I’m sure Dylan would not call it an endorsement, but the Times of London does:
His 1964 track ‘The Times They are a-Changin’ became the anthem for his generation, symbolising the era-defining social struggle against the establishment.
Now Bob Dylan – who could justifiably claim to be the architect of Barack Obama’s ‘change’ catchphrase – has backed the Illinois senator to do for modern America what the generation before did in the 1960s.
In an exclusive interview with The Times, published today, Dylan gives a ringing endorsement to Mr Obama, the first ever black presidential candidate, claiming he is “redefining the nature of politics from the ground up”.
He does, indeed, have some very positive things to say about Obama, even if it’s not “a ringing endorsement” as the paper claims:
Asked about his views on American politics, he said: “Well, you know right now America is in a state of upheaval. Poverty is demoralising. You can’t expect people to have the virtue of purity when they are poor.
“But we’ve got this guy out there now who is redefining the nature of politics from the ground up…Barack Obama.
“He’s redefining what a politician is, so we’ll have to see how things play out. Am I hopeful? Yes, I’m hopeful that things might change. Some things are going to have to.”
He added: “You should always take the best from the past, leave the worst back there and go forward into the future.”
Pretty amazing stuff from the “Don’t follow leaders, watch the parking meters” guy who has always insisted he doesn’t speak for anyone but himself.
Wonder if he votes.
Anyway, endorsement or not, it’s one more piece of evidence that maybe the times really are a-changin’ if even Dylan sees reason for hope.
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How many roads must a man walk down…
How many years must some people exist…
He who gets hurt will be he who has stalled …
Etc
http://www.crooksandliars.com/…
opening in London of his visual art. It is really good, I usually don’t care for ‘rock star’ painting and resent the fact that they get to clog up the shelves of the art section with their lousy doodles. I now find my self adding painter to his ‘oeuvre’. Another side to a great artist. His politics seem to me to be like many here on Docudharma not specifically partisan or politician centered. The fact that he has talked up Obama means a lot to me, as he was was of the artists who formed my core political beliefs.