Getting Out The Music Lovers (Country Music Fans For Kerry?)

NewsWEAK ^ | Jamie Reno

[Recovering_Democrat]

John Kerry can already wow an audience with ‘Ring of Fire.’ Now a group of industry leaders is trying to convince Southern country music fans to support the senator in November.

How does John Kerry plan to capture the hearts and minds of the so-called Nascar Democrats, those relatively conservative, rural Southern whites who tend to vote Republican? There's choosing an appealing running mate, of course. But there are some party insiders who think a liberal Yankee could take another route: country music.

The Music Row Democrats (MRD) aim to do just that. Founded earlier this year in Nashville by a small group of country music industry leaders who say they were tired of feeling as if they had to apologize for being Democrats, the organization insists it can help Kerry win Tennessee and other battleground Southern states by appealing to the popular music genre's huge fan base in the region.

[Recovering_Democrat]

Let me say this as a country music fan, and I know there are a few here...and also a good Democrats who love country music: John Kerry is not going to get this country music fan's vote. No way, no how, now way in hell.

And I think he is barking up the wrong tree. These "Music Row Democrats" ought to recognize how anathema someone like John Kerry is to southern values and quit trying to impress their music label bosses in Hollyweird. Whatever their motivation, they're not going to succeed. Not in this household.

[goldstategop]

The notion country music fans will vote for John Fu*kin' Kerry is laughable. He has Willie Nelson but all the big names in country music are conservative and patriotic. Charlie Daniels and Toby Keith come to mind.

[BurbankKarl]

Give me a break!

American Soldier has been Number One for weeks...and Letters From Home is getting big play here in LA (with audios dubs of military families)

[clee1]

BWAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!

[zarf]

This loafer wearing, Ivy league elitist should shoot for the MTV or Black Entertainment crowd.....he's wasting his time with country.

[Lion in Winter]

Jimmie Buffet comes to mind... what a bad thought... that drunken-pothead was a big clinton fan... of course, main stream C & C would just love to "boo" kerry off a stage.

Oh, the name of their new political group has a decided FRENCH sound....MRD sounds like the French word for Sh_+.

Perhaps it is nothing but BS!!

[x1stcav]

Have these people forgotten what happened with the Dixie Chicks?

Any Country performer that backs John F'ing Kerry should probably prepare to crossover into another industry segment.

[armymarinedad]

Here is an opportunity for the Dixie Chicks to really ruin their career.

[NYCVirago]

Still, just as Kerry faces a tough challenge in the South, the MRD faces a stiff challenge getting A-list country acts to speak out for the presumptive Democratic nominee. One major artist who supports John Kerry and supports what the group is doing is afraid to speak out publicly, say MRD leaders.

If country music fans are ripe for the picking to vote for Kerry, then why do Democrats face "a stiff challenge" in getting country fans to speak out on behalf of Kerry? I'll tell you why, and it has nothing to do with the eeeevil Clear Channel -- country fans would stop listening to that artist in a second because of the artist's politics. That is, if there is indeed a "major artist" who supports Kerry, and it's not yet another one of Kerry's imaginary friends.

[NYCVirago]

One other thing -- the article quotes from Harold Ford, but he's the Memphis, not Nashville congressman, isn't he?

[driftless]

John Kerry is on record as saying that the proudest he ever felt was after voting for some pro-abortion measure in the senate. Let's see Ketchup John run on that statement south of the Mason-Dixon line and see what kind of support he gets. I may be wrong, but admitting that one is a toady to rad-lib feminist nutjobs is not a good way to garner support among essentially very conservative citizens.

The fact is Kerry is just another elite, eastern liberal snob who looks down his patrician nose at those he undoubtedly views as trailer trash. Speaking as an former member of the northern trailer trash set, I'd say Mr. Titley is dead wrong about his "appeal" to southerners. I don't see where Kerry has anything to offer them... or the rest of the country for that matter.

[Caipirabob]

Oh yeah, this will happen. Country music lovers, some of the most patriotic music fans will switch over to support the "French Candidate", John Kerry?

That will happen right after Darryl Worley gives permission for someone to release a version of his "Have You Forgotten?" smash hit titled "Have You Surrendered?".

[GraniteStateConservative]

Keith said he was a very conservative Democrat, but a Democrat nonetheless.

[GulfWar1Vet]

Toby Keith better not vote for him!

[Fresh Wind]

Translation via babble fish:

"Country music fans are idiots in general and southern country music fans are especially stupid. So stupid, in fact, that we believe that they can be pursuaded to vote for a candidate based only on his professed musical preference. And we, as members of the Media Elite, because we are not stupid white trash like the people who buy our merchandise, are in a unique position to tell these imbeciles who they should vote for."

[GraceCoolidge]

Did you notice the lack of any prominent country music figures signing on to this movement? The best they could do was the guy who wrote "He Stopped Loving Her Today"? Geez, and I really liked that song. Well, of course that guy supports Kerry.... the song is about a guy who lives in the past, reads and re-reads old letters ("dated 1962"), loses everything when he loses his woman (though there is nothing about her being a ketchup heiress) and can't move on to any kind of life thereafter. Good choice for Kerry. I also like the part where the author patronizingly announces that "rhetoric and big belt buckles" won't win over Southern voters... apparently it takes some really well thought out political analysis, like having the Dixie Chicks tell you how to vote. That is a much more intellectual approach: "I was gonna vote for President Bush, 'cuz I hear he's got a real big belt buckle, but aw shucks, now I hear the guy who wrote "He Stopped Loving Her Today" says I shouldn't...." As for John Kerry knowing how to play "Ring of Fire"... he'd better not let his French buddies catch him doing that. His attempt to capture "Le NASCAR" vote might impede their "cultural affinity" with him.

[reg45]

Country Music Fans For Kerry?

Which country, France or Saudi Arabia?

[Katya]

Let's see...I've spoken with some country music stars and they're saying you have to win this election.

so Mr. Kerry, who are these artists?
None of your business....

[RippleFire]

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