Why Don't You Love Me Like You Used to Do

The politics of ideas in country music gets reprised:

Democrats angered at the image of country and western as Right-wing “redneck music” are planning a tour of Middle America during the 2008 election campaign by Nashville artists opposed to the Iraq war.

An alliance called the Music Row Democrats is poised to re-launch itself early next year in an attempt to seize back country music from the Republican camp and spread their message that President George W. Bush’s party does not care about ordinary people.

Slowly but surely, more country singers are performing songs critical of the Bush administration. Merle Haggard, who once sang the anti-hippie anthem “Okie from Muskogee” for President Richard Nixon at the White House has even penned a tribute to Hillary Clinton.

In his “Hillary", dedicated to the Democratic front runner, Haggard sings: “This country needs to be honest/ Changes need to be large/ Something like a big switch of gender/ Let's put a woman in charge."

....some country stars such as Tim McGraw – who has said he may run for Tennessee governor – have “come out” as Democrats.

“Republican Blues”, by the bluegrass artist Tim O’Brien, dealt with issues ranging from domestic spying by the US government to the Hurricane Katrina disaster.

So, Move It On Over?