Russell Simmons Riding for Obama... and Blazing Palin
The Obama campaign is pulling out all the stops in Ohio. According to a campaign email sent earlier today and signed by Michelle Obama:
"Ohio voters have until this Monday, October 6th, to register and vote early... all in one step. This is an extraordinary opportunity to get the votes we need to win Ohio. And since Ohio is a key battleground state -- and played a pivotal role in the last presidential contest -- winning in Ohio could help us secure a national victory. Republican officials in Ohio didn't want voters to have this opportunity. In fact, they challenged One-Stop Early Vote in court. They tried to prevent new people from entering the political process. But we fought back, and we won."
As part of Obama's get-out-the-vote team, Hip Hop Summit Action Network founder Russell Simmons has spent today, which happens to be his birthday, touring Ohio. Just after leaving an Obama event with LeBron James in Cleveland, Russell spoke to VIBE Editor At Large Rob Kenner:
What's up? I heard you just did an event with LeBron James.
Yeah, well I'm doing a bunch of events today. I was in Dayton, now I'm here in Cleveland. So I'm spending the day. It's my birthday too. It was a good day. A lot of media. Just adding more fuel to the fire. We gotta build the momentum like we got an album coming. From now till the closing we gotta treat it like a new album. In a month we can teach everybody everything they need to know, right?
Do you think the hip hop nation is really gonna turn out on election day?
It's gonna be the biggest youth vote in the history of the country.
You really think this is the year, huh?
Yeah. It's definitely gonna be the biggest vote in history. The only question is how big is the biggest?
What made you decide to come out today? I know it wasn't just because of your birthday.
That's the last reason to come out. No I came out because I was invited out. The campaign is working and they want people to come out and work. I was excited that they asked me to come. So I did what I gotta do. I would never pass up the opportunity. I've done a lot of this work during the primary, and I'm happy to do it now.
When did you decide that Obama was your man? Cause I read in VIBE where Jay-Z was talking about your process of choosing Obama as your candidate.
Well I didn't know him as well. Obviously I worked on poverty issues, on the drug laws, on education issues and budgets with Senator Clinton. So I had a long history with her. It was difficult to shift after all these years. I helped get her elected the first time she got elected. And I saw the work that she did and it was very good.
And I didn't [endorse Obama] because of race. I had to think that he was capable and that he was the better candidate. That's why I came to that decision. Not for race, but... You know I'm a progressive thinker. I mean there was a time I thought Dennis Kucinich was the best candidate. You know I think our foreign policy, the lack of compassion for people in poverty here in this country, the lack of concern about the environment. A lot of things. There's a combination of issues that Senator Obama is the leader on. So that's why I'm aggressively working for him.
I think it's a spiritual election. It's a spiritual battle for the White House. Fear and anger and a violent attitude in our country and in our foreign policy for sure. We've made lots of really bad choices. Like going to war. I remember I was protesting the war on Good Morning America the day that our troops were going to war. And I had friends yelling at me, why would I do that? Cause I thought it was important. I'm a patriot. I've got an opinion. And I remember at that time I saw that Obama was also opposing the war. Cause I didn't know many people--even my liberal friends, the peacemakers, were saying that we had to do it. And the fact that he opposed the war means a lot to me.
That was a lonely stand to take at the time.
That's right.
Are you seeing anything out there in Ohio that makes you think, Okay, we might pull this off?
Oh yeah I've seen a lot of enthusiasm. I feel it today. Coming out always gives you some indication of how people are feeling. I think people are really getting energized right now. I think we're getting ready to gas everybody up and go to the polls and make this the biggest... I would be shocked if it wasn't the biggest turnout in the history of this country, the biggest youth vote. How big? I'm starting to feel it's going to be massive. I mean beyond anything anybody could ever expect. That will give him the mandate to lead that he deserves. He can lead the Democrats better and he can really in the first 100 days make a dramatic impact. I'm excited about it.
Did you watch the vice presidential debate the other night? What was your take on that?
I don't know, I think that people saw what they wanted to see. But I don't think any independents were swayed by Sarah Palin's performance. The fact that she can speak English and not get herself in trouble is not enough to make her the president of the United States. Especially as old as McCain is, it's a threat. We should feel threatened. Her lack of knowledge was clear. Couldn't answer half the questions, or a good number of the questions. Then she had the nerve to actually tell the moderator, "Just cause I don't answer the questions you asked me doesn't mean I'm not gonna talk to the American people." Well she was there to answer questions. And they didn't really pinpoint her on that. She actually said, I'm not gonna answer your questions. And I said what? And again people saw what they wanted to see. But a debate is to hear what people's opinions are. She didn't know her opinions.
Do you think hip hop has helped Obama or hurt him?
Hip hop's going to work. This is the most critical thing. We've got young people.
The biggest brand-building community in this country is hip hop. And if we don't get them... Right now Puffy's working. Jay's working. Bow Wow's marching. You know, Rock The Vote and The Hip Hop Summit and all the people are working on this. It's critical. I mean, Bill Clinton got elected with MTV. Do you think that we're gonna try to elect Senator Obama without MTV? For what? This is very very important.
I know Jay is doing concerts to register voters. What is Puffy up to?
He has a whole street campaign that he's organized. A whole campaign in the street with all the street teams. He's doing a lot of stuff. You should call him.
We sent him the cover as soon as it came out, so I hope he's got enough copies.
Who's on the cover? He's on the cover?
Yeah, Obama's on the November cover. He did a letter to the leaders of VIBE where he said "I can't do it alone, I need you."
That's great. His inspiration alone is a lot. All these celebrities just showing up is a lot.
Like Fab 5 Freddy said in the November issue, we need all those people who bought a Lil' Wayne album, times ten, to register and vote.
It's gonna happen. It's gonna happen.
Interview by Rob Kenner
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