If this man can’t command a majority in a pro-Trump purple state, I don’t know who can.

Wheels up motherfuckers. pic.twitter.com/Joj7N4Ij3m

— Kid Rock (@KidRock) July 30, 2017

To put this in perspective, Stabenow’s won her last two Senate races in Michigan by 16 and 21 points. A single-digit deficit is a perfectly fine result this far out for a total political newbie. Especially when he’s the Pimp of the Nation.

“I think part of Kid Rock’s success is the fact the Trump effect is still out there,” Sarpolus said. “I mean Kid Rock curses and swears like (former White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci), so basically Kid Rock is a mini Trump.”

Forty-nine percent of likely Michigan voters who participated in the poll said Trump is doing an “excellent” or “pretty good” job in the White House, while 50 percent said he is doing “only fair” or “poor.” Nationally, Trump’s job approval rating stands at less than 40 percent, according to a poll average compiled by Real Clear Politics…

The poll also showed strong support for Kid Rock among likely GOP primary voters. Of the 344 Republicans interviewed, 33 percent said they would support the musician over other candidates in the race.

KR’s lead in the Republican primary here is a mere 17 points. I say “mere” unironically: The last poll of that race, conducted by the Trafalgar Group, had him 40 points ahead of the competition. True, at this stage of the race polls are almost pure tests of name recognition, but that’s a lot of name recognition for his no-name opponents to overcome. The joint Trump/Kid Rock campaign rallies next fall will be amazing.

Stephen “Redsteeze” Miller wonders where the right’s fondness for celebrity candidates comes from. Is it a name-recognition thing or envy of the left’s grip on celebrity culture?

The question should be: can Kid Rock govern? Do we know Kid Rock’s positions on abortion, eminent domain, civil forfeiture, tax reform, health care, immigration and national security? Or have those on the right who claim to know better decided that none of that matters anymore?…

[J]ust like President Trump, Kid Rock is not a conservative as much as he is a celebrity cashing in on the passions of conservatives. He’s a friend of rocker and conservative firebrand Ted Nugent. He’s a friend of President Trump. And in today’s GOP that may just be enough.

The desire by conservatives to feel relevant in contemporary culture has always been tempting. As more and more institutions in our culture – like Hollywood and academia – attempt to freeze conservatives out of the debate, some understandably feel the need for the blessing of already established voices. Unfortunately, this need can overwhelm those who should know better.

I don’t think it’s any more complicated than (a) who can win? and (b) who’s “one of us” culturally? Celebrities like Trump and KR are contenders out of the gate because they’re well known and have blue-collar sensibilities in different ways despite their wealth. Looking at Michigan in terms of a cold calculation of which Republican is most likely to upset Stabenow, it’s hard to argue against nominating Kid Rock. As impressive a man as John James is, he’d have to work so hard as a no-name just to penetrate the public’s consciousness that nominating him feels like a roulette spin. It’d be “Stabenow versus Not Stabenow” for most low-info voters, which is a bad bet against an incumbent who’s won her last two races comfortably. Nominate KR and it’d be “Stabenow versus Kid Rock,” which feels more like a coin flip, even if the coin is weighted slightly towards incumbency. It’s the Trump dilemma all over again: Would you rather try to win the general election with a flawed Republican or nominate a more “respectable” Republican who’s more likely to lose?