Will the Boss Get Drafted?

Is the Boss born to run the GOP out of town?

That's the question being put to Bruce Springsteen by an ambitious concert promoter who has launched an online petition to persuade New Jersey's native son to headline a major rock concert in an attempt to steal the spotlight from the Republican National Convention.

The so-called Concert for Change would take place at Giants Stadium on Sept. 1, the same day President Bush is scheduled to accept his party's nomination to run for a second term at festivities across the Hudson River in New York's Madison Square Garden.

The petition and concert is the brainchild of Andrew Rasiej, a Big Apple-based producer of large-scale music festivals and a Democratic activist who says he wants "to find a way to deliver a simple yet powerful counter message to the Republican National Convention."

To that end, Rasiej--who has worked with such rock gods as Bob Dylan and Eric Clapton--thought Springsteen was just the man to make it all happen.

"Bruce is one of the few signature American artists who has the artistic and moral authority to lead an effort like this," the promoter tells E! Online. "Other artists come to mind too, like Dave Matthews or Dylan, but Bruce captures the imagination of the public looking for a leader."

Rasiej has approached other big-name acts, including Carlos Santana, Dave Matthews, Bon Jovi and R.E.M., many of whom have expressed interest in joining the bill should Springsteen sign on.

Since its launch 10 days ago at DraftBruce.com, the petition has collected more than 50,000 signatures. But despite the interest, reps for Springsteen say the entertainer has no plans to perform at any political events, for Democrats or Republicans.

Even so, Rasiej feels if the number of signatures continues to grow, Springsteen could be persuaded. And if not, a show could still go on.

"I wouldn't have built the petition drive if I didn't think it would succeed. But success can be defined by other criteria than just Bruce performing," added Rasiej. "A large concert with a large international audience on TV at exactly the same time George Bush is nominated would certainly be considered a success in my estimation."

Not that Springsteen is exactly shy when it comes to politicking.

In May, the blue-collar icon posted an antiwar speech on his official Website, BruceSpringsteen.net, by former Vice President Al Gore. The speech slammed the President's policies on Iraq, especially the Abu Ghraib prison-abuse scandal. Springsteen calls it "one of the most important speeches I've heard in a long time."

And this is not the first time the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer has been drafted. In 2002, he rejected efforts by New Jersey activists to enlist their hometown hero to run for the U.S. Senate.

Springsteen has always been sensitive to the use of his name and songs for political purposes. He spoke out against Ronald Reagan's description of "Born in the U.S.A." as a patriotic anthem, when the '80s anthem was an indictment of the ugly reception Vietnam veterans received after the war.

Every election cycle, Springsteen routinely fields requests from both parties to use the tune in political ads and repeatedly rejects them.

Meanwhile, Rasiej keeps plugging away.

The promoter says that once expenses are met, all profits generated from ticket sales and TV rights for the Concert for Change would go toward voter-registration drives by organizations like the League of Woman Voters or Rock the Vote.