report abuse +14 rate up rate down Reply
BUFFALO

In my world if a gaga type person is on your side I want nothing to do with you. Someone as superficial as a gaga type person whos claim to fame is singing in her underware just doesn't inspire me. Who does she bring to the table anyway? You do realize that 14 year olds can't vote??

September 16 2010 at 4:09 PM Report abuse +15 rate up rate down Reply
tnickerson08

I think Sara Palin should come back to Nevada to campaign for Sharron Angle, but this time in Vegas and fill Sam Boyd Stadium. She did more for Searchlight in one day then harry reid did for his own hometown in 50 years.

September 16 2010 at 3:59 PM Report abuse +17 rate up rate down Reply
crystallocket

GO GIRL! GO GA GA!!!

September 16 2010 at 3:54 PM Report abuse -20 rate up rate down Reply
tnickerson08

I love how the liberals call Sharron Angle "radical"; meanwhile a woman is was wearing meat as a dress, supporting harry reid and I guess you consider that "mainstream". lol

September 16 2010 at 3:49 PM Report abuse +29 rate up rate down Reply

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