Gene Simmons Endorses Mitt Romney

Gene Simmons has endorsed Mitt Romney, in the latest case of a past-his-prime rocker cosying up with a GOP presidential candidate. You may recall Megadeth’s Dave Mustaine’s backing of Rick Santorum.

Both Simmons and Mustaine are middle-aged, white, male millionaires – in other words, the archetypal GOP voter – so perhaps we shouldn’t be too surprised.

The Kiss frontman made his Romney endorsement in an interview with Fox News on Tuesday. When asked by host Gretchen Carlson who he’d prefer as President, Simmons responded:

“Strictly speaking on the economy and in my humble opinion, Mitt Romney.”

Simmons added he was impressed with Romney’s business savvy, and insisted Romney had the best chance at fixing the nation’s economy. “America is a business,” he told Carlson, “And should be run by a businessman,” Simmons said.

The rock legend said he regretted his backing of President Barack Obama in 2008, and expressed a dislike for partisan voting:

“The reason sometimes Republicans get in – including the Senate, House and presidency – is because Americans, smartly, and I applaud them for doing so, vote on the issues and not the party.”

Simmons appeared on Tuesday’s show to push his new restaurant chain, but didn’t hold back in his analysis of the presidential race.

Romney is currently the Republican primary frontrunner, and, let’s face it, will almost certainly be the man to face Obama in this year’s election.