# Arlo Guthrie is a Republican??? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 17, 2009, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arlo-guthrie-is-a-republican/506755 "2009-08-17T17:53:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2009, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arlo-guthrie-is-a-republican/506755/21 "2009-08-18T03:31:10Z")
> [@koeeoaddi](#): > > So, how many more Alice’s Restaurant references can we shoehorn into this thread? As many as we can. Father Rapers. Father rapers, sittin’ right there next to me on the bench. And the meanest, ugliest one, the meanest Father Raper of them all, Rush Limbaugh, was comin’ over to me on the bench. He said, “Kid, what did you get?” I said, “I didn’t get nothin’ I had to pay fifty dollars and pick up the garbage.” And they all moved away from me on the bench, until I said, “And creating a nuisance.” and they all came back, shook my hand, and we all had fun filling out the forms and playing with the pencils on the Group W bench" ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Q](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/898d66/32.png) [@Johnny\_Q](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Q)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2009, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arlo-guthrie-is-a-republican/506755/22 "2009-08-18T05:25:22Z")
Kid, have you rehabilitated yourself? ---
**Author:** ![Ponderoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponderoid/32/19221_2.png) [@Ponderoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponderoid)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2009, 9:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arlo-guthrie-is-a-republican/506755/23 "2009-08-18T09:51:08Z")
**Johnny Q** , you got a lot a damn gall to ask me if I’ve rehabilitated myself, I mean, I mean, I mean that just, I’m sittin’ here on the bench, I mean I’m sittin here on the Group W bench ‘cause you want to know if I’m moral enough join the Republican party, burn abortion clinics, beat up homosexuals, teach intelligent design in public schools after bein’ a folk singer. ---
**Author:** ![Jragon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19b73/32.png) [@Jragon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jragon)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2009, 10:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arlo-guthrie-is-a-republican/506755/24 "2009-08-18T10:05:56Z")
So… does this mean he’s technically on the Group Dubya bench now? ---
**Author:** ![kjckjc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e36b37/32.png) [@kjckjc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kjckjc)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2009, 10:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arlo-guthrie-is-a-republican/506755/25 "2009-08-18T10:06:32Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > To be fair, he’s a Ron Paul Republican, not a George Bush Republican. Well, I think the fact he was sitting on the Group W bench disproves that. ---
**Author:** ![Llama\_Llogophile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@Llama\_Llogophile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Llama_Llogophile)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2009, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arlo-guthrie-is-a-republican/506755/26 "2009-08-18T12:52:14Z")
> [@Johnny\_Q](#): > > Kid, have you rehabilitated yourself? I wanna kill. So, no. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2009, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arlo-guthrie-is-a-republican/506755/27 "2009-08-18T14:53:17Z")
> [@Jragon](#): > > So… does this mean he’s technically on the Group Dubya bench now? Wow - I’m ashamed of myself for not making this joke. Well done! ---
**Author:** ![It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/it_s_not_rocket_surgery/32/312_2.png) [@It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/It_s_Not_Rocket_Surgery)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2009, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arlo-guthrie-is-a-republican/506755/28 "2009-08-18T15:10:17Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > Ted Nugent and Dennis Hopper are two other Republicans whose political status always surprises people. As does Drew Carey, although he’s more Libertarian than Pubbie. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2009, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arlo-guthrie-is-a-republican/506755/29 "2009-08-18T15:27:19Z")
Come on - he’s the guy who wanted see blood and gore and guts and veins in his teeth, and eat dead burnt bodies. Sounds like a good solid Republican to me. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![GrandWino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grandwino/32/67_2.png) [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2009, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arlo-guthrie-is-a-republican/506755/30 "2009-08-18T15:35:41Z")
> [@handsomeharry](#): > > He’s great without his father. As a matter of fact, I’ve heard Alice’s restaurant, coming into los angeles, and City of NO more times in my life than I have “this land is your land”. If the father wrote that one, it’s the only one of his that I have heard. His father was little better than an idiot, a non-violent Charles Manson, who was so much smarter than everybody else, according to him, and pretty boring. He wasn’t famous big time in his life, because he wasn’t good. People now like him because they are looking for something different, but with ‘roots’ , something to help define our current national/financial situation, and they’re projecting their spectre’s image onto his. He’s hip among birkenstockers and their kids, but his music was for a niche market, and Arlo himself certainly was and is a better quality musician. > > hh I have to disagree. I’m not saying Woody was a great songwriter, but the guy could write some killer lyrics. His career was cut short due to illness so he wasn’t able to keep recording or performing after about his early 40’s. He continued to write lyrics and poetry though, thousands of pieces actually, and Billy Bragg and Wilco put them to music on their two Mermaid Avenue albums. Listen to his words put to their music and I don’t see how you can call him an idiot. ---
**Author:** ![Stentor\_2.5](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bc8723/32.png) [@Stentor\_2.5](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stentor_2.5)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2009, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arlo-guthrie-is-a-republican/506755/31 "2009-08-18T16:08:46Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > Ted Nugent and Dennis Hopper are two other Republicans whose political status always surprises people. Ted Nugent doesn’t surprise me in the least. But then, I’ve grown up in a time when he was better known for promoting gun culture and libertarianism than for being a singer. Did he have a different persona back in the day? ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2009, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arlo-guthrie-is-a-republican/506755/32 "2009-08-18T16:37:23Z")
I don’t care if he is Satan’s first lieutenant, he has made some great music and puts on a great concert. And Steve Goodman begged him to do City of New Orleans. And out of a lot of giants who recorded that song, Arlo’s version is still the best by far. ---
**Author:** ![Scarlett67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlett67/32/7387_2.png) [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2009, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arlo-guthrie-is-a-republican/506755/33 "2009-08-18T18:12:44Z")
> [@Jragon](#): > > So… does this mean he’s technically on the Group Dubya bench now? **WIN** ---
**Author:** ![Corner\_Case](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/corner_case/32/234_2.png) [@Corner\_Case](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Corner_Case)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2009, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arlo-guthrie-is-a-republican/506755/34 "2009-08-18T18:29:18Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > Come on - he’s the guy who wanted see blood and _**[Al]**_ gore and guts and veins in his teeth, and eat dead burnt bodies. > > Sounds like a good solid Republican to me. I guess that makes sense. ---
**Author:** ![outlierrn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/outlierrn/32/3005_2.png) [@outlierrn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/outlierrn)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2009, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arlo-guthrie-is-a-republican/506755/35 "2009-08-18T21:37:07Z")
> [@Jragon](#): > > So… does this mean he’s technically on the Group Dubya bench now? Well played, Sir. A thread winner. ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2009, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arlo-guthrie-is-a-republican/506755/36 "2009-08-18T21:40:01Z")
> [@Corner\_Case](#): > > I guess that makes sense. I am not playing Jr. Mod, here just trying to be informative. It is generally considered against the rules to modify another person’s quoted words. No biggie, here, I presume. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2009, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arlo-guthrie-is-a-republican/506755/37 "2009-08-18T23:51:39Z")
Actually, to be allowed to vote in many areas you have to register, and in general the only options available are Dem or Rep. I tossed a coin and ended up republican. I just wanted to be legally registered to vote so I could exercise my franchise. My personal take on it is that there should be no party requirement to register as a voter. And as I vote, I also reserve the right to bitch about politics when it is the person I didnt vote for that won and is acting like a jackass. No vote, no right to bitch about the government. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2009, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arlo-guthrie-is-a-republican/506755/38 "2009-08-19T03:42:06Z")
> [@Stentor\_2.5](#): > > Ted Nugent doesn’t surprise me in the least. But then, I’ve grown up in a time when he was better known for promoting gun culture and libertarianism than for being a singer. Did he have a different persona back in the day? I recall back when “Cat Scratch Fever” was big. That’s when I first heard he was a Republican. I and everyone else I knew were surprised, I guess because the whole rock ‘n’ roll mystique at that time just seemed naturally to preclude Republicans. No one seemed to know much about his views on anything then. > [@aruvqan](#): > > Actually, to be allowed to vote in many areas you have to register, and in general the only options available are Dem or Rep. I tossed a coin and ended up republican. > > I just wanted to be legally registered to vote so I could exercise my franchise. My personal take on it is that there should be no party requirement to register as a voter. > > And as I vote, I also reserve the right to bitch about politics when it is the person I didnt vote for that won and is acting like a jackass. No vote, no right to bitch about the government. I had to register with a party to vote in Hawaii, but they mercifully grant the option of registering as an Independent. That always tickled me, being a registered independent. ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2009, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arlo-guthrie-is-a-republican/506755/39 "2009-08-19T12:31:12Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > Ted Nugent and Dennis Hopper are two other Republicans whose political status always surprises people. Ted Nugent doesn’t surprise me at all. He has always been about as vocal as he can be about it. Dennis Hopper, on the other hand, was a bit of a shocker for me. ---
**Author:** ![LC\_Strawhouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e19adc/32.png) [@LC\_Strawhouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LC_Strawhouse)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2009, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arlo-guthrie-is-a-republican/506755/40 "2009-08-19T22:55:08Z")
I was at a folk festival around 2004 in the heart of granola country in upstate NY. One old performer announced that he was going to do an old blues number, re-done as a protest song about the White House (big cheers from the audience.) But if one listened closely, the lyrics all had to do with Waco, Ruby Ridge, Janet Reno, etc. I wondered if the guy was so fried that he didn’t even know who was in the White House that year. So yeah, those folkies can be as unpredictable (politically) as anyone else… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arlo-guthrie-is-a-republican/506755.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arlo-guthrie-is-a-republican/506755.md?page=3)