Meat Loaf endorses Mitt Romney at boisterous Ohio rally



Meat Loaf endorses Mitt Romney

Meat Loaf watches as Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney speaks during a campaign rally on Thursday in Defiance, Ohio. (Justin Sullivan / Getty Images / October 26, 2012)
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By Maeve Reston

October 26, 2012, 5:25 a.m.

DEFIANCE, Ohio — Thursday was a night that Mitt Romney will most certainly never forget.

There was the huge and buoyant crowd that filled the football stadium here beneath a giant American flag; the foot-stomping concert by Big & Rich and Alabama’s Randy Owens; and a fireworks display.
But it was Meat Loaf’s wild and meandering endorsement of the Republican candidate that stole the show.

Romney’s raucous rally capped his 310-mile bus tour that began in Cincinnati on Thursday morning. Appearing on stage after John Rich (of Big & Rich) and before Owens, Meat Loaf told the crowd he had never been involved in politics before adding — apropos of nothing — that he was 65 and “Paul Ryan has not pushed me off the cliff in a wheelchair.” (That appeared to be a reference to a “super PAC” ad earlier this year that took issue with Ryan’s budget plan for Medicare.)

Meat Loaf quickly moved on from Ryan, saying that he had decided to endorse Romney, in part, because he was concerned that President Obama does not share Romney’s view that Russia is the No. 1 geopolitical foe of the U.S. (Obama made fun of that statement in the most recent debate, joking that the 1980s “want their foreign policy back,” and telling Romney that the Cold War was over.)

“This is the most important election in the history of the United States, because there has storm clouds come over the United States. There is thunderstorms over Europe,” Meat Loaf said, misspeaking at several points. “There are hailstorms, and I mean major hailstorms, in the Middle East. There are storms brewing through China, through Asia, through everywhere, and there's only one man that”  — he broke off abruptly. “The other night when President Barack Obama, God bless him, said to Mitt Romney, 'The Cold War is over.' I have never heard such a thing in my life.”

“There is one man who will stand tall in this country and fight the storm and bring the United States back to what it should be — Gov. Mitt Romney!” he said.

After another few songs, Meat Loaf praised Romney’s “backbone.” In an apparent effort to urge others to volunteer, he said he had called three friends in California — where Obama has a double-digit margin — and convinced them to vote for the former Massachusetts governor.

“I have been arguing for Mitt Romney for a year,” said the singer, who wore a black shirt with red, white and blue sequin flowers on the sleeves (and, earlier, a red cape that he tied around his microphone).

“You get out there and you argue with your relatives, you argue with your neighbors, you get in fights over politics and religion, 'cause we need Ohio! God bless ya. We love ya. Thank you. Keep rockin', and Mitt Romney!"

Whatever Romney’s thoughts about his unusual  endorsement, he kept them to himself, telling the crowd he was thrilled with his musical guests.

“I have to tell you, I don’t recall having so much fun in such a long time as to be able to listen to these guys this evening,” he said after taking the stage.

But he did sound a touch puzzled by Meat Loaf’s presence.

“Was it not just amazing to have Big & Rich performing, and then Meat Loaf? I mean Meat Loaf was here, can you believe it?” he asked.

“Look these guys have other things to do, you know — they have lives,” the candidate continued. “They can go to a concert where they’re getting paid, but they decided instead, because this election counts so much, to come here, and I want to thank them for their generosity and support.”

maeve.reston@latimes.com