From the heart of conservatism, twenty miles from Lynchburg VA, the home of The Moral Majority, (And Fleets enemas) comes this wonder of the modern day.
Here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6FWenrdKswE
This is a voice familiar in most of the homes in the Commonwealth of Virginia’s most conservative region. Don’t know how the other Oak Ridge Boys feel, but I know that all up and down Appalachia, this is gonna set the political boys thinking.
Tris
That’s Dr. Ralph Stanley with an e, and of the Clinch Mountain Boys, or of the Stanley Brothers going back further.
I have several CDs by him, so I can only assume he’s a member of the East Coast media elite. So this comes as no surprise.
I was only quoting the sources I had on who He played with. (The left out e was a simple typo, though.) I don’t own any CD’s
But, the fact is that he is not some “East Coast Media Elite” guy. He plays the circuit in Appalachia to packed houses in small towns, and has for decades upon decades. The man is an icon in the region.
Tris
I was joking. I’m well aware of who he is, thus my ability to spell his name.
My recollection is that he’s endorsed Democrats for eons, I doubt anyone will be all that surprised, but then again I live half an hour from Woodstock. Assuming you live in the area and have first-hand knowledge of the opinion down there: Do you really think this will change that many minds?
Holy Moly!(5 bonus ponts if you know which comic book hero always said this in the 1940s-50s)
This is great news.
BTW, the song playing in the background in that youtube clip is “Rank Strangers” and is one of the 2-3 all-time Carter/Ralph Stanley bests. Carter, before his death years ago, usually did the vocals. He had one of the most haunting country voices I’ve ever heard. Chills. I think Ralph is singing on this version.
That was noted bluegrass fan and Obama supporter Captain Marvel.
First Junior Johnson and now this. Obama is lining up all my favorite hillbillies! 
Ding Ding! We have a winner.
I won a prize on a radio station in 1966 by knowing that Billy Batson, the cripple newsy, was the secret identity of Captain Marvel. Bastids never sent me the prize.
Actually, Freddy Freeman was the crippled newsie, and his alter ego was Captain Marvel Junior. Billy Batson hosted a radio program and had no obvious physical problems, save for the lack of whites in his eyes.
Cry me a river, liberal 
Well, I can’t say for sure what will, or has changed the minds of folks in Appalachia, but the hard core of the Lynchburg/Roanoak area is the most conservative place in Virginia, if not the world. Having the possibility of a public endorsement of a democrat for president seems to me to be a wake up call. Hope the Republicans sleep on.
My sister is a Shenandoah Valley resident, and long term politically inactive democrat, mostly because it was pointless trying to change the minds of folks who haven’t voted Democratic since Harry F. Byrd. ran the Virginia Democratic Party. All down the mountains things are changing. Folks are worried, and pissed off at the government, and the government is Republicans. I think the Republican party is in for a rude shock next week. Thousands of new voters this year. Tens of thousands, perhaps. And most of them are registering because they think maybe it’s time for a change. A change that they believe in.
Will Stanley make a difference? I think he is more a symptom of the difference, than the cause of it. Remember what happened to country musicians who criticized Republicans eight, or four years ago? That isn’t happening. Noticing that the Bush administration has been a dismal failure in every aspect of governance just doesn’t take much thought. And the folks in the hills have never been as stupid as the folks in the cities thought. Loyal, patriotic, and trusting, yes. Stupid? Not so much.
If McCain doesn’t burn Bush in effigy at a public venue, he is not going to be able to “distance” himself from him. The ninety percent figure is not a made up thing. Folks are not going to believe it, without hearing from the man how badly the country has been run, and what he will do to change that. And there is not enough time for that, now.
Tris
Oh to be as young as you. 
Billy Batson was the cripple newsie whose secret identity was Captain Marvel (Sr. to you, whippersnapper).
I didn’t know he had a cripple kid also.
I agree totally. He might influence one or two neighbors or fellow musicians who were on the fence. But he’s indicative of McCain’s poor choice of running this year, following the Bush years. (Not that McCain has many good years left in him).
OK, samclem, just to be clear on the facts established in this thread: