The sad thing is that Bruce misread his audience. "Born in the USA" is about the failure of the US to take care of its Viet Nam War veteran. It's a character portrait; There's nothing left-wing about a man who doesn't understand the geopolitics about why one man should kill another in a far-off land; and it wasn't written when the war was a hot issue. It only became politicized when the left was shocked that the right enjoyed the song, because the song was critical of the US; but if the left was surprised it was only because they didn't imagine the songs broadest themes (i.e., expectations of the U.S. treating its veterans better) played well on the right.
Sadly, Springsteen began to see himself as a new Guthrie. He hasn't had one truly popular album, or even a very good song, since. Born in the USA is not high art, but it is, actually, decent pop music, and, to a respectable degree, an expression of America.
"I catch him when hes strayin teach him how to walk that line
Man turns his back on his family he aint no friend of mine"
Like John Cougar Mellencamp, he quit be an American, and started being a celebrity, and he didn't even know it when his wheels jumped the track.
You make some good points. Bruce may have become more of a lefty loco over the years, but many of his songs are still great in my opinion to wit:
Backstreets
Incident of 57th Street
Independence Day
Jungleland
Drive all Night
The River
New York City Serenade
Night
No Surrender (accoustic version)
Rosalita
Sandy
She's The One
Thunder Road (especially the accoustic version)
Trapped (live)
Ties That Bind
Wild Bill's Circus Story
Candy's Room
Open all Night
Stolen Car
Reason To Believe
Johnny 99
etc, etc, etc.
All great tunes, all prior to 1985. I can separate the politics from the artist.