Neil Peart - Political Views

Political Views

Peart has never publicly identified with any political party or organization in Canada or the United States. Even so, his political and philosophical views have often been analyzed through his work with Rush and through other sources. In October 1993 shortly before that year's Canadian federal election, Peart appeared with then-Liberal Party leader Jean Chrétien in an interview broadcast in Canada on MuchMusic. In that interview Peart stated he was an undecided voter who supported Quebec federalism.

Peart is often categorized as an Objectivist and an admirer of Ayn Rand. This is largely based on his work with Rush in the 1970s, particularly the song "Anthem" and the album 2112, the latter specifically credited to "the genius of Ayn Rand." However, in his 1994 Rush Backstage Club Newsletter, while contending the "individual is paramount in matters of justice and liberty," Peart specifically distanced himself from a strictly Objectivist line. In a June 2012 Rolling Stone interview, when asked if Rand's words still speak to him, Peart replied: "Oh, no. That was 40 years ago." Peart has also ascribed to a philosophy that he has called "Tryism", which means that anything that one tries to attain will be attained if one tries hard enough.

Although Peart is sometimes regarded as a "conservative" and "Republican" rock star, he, in 2005, described himself as a "left-leaning libertarian", and is often cited as a libertarian celebrity. In July 2011 Peart reiterated those views, calling himself a bleeding-heart libertarian.