Bob Weir, founding member of the Grateful Dead, has voiced his support for Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential race, alongside Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her running mate.
“Well, OK, I guess it all depends on your worldview,” Weir wrote in his post endorsing Harris. “You can see your place in the world as something to defend from those who might want to take some or all of it from you—or you can see it as a grand adventure, a place to make dreams come to fruition for yourself and for others.”
He continued, “There is, of course, an in-between place—but the more you lean toward the grand adventure side, the clearer the choice becomes. More good comes from focusing on building a world where disparities aren’t so pronounced that they cause friction and reducing the inequalities that create barriers.
“With these things in mind, I’ve done my research and come to the clear conclusion that I’ll be voting for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz this time around.”
Weir’s endorsement of the Democratic candidate aligns with a newer chapter of political engagement for members the Dead, which has evolved in the years since Jerry Garcia‘s passing in 1995. While the band largely avoided direct political endorsements and party affiliations during their time with Garcia after the 1960s, and fans have debated whether the group was intentionally apolitical, post-Jerry iterations of the Dead have become more involved in progressive causes and campaigns in recent years.
In 2008, “The Dead”—featuring core members Weir, Phil Lesh, Mickey Hart, and Bill Kreutzmann, joined by guitarist Warren Haynes and keyboardist Jeff Chimenti—held a “Deadheads for Obama” benefit and later performed at Barack Obama’s inaugural ball. More recently, Dead & Company raised millions of dollars in partnership with Headcount, a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting voter registration and civic participation, and the band took a clear stance in favor of women’s right to choose after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022 (which is referenced in Weir’s post by his wife Natasha’s “Roe Roe Roe your vote” shirt).
Mickey Hart also expressed support for Kamala in a post that began, “In dictatorships there are no rules of fair play, no freedoms of any kind. This rhythm is not the rhythm of a people but of one person.”
He continued:
Liberty and freedom are rare in this world. America is our country where freedom is in jeopardy. Don’t take it for granted…it is worth fighting for. We need leaders like Kamala Harris to raise us up and to save our freedoms and liberty, the singular and most important value of America. Kamala has a vision, that vision is based on individual rights, to pray in peace, to have control over your own health, to protect our land and oceans.. everything.
Most of the world is now in chaos because they do not believe in the rules, the rhythms in life that work, and the others that do not. You have only one vote to make your mark. This is one of the most important decisions you’ll ever make.. The alternative is really not an alternative after all…this is no joke folks. Your fate, your world is on the line. @kamalaharris is the only choice VOTE!!!
Fans of the Dead, like the band’s members, have historically leaned toward the progressive end of the political spectrum, as evidenced by the Deadheads for Kamala rally that took place immediately after Harris was officially announced as the Democratic candidate. However, Deadheads are a diverse population with a wide variety of views and affiliations.
Regardless of how fans mark their ballots, the Dead have emphasized the importance of standing up for what you believe in and actively participating in the democratic process. Weir’s endorsement underscores this point, encouraging fans to follow his lead and make their voices heard at the polls this election.
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