Tim Graw says he's a " True southern populist kind of Democrat"

[journalist3072]

No wonder I'm such a huge fan of Tim McGraw's. Wonderful music and wonderful values!

McGraw Bucks Conservative Country Image

Tim McGraw Says He's Not One to Conform to Country Music's Conservative Image

NEW YORK Oct 16, 2006 (AP)— Country music might seem like a pretty conservative medium, but Tim McGraw is bucking the trend. "It's innate in me to be a Democrat a true Southern populist kind of Democrat. There's not a lot of those anymore," McGraw tells Time magazine in its Oct. 23 issue.

"The issues that matter to me are the social safety nets for people, health care, middle-class concerns. We need to take care of the middle class and the poor in our country. The chasm is getting larger between haves and have-nots, and that's something we need to close down a little bit," says the singer and star of "Flicka."

Could that mean a McGraw on an election ticket soon?

"One of these days, if the opportunity's there, that's something I'd love to do," he says. "It's a high calling to serve the community, and if you can do it, I think you should."

http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/wireStory?id=2574749&CMP=OTC-RSSFeeds0312

[RoyGBiv]

1. Listen to this man ...

I know a lot of people won't, but I say it anyway.

[texastoast]

2. Hmm

He's not my favorite, but I've been paying more attention to what he says lately. It's hard to forgive him for those stupid lyrics in "Indian Outlaw." Yech.

[Change has come]

4. I don't know

"nuthn butt my buffalo briefs"... is kinda sexy :smoke:

[leftofthedial]

10. he didn't write that song

but he did let his people talk him into cutting it.

[niyad]

3. who is tim graw?

[texasleo]

5. Tim McGraw

[niyad]

6. look at the title of the thread

[texasleo]

7. Tim McGraw

[sandnsea]

8. They've been putting themselves out there

They participated in the ONE Campaign a few years ago, made it pretty clear they weren't too thrilled about Bush. Katrina seemed to push them out even more. If you think of the Cash, Nelson, Kristofferson, Haggard country people, being a Democrat is actually more natural for country music. It'd be great to see Tim McGraw run for something though, he and Faith are great people.

[spoony]

9. That's a good point

It seemed like old country stars were liberal, then there came these hyper-nationalistic neo-country singers and all of a sudden country music was the music of propaganda. It's good to see that turning around!

[Bluebear]

11. I think it started at Poppy's inauguration

He "liked" country music, so he invited Randy Travis, Kentucky Country, all these C&W stars to participate. Country saw it had a new platform and we were off and running. Before then, country seemed to be the music of the common folk, but of course Bush spun it into something else.

[spoony]

12. Yeah, it totally lost that "common folk" element

And then, those who happily took advantage of 9/11 to write war anthems just cemented that.

Maybe I'm a bit nuts but I think "Walk the Line" helped bring this reversal. It exposed a lot of younger country fans to an older, better, and more substantial kind of country music. And with * diving popularity more real artists are standing up :)

[leftofthedial]

13. Country music, by its very nature,

is Democratic. Country music was long a pro-worker bastion. Conservatives took it over as a high priority in their consolidation and takeover of American media. Just as they bought and corrupted the journalistic media, they worked very hard to turn the country music industry into a propaganda machine. They feared country music, which could have been a strong progressive voice for the middle and working classes.

[bluedogyellowdog]

14. The above comments..

are right on the money.

The Republicans co-opted country music and other aspects of rural and working class culture as part of their image-remake. It was a broader image remake that started during the Nixon era. Included such things as spreading false "hippie vs. hardhat" divisions, and "silent majority" talk. It especially took hold after Reagan came into office.

Their co-opting of country music came rather late in the game. Maybe not until the late 80s. As recently as the early 80s I remember a *lot* of liberal sentiments in country music. Things like "Rainbow Stew" (Merle Haggard). "America" I think by Waylon Jennings. And "The American Dream" by Hank Williams Jr. which took beaucoup potshots at Reagan and Falwell.

They stole our working class culture. We're stealing it back.