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

[sueno]

This is about money-
Toby is getting a lot of criticism and he's deflecting it
with his praise of Obama.
But he wasn't thinking about Obama positively when
he wrote that song-
Go figure?

[meanguy]

what kind of freak would be thinking about obama at all while writing a song?

[Reine]

I heard his say years ago that he was a democrat but he tends to vote for the person. I am surprised that he supports Obama though.

[txgal44]

Oh please!! He's not for Obama. He's just getting a lot of sh*% and he's sorry he ever opened his huge mouth!

[meanguy]

all he said was obama's the best democrat since clinton-he didn't say he's going to vote for him

[clearthinker2008]

If he's a democrat, then I'm a republican­... I cannot stand that racist, my neck hurts looking at his picture. I can see you all forgot what he recently just said.

[KarlaElisa]

I hardly think this endorsement will hurt Obama. If anything, it'll hurt Keith as I'd venture a great number of his fans are the uneducated, racist retards that think Bush, Rush and O'Reilly rule.

[klo]

Thank you, Mr. Keith. I'm taking this bit of news with a grain of salt since only recently he had some ignorant comments to make about Sen. Obama's way of speaking. I thought he was jumping on the bash Obama bandwagon with that bit of manure. So, I'd be happier if now that he's said something from both sides, he'd go back to doing what he does well....be a singer/mus­ician/acto­r.

[KNadine]

I think Toby Keith changes his views depending on the person he's talking to, so I'll place him in the category of people who created the so called "Bradley Effect".

[meanguy]

i think people hear what they want to hear, as opposed to what was actually said

[dirtfreak]

Hey, we need votes, so let's take 'em any way we can get 'em. I don't think any Obama supporters will switch to McBush just because Toby Keith's a fan of O's, but if Toby can bring a few from his fan base to our side, let's be happy about it! At least Toby seems to have done a little research, rather than, like most re-pubs, get all his mis-information from Limbawl, Bill-o, and Farce News.

[angelbravo]

I don't believe him!!!!

[meanguy]

you don't think obama's a better candidate than gore or kerry? how sad...

[BaltimoreSteve]

All is good in America now.

[ccmd]

Huffpost you're slipping. Where is the related article link at the end of this thread of keith saying this about Obama "the only reason he is in [the general election] is because he talks, acts and carries himself as a Caucasian.­"???
Keith dont try to jump on the band wagon because you are losing fans. Then again....

[RezidentBivrip]

I HATE snippet politics. He didn't say exactly that. Words are powerful, and if you're going to use them as a direct quote, make sure you get them right...

Read the Interview in full - http://www.glennbeck.com/content/articles/article/196/13156/
and you will see that this was in response to a conversation about race in America after saying we should have apologized for slavery long ago... then Toby says race in America is still a huge issue that we aren't past yet and he doesn't know how we can get past it. To which Glenn Beck says Why should we have apologized for slavery and aren't we past it, we have a black man who could be the next president, to which Toby replies that a lot of blacks would say he's there because he doesn't carry himself as black, but carries himself as Caucasian. Toby is NOT saying "The only reason Obama is nominated is because he acts white... he's saying a lot of blacks would say that, which is basically saying that race is still an issue for a lot of people, perceived and real.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/08/19/toby-keith-praises-obama_n_119930.html#
I KNOW I'm not the only intelligent person on this site? I can't be the only person who tries to look at things objectively???

[meanguy]

thank you, rezidentbivrip! you may be the smartest person in the room...cer­tainly the most intellectually honest

[ccmd]

TY

[BlackJAC]

So Toby Keith knows how to read a teleprompter; so what?

[kissmygrits]

My jaw just hit the floor.

[Ariadne]

I am pleasantly shocked. He is just the kind of guy to reach out to the mouth breathers who hate Obama on sight.

[ChaoticSmelt]

I'm a musician and music journalist and happen to know Mr. Keith's guitar player, who told me two years ago that Mr. Keith is indeed a Democrat. Of course, I didn't believe it at first, but he insisted it's true, and given there was nothing to gain or lose in our casual conversation at a party, I believe him. He even joked about whether his political leanings would diminish Mr. Keith's fanbase. I guess now that it's public, we'll find out!

[meanguy]

he's never made it a secret...a­dults judge musicians on their music, and politicians on their politics

[AliHajiSheik]

Obama receives an endorsement that could help him win the white house in the fall, but because of the endorser's jingoistic song and a very reaching accusation that the endorser is pro-lynching (I happen to think Mr. Blumenthal is all wet here, searching for depth in a puddle) we should vocally reject it.

My party hates winning.

[spitar1]

This just in! Osama Bin Laden loves bacon and ham!

[grumbles]

What???? Being a repub these days isnt good for your business, you hypocrit! What a phoney!!!!!!!!!!