U.S. Edition
(CNN) - Rappers and rockers flocked to the Democratic convention last week - now country stars are turning out for John McCain at the Republican gathering in St. Paul.
John Rich, of Big & Rich, voiced strong support for the Republican contender today in an interview with CNN.
"I'm one of those young conservative voters voting for John McCain that everybody says doesn't exist out there," Rich told CNN’s Soledad O’Brien Wednesday. "But I know there's tens of millions of us and I want to write a song that got everybody fired up and kind of a rally song."
Rich was referring to his song "Raisin' McCain," which he's been performing on the campaign trail. The song invokes McCain's time as a prisoner of war in Vietnam.
"He stayed strong, stayed extra long / 'Til they let all the other boys out," he sings. "Now we've got a real man with an American plan / We're going to put him in the big White House."
Rich will be playing his song tonight at the Republican convention, and he says he's been pleased to spend time with both Senator McCain and presumptive Republican VP nominee Governor Sarah Palin.
"Getting to be a part of this process is just off the charts for an old country guy like myself," he said.
Watch: Rich tells CNN about his support for McCain
Wow!!Another redneck for McSame!!Surprise,surprise....
"Raisin McCain?" as in he looks like a raisin? What is this songs supposed to mean? is it saying McCain's old?
Country music – I never would have guessed!!
And what is this about McCain being a POW?
Why didn't someone mention this before?
First I've heard of it.
Thank You! There are millions of young people who support McCain. I am a 22 year old college student who will be voting for him and so are most of my friends. I know Obama will probably win a majority of the young vote, but McCain will get a sizable minority. My guess is that McCain will win more of the young vote than the so-called experts predict!
Save a Horse, Ride a ...POW?
If voters flocked to Obama because he was inexperienced- Palin is going to have a real big crowd.
I liked Big & Rich till I saw him on "Nashville Star" and thought he was just meanspirited and a terrible judge so I don't think he is someone I can listen to.
Great, more silly rednecks, just what this country needs
RAISIN, what delicious irony
John Rich needs to keep his political choices lower key because I don't agree with artists of his type expressing a vocal choice like this.
So much for your album sales.
NObama means NO for no experience.
So, he's a young conservative in the first sentence and an old country guy in the last one. Do you have to be a dishonest flip flopper to join the GOP in 2008?
WHO???
Who is John Rich?
Isn't Country Music for Bigots and Rednecks?
Has anyone ever heard of this clown? Must be big in the hick crowd...
Is this foppish clown what Country and Western music has come to? Waylon Jennings must be spinning in his grave.
Typical of CNN to allow such well informed and important comments as "WHO?" and "LOL" yet when someone is trying to make a valid point, CNN never posts it.
His bandmate "Big" happens to be a liberal, so nice try all of you making witty comments about the band name.
A better question might be "who the heck is Ludacris (someone Obama has on his iPod to seem hip)"
I am sure that McCain will will the young racists of your country–as is palins son in law to be (known as "redneck" on his my space-can you see what the white house will look like with mccain/palin-i thought the bush bunch were bad-but by putting palin with mcbush, just solidifies how right & white mccain wants to bring your country. God help You.
John Rich makes my brain hurt. How did he manage to fit that much stupidity into such a short story? That actually is pretty impressive.
what I find more entertaining than the article are all the comments people have posted here...thanks all for the laugh. You, my friends, are worse than those you are complaining about
Um, he's not that young.
Don't you people (Republicans) get it yet?? No matter how the singer lied about young people, McSame still not surviving among young voters, even older voters. Look at all the polls, lol... Obama all the way.
This guy is in his forties I don't think those were the "young voters" people were talking about. The Republicans are an exclusive club that will only let certain Americans in it. That is why they keep saying we have to take off our Republican hats and put on our American hats. They don't consider themselves Americans first.
Young conservative is the same as young and not in Iraq.