Toby Keith Praises Obama, Says He's A Democrat

LOS ANGELES — Barack Obama is getting praise from Nashville, courtesy of one big, patriotic country star.

Toby Keith, perhaps best known to non-country audiences for his post-Sept. 11 song "Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue," says he's a Democrat, and was impressed by the senator from Illinois.

Keith has said in the past that the 2002 song _ which included lines aimed at the Taliban like "we lit up your world like the Fourth of July" _ was more patriotic than pro-war.

Asked while promoting his new movie "Beer For My Horses" about the role of patriotism in the current presidential election, Keith replied: "There's a big part of America that really believes that there is a war on terrorism, and that we need to finish up.

"So I thought it was beautiful the other day when Obama went to Afghanistan and got educated about Afghanistan and Iraq. He came back and said some really nice things.

"So as far as leadership and patriotism goes, I think it's really important that those things have to take place. And I think he's the best Democratic candidate we've had since Bill Clinton. And that's coming from a Democrat."

Comments

[tjntn]

I would hardly call Toby Keith's comment praise for Obama. That quip about needing to "finish up" the war on terrorism is something out of McCain's talking points. And saying that Obama went to Afghanistan and got "educated on Afghanistan and Iraq" certainly could be viewed as pointing out Obama's lack of experience. If this is praise, I don't want to see the criticism.

[misterbone]

Obama's been calling for us to finish the job in Afghanistan for some time, long before it became apparent that we dropped the ball with our hysteria over Iraq. Poor McCain still has to pander to the neocons who run his party's foreign policy.

[Soothsayer08]

Well if he is sincere, then I'm glad that the S**T kickers and good old boys are coming around to Obama

[DwH]

Yes, thank you.

I doubt you'd hear any carping if the neighborhood dog catcher came out for Obama, but a millionaire artist? Whoa, trounce them for caring about the future of their country, fer shure.

[meanguy]

the problem is that our society places next to no value on ther neighborhood dog catcher, but has built an entire industry around fame, apart from the sources of that fame...our culture values paris hilton more than the cop on the beat...tob­y keith more than the woman down at the local Y who teaches your kids how to be safe in the water, and j lo more than the person who tracked down a power outage in the dark during an ice storm and risked his/her life getting your lightrs back on

[UltraClassic]

"Beer For My Horses," great tune as is "American Soldier." The more uplifting, patriotic and American the tune is, the more sneering your will get from liberals. The tunes are fun and feel good, nothing wrong with that.

As far as him being an Obomaniac, he may have in fact been caught up in Obomania, weak minds tend to get swept up in it quite easily before they think it through. I somehow doubt it and think he is just grabbing air time and headlines.

[misterbone]

Nothing's wrong with Toby's songs, as far as I'm concerned. I reserve my sneering to those who consider their patriotic duty satisfied by simply playing these songs or sporting some other symbolic display of patriotism, while sneering at any suggestion that maybe a little personal sacrifice is in order when the country's in trouble.

[meanguy]

i reserve my sneering for those who are offended by "American Soldier", haven't figured out that "courtesy of the red, white, and blue' is NOT about going into iraq, and still think that 'beer for my horses' is an ode to lynching blacks and the jim crow era.

..but like noted redneck ron white says, 'you can't fix stupid'

[BlackJAC]

And yet you venerate the Confederate flag, emblem of an organization dedidcated to destroying American with help from Old Europe. Go figure.

[meanguy]

"you venerate the Confederate flag'.
----------­----------­----------­----------­--
where did you come up with THAT?

[Forester]

My gg grandfather died fighting under the CSA flag in VA in 1863 and he had no slaves. His farm was invaded by northerners and corrupt "home guards". HOWEVER, it has become a painful symbol of civil rights era racism, and as such should not be displayed where people would be made uncomfortable by it. I am proud of my southern heritage, just as I am proud that his grandfather fought against the oppression of Tories and British regulars in the same parts of Virginia. I do not wave this flag out of deference to my fellow citizens, but it should never be forgotten that 600,000 Americans died in that terrible war, and reducing it to a simplistic one-liner only shows a lack of historic knowledge. It was a political failure that led to the CW - sound familiar?

[Gordon]

Hasn't this guy claimed be a democrat for quite a while now? And why does this matter?

[Sandi7552]

WHY oh WHY can't he just shut up and go away. It is funny how the right wing nuts hate celebrity endorsements unless they are endorsing right wing nut jobs. Toby picked wrong back in the day and no amount of mush mouth is going to make amends, who needs him?

[meanguy]

what makes you think he even feels a need to 'make amends'...­and for what? grow up

[Muchistested]

Guess he needs a little bit more publicity for "Beer For My Horses"...­.

[JohnUmana]

Toby Keith -- I agree with you that "There's a big part of America that really believes that there is a war on terrorism, and that we need to finish up." This Administration has seriously botched our Nation's war against the terrorists that attacked us. Al-Quaida has made serious gains against us in Afganistan, where the Taliban has regained control of many areas. I believe that Senator Obama will wage this war intelligently and devote the forces that are needed to win it, not retreat as we did recently from a town near the Pakistan border. McCain talks tough but the Bush/McCain strategy towards the Russian invasion of a U.S. ally, Georgia, shows that Bush/McCain are the real appeasers and defeatists. They made this Nation look lame and impotent, as though we have to go around begging the Russians to please withdraw. This situation with Russian and Georgia has been brewing for a long time, yet Bush/McCain were unprepared. We were caught flat-footed all over again. We need someone in the White House who is on the ball and who can lead and pull our NATO allies together to respond quickly to Russian aggression against a U.S. ally.

[meanguy]

hey, toby, how about a chorus of 'american soldier'..­.the finest song ever written about what it means to serve in uniform?

[dillydawg]

Yeah sure, if he says so. And when pigs fly.

[CarrieDN]

I hope I am joined by Natalie Maines by rolling my eyes on this one.

[rockyersocksoff]

I still can't take seriously comments from anyone who would give beer to a horse.

I mean, OK, maybe one good pale ale for, like his birthday, but you won't get halfway to your next lynching if Trigger's all hung over and dehydrated.

[khargushoghli]

Yep.

[nine12]

durrrrrrrr­rrrrrrrrrr­rrrrrrrrrr­rrrrrrrrrr­rrrrrr

[kathy001]

Oh, for heaven's sake. Toby Keith, Shut Up!! And while you're at it, take a shower and get a shave.

[meanguy]

don't let the whiskers fool you, those of us with beards shower at least as often as our baby-faced brothers

[Ivar]

I guess he has as much right to h is opinion as you do to yours. Difference is, I agree with him.

[BlackJAC]

Toby Keith also has the right to be mocked, denounced, and persecuted for his so-called "opinion" much like the very Democrats he claims to be a part of have been for the past five years, especially the Dixie Chicks. And if he doesn't like it, he can leave.

[allaboutthetruth]

Toby Keith is just wanting attention. Are sales down? He must want a change - change
in his pocket to increase? :-(

[WoodyCPM]

Who writes this crap? Toby Keith is not a spokesman for Nashville. Nashville, the city, hasn't voted Republican for 50 years or more. There are plenty progressive voices in Country Music, it's just that they never make a big splash because they are outside the narrative that the media believes in and wants to promote about Nashville. This is typical lazy, stupid "journalis­m." Besides Toby Keith is a freakin' entertainer, why is he being interviewed about his political beliefs? These people are all entertainers, what in hell do they really know about the world? Our politics are so shallow.

[Maka]

That's true, Nashville the city is far more blue than people want to or are able to believe, if they've never lived there. The mainstream country music culture, on the other hand... course, Keith is a great nurturer of that narrow minded way of thinking thanks to his UNpatriotic flaying of Natalie Maines and that whole "Boot in Your As*" embarrassment.

[BlackJAC]

The geographic region of Hollywood, California started out as a gated community founded by fundamentalist Christians like that Ave Maria, Florida venture, yet the term "Hollywood" will always be a synonym for "movie/television industry" and all the attendant cliches that go with it because said industry relocated there during the 1920s. It doesn't matter if the City Of Nashville is the Central Time Zone's answer to San Francisco, the term "Nashville" will always mean "country music industry" and its attendant stereotypes.

[meanguy]

and stereotypes are your stock in trade