Dave Grohl For Prez in Harp

Set to hit newsstands the first week of March is the latest issue of Harp, now in its seventh year of publication. For the cover story Harp has a worldwide exclusive: Dave Grohl throws his hat into the ring to run for President of the United States.

Talking candidly with Harp Editor-In-Chief Scott Crawford, the Foo Fighters frontman holds forth on what prompted him to make a White House bid as an Independent candidate. Among his wit and wisdom:

On why he's the right candidate for the job: "There's this redneck image of America that's been cultivated over the last eight years by our redneck president. America has blue states, red states and all kinds of divisions, but we need someone to bring them all together—and that person is me. Every night when I'm on tour, I bring my message to thousands and thousands of people. There's 10 thousand people that woke up this morning and felt like America is the right place to be because at our show last night they were spilling beer all over themselves and tongue kissing for two hours. What other candidate can do that?"

On what's wrong with America: "To keep cool in the summertime as a kid I turned on the hose and I drank from it. I want America to come back to that place where we're all drinking from the hose. I think that's a perfect metaphor for what's gone wrong in this country. Water is now more expensive than gasoline. How is that possible? It's because in this country, corporate domination dictates our daily lives."

On what will bring America together: "I think that what the country needs now is a good, smoky barbecue—family style, at least once a week, winter months included. It's important that people bring it back to cooking over the fire as a family unit. You know what I do when I sit around a grill with my family? I talk. We talk. It's something about that hickory smoke that brings my family together—and friends. And that's where I really get to share and learn with my family and fellow Americans. It's around that grill. It's two beers, it's three beers, it's four beers, it's 10 beers. This is what America needs—beer, and barbecue. It's the red, white and barbecue."

On George W. Bush's eight-year reign: "I can't think of one president that's been more detrimental to this country than George Bush. He's not only set us back 50 years, I think he set us back 10,000 years. Morally this country has become prehistoric. I want us to be morally futuristic. I want to be so forward focused that we redefine American morals: family, music, barbecues."

On the immigration issue: "Let me make a musical analogy: I look at America as if it were Wembley stadium — it's only so big but you can fit a lot of people in it. As president of the United States of America, I promise to rock the fucking house — and everyone's invited."

On the war in Iraq: "I'm going to make war illegal. I'm going to make war against the law. No war. None. Anywhere."

On "change": "I want to present a different kind of change. I want to change change. If you continue to change change then it truly becomes change whether it's technology, society, the economy, or the spreading of democracy. I want to be the president that takes change and changes it over and over again."

Elsewhere Harp's 17-page Election 2008 Special Section will be more humorous looks at the American political landscape, among them Andy Andrist's "Presidential Firsts," Scharpling & Wurster's "Not-So-Strange Bedfellows," a capsule history of celebrities-turned-candidates, and a gotcha! peek a what was really playing on Democratic and Republican candidates' iPods during the early primary season. It's not all yuks, however: Harp has commissioned a number of thoughtful, even provocative, politically-themed essays from James McMurtry, Chris Lee, Anti-Flag's Justin Sane, D.O.A.'s Joe Shithead Keithly and Grace Potter (of Grace Potter & the Nocturnals, who literally drapes herself in the American flag to prove her point).

Also in the March issue Harp will feature an exclusive interview conducted by JamBase's own Aaron Kayce with Danger Mouse, who discusses Gnarls Barkley and his life as a producer du jour; an in-depth profile of that little old band from Akron, the Black Keys; a behind the scenes look at the second season of MTV's hilarious Human Giant; a conversation with noir novelist and The Wire writer George Pelecanos; and — shades of fear and loathing — a surreal journey to Las Vegas for a Beatles fan convention. Rounding things out is Harp's usual roster of departments and over 100 CD, DVD and book reviews. Reserve your copy of Harp at your newsagent now, or go to www.harpmagazine.com for details on how to subscribe.