Born in the USA is so misinterpreted by, frankly, the right that I think there's no question he was not going to play it. Stayed away from the Magic album altogether, so his play list almost looks selected not to be about politics.
I find his political silence this year really interesting, given his vocal support for Kerry and Obama. I find it really hard to picture him supporting Trump. Makes me wonder if he's supporting Johnson/Weld.
But I like it that he's not in-your-face like, say, Jackson Browne or (more obnoxious since he's not American) Neil Young. While I respect the artist's right to his opinions, I think he has the concomitant obligation to recognize people are entitled to their own opinions. My impression of Springsteen is that he knows he draws from across the political spectrum and respects that he has fans who may disagree with him.
Edited to add: BTW, I enjoy some of Jackson Browne's music and I find some of his political songs very topical during the years since 9-11. But I doubt I'd attend one of his concerts because I don't enjoy the harangue I might expect to hear, and in case it isn't clear, I am not a party-line voter.
