Rock the Vote
Rock the Vote is a
non-profit political advocacy organization founded in
Los Angeles in
1990 by Jeff Ayeroff, co-chief of
Virgin Records. The group states that it is a
non-partisan organization; however, this is highly disputed. According to the group, it was founded as "a response to a wave of attacks on
freedom of speech and artistic expression". It was once affiliated with
MTV.
The goal of Rock the Vote's media campaigns and
street team activities is to increase youth
voter turnout and encourage positive social change. Rock the Vote coordinates voter registration drives, get-out-the-vote events, and voter education efforts, all with the intention of ensuring that young people take advantage of their
right to vote.
The
Canadian Rock the Vote organization founded in
Toronto in
1979 by Zeke Zavier
CEO of Rock Nation in Canada. That organization was involved and supported the Live8 campaign and petitioned the government to Make Poverty History. During the recent federal elections Rock the Vote conducted youth opinion and voting polls. One of the most famous events, according to
Zeke Zavier, one of the founders of Rock the Vote, is the introduction of world's first youth "
Beer Polls".
Famously, in a
1994 Rock the Vote event that was aired on
MTV, 17-year-old
Laetitia Thompson, daughter of NBC Reporter Lea Thompson, asked
President Bill Clinton, "Boxers or briefs?" After a brief moment of surprise, Clinton responded, "Usually briefs." This question is often attributed incorrectly to
Tabitha Soren, but Soren only suggested it to the audience, after
Jonathan Alter told of hearing it asked of
Hunter S. Thompson.
During the
2004 presidential election the group drew criticism from Republicans for sending a mock
draft notice to over 600,000 e-mail addresses. The message included the words "
Selective Service System" and read "You are hereby ordered for induction into the Armed Forces of the United States, and to report to a polling place near you" on
November 2 (
Election Day). The Rock the Vote logo and a facsimile of
Secretary Donald Rumsfeld's signature appeared at the bottom of the message.
In addition, Rock the Vote created two
public service announcements focused on the issue of the draft and a third celebrity-packed PSA that referred to the draft as one of many issues young voters might be concerned about. At least one of the draft-themed PSAs ran on MTV for 10 consecutive days in September of
2004. Rock the Vote also has devoted a significant amount of content to the issue on its
Web site. Many people believe that the entire effort was to suggest that the draft might be reinstated if President
George W. Bush was re-elected.
In a letter to Rock the Vote president
Jehmu Greene (who served on the Credentials Committee for the
2004 Democratic National Convention),
Republican National Committee chairman
Ed Gillespie accused Rock the Vote of "promoting a false and misleading campaign designed to scare America's youth into believing that they may be drafted to serve in the military." Gillespie's also asserted that the "urban myth regarding a draft" had been "thoroughly debunked" by President Bush,
Vice President Dick Cheney and Rumsfeld, Gillespie wrote: "This is the sort of malicious political deception that is likely to increase voter cynicism and in fact decrease the youth vote, as well as raising serious legal issues regarding the political motivations of your efforts."
According to the LA Times, Rock the Vote is currently experiencing major problems. It is $700,000 in debt, and is down to two employees from 20 as of 2004. Its president resigned in summer of 2005 "amid disagreements about the organization's direction", and has not yet been replaced.
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Rock the Vote*
Rock the Vote Canada
