The inside story on the Kid Rock-Romney combo

In case you missed it, at Mitt Romney’s election-eve event at the Royal Oak Music Theatre, Detroit rocker (and Romeo native) Kid Rock sang a live (and loud) version of “Born Free,” the official campaign song of the Romney campaign.

Romney had teased the media and the public by announcing in advance only that a “surprise musical guest” would join him on stage in Royal Oak.

So, how in the world did this Rock and Romney

duet happen?

 

ABC News has the back story on how “the odd couple, Mitt Romney — a squeaky clean family man who obeys the pillars of his Mormon faith – and Kid Rock — a (Detroit) bad boy who has a sex tape and a criminal record” — apparently met last week behind closed doors and talked about Kid Rock making a campaign appearance.

Romney went to the singer’s suburban Detroit home on Thursday. The meeting lasted about an hour, according to a campaign aide, who described it as a “warm and friendly conversation” during which the two discussed their “similar interests.”

Similar interests? Well that apparently included Romney’s commitment to Michigan, Detroit and the U.S. troops. Romney has pledged his support of his native state again and again on the stump.

On Monday night, Romney, surrounded by speakers and a drum set, began to introduce the surprise guest. Though rumors were flying all day long that it would be Kid Rock, no one was sure.

“The other day,” the candidate told the crowd, “I got in my car and I drove out to a home of a fellow that lives in this area, and I asked him whether he might come here tonight. I think you know him pretty well. He’s a native son of Detroit, loves Michigan, loves Detroit. He’s recently made quite a commitment — he said he’s going to raise a million dollars for (the) Detroit symphony.

“He put a piece of paper in front of me. He’d written down some questions for me. He said first of all, he said, ‘Mitt, if you’re elected president, will you help me help the state of Michigan?’ And I said I would.”