Not many bands have been brave enough to pick a candidate in the forthcoming US presidential election, but The National have done so: and they wish you to vote Obama. However, some eagle eyed fan spotted their music being used in a campaign video for the other side. The group Ohio University Students for Romney published a video on YouTube with The National’s Fake Empire in it, although the piece has now been made ‘private’ only so we can’t link to it.

The band are, understandably given their political affiliations and the hate mail they’ve endured from Republicans, not happy, and according to Pitchfork posted on YouTube:

"Our music was used without our permission in this ad. The song you're using was written about the same backward, con game policies Romney is proposing… We encourage all students to educate themselves about the differences between the inclusive, pro-social, compassionate, forward-thinking policies of President Obama and the self-serving politics of the neo-conservative movement and Mitt Romney…Every single person involved in the creation of the music you're using is voting for President Obama."

Pretty equivocal.