Country singer Tim McGraw: "It's innate in me to be a Democrat."

[DeepModem Mom]

NYT/AP: McGraw Bucks Conservative Country Image
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: October 16, 2006

NEW YORK (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.''...

***

''One of these days, if the opportunity's there, (running for office is) 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://www.nytimes.com/aponline/arts/AP-People-Tim-McGraw.html

[Double T]

1. Great songwriter, musician and entertainer...........

with good politics and a social conscience. Time to buy another one of his CDs.

[DinahMoeHum]

2. There are more of us liberal country fans out there than you think.

www.liberalcountryfan.com

www.musicrowdemocrats.com

:kick:

[beaconess]

3. I'm SO relieved!

I love country music but most country music artists freak me out. It's hard for me to separate their music from their personas, especially when I find out a particular one is a racist, a homophobe, misogynist, etc.

As a Black woman with too much pride to support in any way those who would spit on me and mine, I am often frustrated and disappointed to hear that an artist whose music I like is a bigot.

It's SO nice to hear that an artist whose music I enjoy is also a decent person.

[The Backlash Cometh]

4. God bless him.

[Bill McBlueState]

5. if only he had said that in 2004!

Or did he?

It's interesting how it's cool to be a Democrat again.

[BootinUp]

7. I seem to recall

he questioned the Bush admin pretty strongly in these same areas but was not prepared to say he supported Kerry. Then again I could be thinking of someone else.

[LostinVA]

13. Of course he did -- and he and Faith were the only Mainstream

Country people to speak out for the Dixie Chicks. It's why they're the only country singers I still listen to. Faith Hill has also been vocal about homophobia in the business, and did alot of private work for the victims of Katrina -- she's from Mississippi.

Good people.

[cmkramer]

15. Vince Gill did too

he was against the boycott of their records from radio.

[wicket]

24. Don't forget Willie Nelson!

He came out for the Chicks too :)

[Bjorn Against]

42. He also campaigned with Kucinich...

I am not a big fan of Willie Nelson's music, but I think he is an incredibly cool guy.

He was absolutely hillarious in "Wag the Dog" as well, and if any DUer has not seen that movie go rent it NOW.

[wicket]

52. I loved Willie in "Half Baked"

:D

[LostinVA]

45. Willie doesn't often get played on the radio or CMT

That's why I didn't mention him. He's not a "corporate" Country singer/

[wicket]

47. Very true!

:hi: But boy, am I glad he's on our side :D

[gully]

22. He's been open about it. Clinton, in fact encouraged him to run for

office.

[girl gone mad]

51. How do you know he wasn't?

I'm not so sure that this is celebrity opportunism so much as it's the news media with their fingers in the air finally deciding it's safe to run this kind of commentary.

[Ian David]

6. Does Tim McGraw have any anti-Bush songs for download from iTunes? n/t

[CarolNYC]

8. that's nice to hear....

His father was my first baseball 'hero'....Glad to hear he's got such a smart son.

[Botany]

9. Go Tim .... I know he and Faith were P.O.ed about Katrina

A Dem, Rich, and he wakes up next too

[Bake]

33. Thanks for the gratuitous pic of Faith!!

Woo-hooooooo!

Bake

[AX10]

10. I would say that he was being brave to admit this, but by now....

Bush is loser. With 60% disapproving of Bush, there is little to no chance of a backlash against him.

[LostinVA]

14. He's been saying this for years

And, he and Faith Hill were very, very vocal in their support for the Dixie Chicks.

[Ian David]

11. Progressive / Democrat Musicians who play BOTH kinds of music...

Country and Western.

I remember reading somewhere about an organized group of Democratic Country/Western singers. But this is all I've found so far:

See:

Liberal Country Fan
http://www.liberalcountryfan.com/?p=213

ZNet's Selected Anti War Songs
http://www.zmag.org/Songs/songarchive.htm

Regime Change Rock
http://www.motherjones.com/news/update/2004/08/08_402.html

Progressive Top 50 at last- Get back in touch. Meet the Youth Movement.
http://www.musicforamerica.org/node/106246

[fishwax]

31. It might have been the Music Row Democrats

that you heard about ... http://www.musicrowdemocrats.com/

[Ian David]

34. Yes! That's it! Thanks! I'm going shopping now! My iPod will be happy. n/t

[Doctor_J]

38. Raul Malo is one of them

Love that singing

[OzarkDem]

40. They have a good blog, too

Them good ole boys and gals read Arianna Huffington, probably DU, too

http://mrdtalk.com/

[progressoid]

12. Ya think they'll dump him from country radio?

Doubt it....he has a penis.

[cmkramer]

16. no

it's because he and Faith have always been supportive of country music and its fans. They don't talk smack about them the way the Dixie Chicks did. That had as much -- if not more -- to do with their troubles with country radio than anything they said about Bush.

Reba went after them because they dissed country music and country music fans not because they were against Bush and/or the war.

[RaleighNCDUer]

19. I understood it to be they dissed Toby Keith and his fans --

not country music/fans in general.

Of course those mullet-heads took it to be equivalent to slamming all them, and the country as well -- if you don't like Toby Keith you're unpatriotic.

What do you expect from them - they're natural born bushbots.

[Mike Daniels]

23. Nope, just before the new album came out they all but called

country music fans in general slack-jawed, mouth-breathing yokels.

They claimed they wanted a more selective audience and they got one to the tune of about 4 million less sales in comparison to their last studio album.

[Bjorn Against]

43. Remember country music turned on the Dixie Chicks first

They did not openly criticize their former fans until the radio boycott had already been going on a couple years. The boycott did not start because they stood up on stage and said "we are ashamed that country music fans are from Texas", it started because they said "we are ashamed George Bush is from Texas". They did not publicly attack the people who turned on them until well after the fact, and then they were careful to distinguish between those that turned and those that stuck by them.

[LostinVA]

46. That was YEARS after their disgustingly un-american blacklisting

Death threats, etc. They had a right to say that.

[mac56]

56. Tell me - when did the Dixie Chicks diss their fans?

Quotes?

Context?

I'm having trouble believing this. They're remarkably fan-friendly.

[Control-Z]

17. Thank you

for saying that for me.

[d_b]

18. That's good to hear.

There sure does seem to be a shortage of 'true Southern populist kind of Democrats'.


Wasn't Johnny Cash a Democrat?

[DeepModem Mom]

25. Al Gore spoke at his funeral, and I don't recall another politician...

participating.

[Doctor_J]

26. Cash was a flaming liberal

There is an organization of "Music row Dems" that includes Rosanne Cash, rodney Crowell, Steve Earle, Jeff Hannah, Wille, Kristofferson, and about 3 more IIRC. McGraw and his lovely wife have been doing some anti-war things but I don't think they're members.

[leftofthedial]

20. Country music, by its history, traditions and reason for existing,

is a liberal medium

it was co-opted by the right because it is dangerous

[Uncle Joe]

30. I agree, it was corporatized, just like the news media. n/t

[Joey Liberal]

21. What will CMT and Clear Channel Radio do now?

They cannot boycott this guy.

[tk2kewl]

27. When your dad coins the phrase...

You Gotta Believe!

... how could it be any other way?

[lisainmilo]

28. I knew I liked him!

He has a beautiful voice, and now I believe and even more beautiful voice!

[Radical Activist]

29. The corporate Democrats caused us to lose this kind of voter.

There's a big voting block for populist liberals who talk about economic issues that we lost because of party idiots from the northeast like Lieberman who think populism loses votes. Economic populism works.

[Dr Fate]

36. So did the "Mr. Rogers" Democrats...

...as opposed tot he "Clint Eastwood Democrats"

The Mr. Rogers Democrats REFUSE to tell the truth about their opponents and let someone convive them that swingvoters dont respond to tough, aggressive tactics.

"I can work with the liars and criminals- please, wont you be my neighbor?"

Of course, swingovters could see that "Mr. Rogers" could not defend himself against GOP liars & crooks like Karl Rove, much less terrorists.

The Clint Eastwood Democrats were ignored in the last 3 elections- but they were the ones saying "These guys are a bunch of liars & criminals and we should SAY SO- to their faces- go ahead, make my day!"

I still fear that we have way too many "strategists" who are so out of touch that they think swingvoters & old-time DEMS prefer Mr. Rogers to Clint Eastwood.

[Eurobabe]

32. Well good on him!

He's Tug's son alright.

[welshTerrier2]

35. nice tune with a Tim McGraw mention

the truth is, i have no idea who Tim McGraw is ... my "Pandora radio station" plays a song that mentions him though ... it's kind of country-ish with a little folk/acoustic thrown in ...

give it a listen: http://taylorswift.com/index.html

[dajoki]

37. He just got a new fan!!

:bounce:

[OzarkDem]

39. Its something you're born to

learning it at your granny's knee, listening to dad, grandad and great-grandad, and all the uncles talking politics around the wood stove.

Doing right by others, taking care of your neighbors, working hard, asking only for a fair break and a chance to take care of your family, send your kids to college and have something to live on when you're too old to work.

I hope McGraw runs for office, he would be good.

[blue cat]

41. I agree 100%

It is innate in me too.

[I Have A Dream]

44. You know what? He *looks* like a good person to me.

I'm happy to know that he actually is.

[Buddyblazon]

48. I work in concert production...

it started out seasonal...and now is slowly becoming a year round thing. I've done it for about 8 years.

I started as a runner/PA...and now do just about everything...including a wee bit of rigging.

I've worked two of his shows...both as a runner. The second time I worked one of his shows, right before the 2004 election, he was out behind the venue giving his crew a political sermon. He said something like, "IF I FIND OUT ANYONE HERE VOTES FOR BUSH...YOUR GONE!".

He's a big time Dem...and apparently he is very political.

[DeepModem Mom]

50. Wow -- thanks for an inside view, Buddy! nt

[AX10]

57. K & R!

[bling bling]

49. He should be on the payroll, then.

Just like the Republicans do anytime they find out a star is Republican.

Dems should pay him to promote the Democratic party to the southern states. We should get a list of all Democratic country singers and do the same thing with them too. In fact, we should get a list of all southern well-known Democrats of any sort and put them on the payroll.

Maybe that's the way to win the south. Maybe it's kind of stupid, but It's as good a plan as any other I've heard so far to win over the south.

You'd think the south would be voting Dem ANYWAY just based on the reasons McGraw stated. Funny how hard it is for us to win those states. Maybe they just need to keep hearing the reasons why they should vote Democrat INSTEAD of hearing Democrats just defending themselves against all the GOP bullshit accusations of us.

[AX10]

53. That could work.

[npincus]

54. he and Faith Hill were vocal about their disgust with Katrina response

and horrid neglect in NO. I believe they've done fundraising (concerts) on NO's behalf.

[Ian_rd]

55. Uh oh, time for a good old-fashioned boycott by Clear Channel you traitor!