Husky-voiced jingle writer Sheryl Crow is giving away copies of her new album to the first 50,000 fans who register three friends to vote. The effort, for Rock the Vote, is presumably meant to register the young (and progressives who share Crow's politics), but do you know a single person under the age of 30 who would lift a finger for a Sheryl Crow album? And they're giving away digital copies, so there won't even be a physical CD to sell for beer money. All this means is that 200,000 new middle-aged voters with boring taste will weigh in this year — and given McCain's slim lead among 30-to-49-year-olds, this should be just enough to put him over the top. Should one sun-kissed balladeer wield so much power?

Crow offers free music to voters [Variety]