When Ronald Reagan ran for reelection in 1984, the Gipper hoped to buttress his muscular agenda through the use of Bruce Springsteen’s newly released hit, “Born in the USA.” Springsteen, who went on to endorse both John Kerry and Barack Obama in 2004 and 2008, thought his anti-war anthem was being misused. He told Kurt Loder
of Rolling Stone on Dec. 6, 1984, the following:
“I think there’s a large group of people in this country whose dreams don’t mean that much to [Ronald Reagan], that just get indiscriminately swept aside. I guess my view of America is of a real bighearted country, real compassionate.”
