American Rock Star for US Senate?

He’s a cowboy, an American Badass, rock star, and could add the title U.S. Senator to his list of accomplishments if Kid Rock has his way. Yes, that’s right, Kid Rock has officially announced he is running for U. S. Senate in Michigan. He won’t apologize for the confederate flag on his car, his politics, or support for his President Donald J. Trump – and with that attitude, he may be just the person to take incumbent Senator Debbie Stabenow down. He’s rugged, has a redneck flair about him, and is new to the political process, but so was President Trump – and that’s why Senator Stabenow shouldn’t take Kid Rock lightly. He has millions of fans, and because he has been loyal to his home state of Michigan, you can bet he already has a built in base of potential voters. So what do we know about Kid Rock, whose real name is Robert Ritchie?

We know his loyalty is to Michigan and Michigan jobs. His beer brand, American Badass, is made in Detroit, Michigan. He bought Made In Detroit clothing line out of bankruptcy and as he stated in a fiery letter to the Detroit Free Press in response to a reported hatchet job in an article about his company, “The goal of MID is to re-instill a sense of Detroit pride, give back to the community, try to create jobs in our home state and maybe one day build our own facility somewhere close to the riverfront in Detroit.” He explains that he also has never taken a salary for it, has helped local merchants with this line, donated to local charities, and set up a scholarship fund for Wayne State University through this company. Let’s also not forget about him showing up to a fan with down syndrome 30th Birthday party, or how he makes surprise visits to places like Flint’s automotive assembly plants and hangs out with the workers. Clearly, this is a man of the people. According to NBC news, in 2011, he gave $50k to local Detroit schools at a function with the NAACP. Okay, so he’s charitable but does that qualify him to oust Sen. Stabenow in an election? Through the Trump phenomenon, we have seen a tidal wave of support by the average American sick and tired of polished PC politicians – and let’s face it – if there ever were a poster child for non-politically correct, it’d be Kid Rock. He is a self-made businessman who is not only successful in his enterprises, but he uses his wealth and stardom to give back to Michigan. Unless she isn’t great at PR, I haven’t seen Stabenow personally using her own money or business acumen to create jobs or give back to the community. Sure, she might believe in using other people’s money, but after a quick search on Google, there was nothing readily available where she has discussed or shown how much she has personally given out of her own pocket. But, people should be given the benefit of the doubt, so perhaps Senator Stabenow would like to highlight her tax returns, you know, like she has requested of President Trump. Right now, we don’t know a lot about Kid Rock’s politics other than by what he has publicly discussed such as being fiscally conservative, his hardcore support for the military, and the Second Amendment. He also visited President Trump in the White House with Sarah Palin and Ted Nugent, and took a picture with them in front of a portrait of Hillary Clinton. He has lightly touched on social issues with The Guardian where he stated, “I am definitely a Republican on fiscal issues and the military, but I lean to the middle on social issues. I am no fan of abortion, but it’s not up to a man to tell a woman what to do. As an ordained minister I don’t look forward to marrying gay people, but I’m not opposed to it.” However, if you click on his website, kidrockforsenate.com, there is nothing there other than signing up for a newsletter. No stances on issues, platform etc. We have a lot yet to see of him in this new arena and there is also a primary he will have to win to even square off against the Senator Stabenow, who has held her seat since 2000. Right now there are several contenders being thrown around as potential primary opposition such as Congressman Fred Upton, Former Supreme Court Chief Justice Bob Young, and former Senate Majority Leader Randy Richardville. National Republican Committee Chair Ronna Romney McDaniel has also promised aggressive battles to increase Republican wins. Will they embrace Kid Rock as a potential contender or push for someone who has more political experience? Nobody knows for sure yet, but if I were Senator Stabenow, I wouldn’t laugh him off like her party did President Trump, or she might find herself in the private sector come next election. Jamie A. Hope is an author, screenwriter, national contributor, teacher, mother, wife. and former Ensign for the United States Naval Sea Cadet Corps. She is the former chief of staff for Representative John Stahl (R-North Branch) who served as the Chair of the Family and Children Services Committee for the Michigan Legislature. She also served on former Congressman Peter Hoeskstra's Values Coalition Board when he ran for Governor of Michigan in 2010.