Do Musicians' Politics Affect Your Listening To Their Music?

I ask this question, because of a poll being conducted on AOL regarding The Dixie Chicks. They've been outspoken with how they feel toward President Bush and I found this poll question interesting and humorous.

It is: "Do performers' political views affect whether you buy their music?"

Out of 232,535 votes at the time, 62% said yes and only 38% said no. I'm very curious on how the public would respond if it happened to be a different performer in a different genre of music than country, because, let's face it, country fans and stars are more prone to being red-blooded than fans of other forms of music. Branson, Missouri and Nashville, Tennessee have been called the country capital of the world in the past and present. Both Missouri and Tennessee are red states. I don't remember too many "blue" states being known for their country music, like New York, New Jersey, Illinois, or Washington. So, I have a feeling this poll is pretty lopsided with red-blooded country fans. I'd be very interested to know the percentages if the genre had been rap or rock.

Who actually looks into a musician's politics before buying their CD? Did people study The Beach Boys, Beatles, and Monkees' political views before going out and buying a record? Is all this information available? Can I find what musicians are registered as Republicans, Democrats, Independents, Libertarians, or not registered at all? Is there a page complete full of musicians and their views on different social issues? Abortion? Religion? Capital punishment? Immigration? War? Taxes? Liberties? Where is this page? Why would one want to look it over? Why do I care if a musician or band is registered as Republican, Democrat, or even registered at all, if I like their music? If I hear a song on the radio that I start bobbing my head up and down to, what am I going to ask myself? "I wonder if there are any other good songs on their CD" would be a reasonable question. Why would I ask myself, "Gosh, I wonder where they are on the political spectrum? I better go check that out, before I go and buy their CD." Heck no, I'm not going to say that!

Is this true in any form of art? Am I only going to watch films with actors who agree with me politically? Will I only root for athletic teams who agree with me politically? Will I only see a comedian perform if they're on similar wavelengths as myself when it comes to politics? Give me a break! It doesn't matter. They're here to entertain. Actors are here to do just that, act! Basketball players are here to do what they do on the court and help their team win. Musicians are here to play music. Their "political views" shouldn't affect if we do or don't buy their CD. If we like their music, then buy the disc. If we don't like it, then don't bother buying it. Why must their politics enter the equation? When it comes to our liking or disliking a musical act, politics is simply a red herring and should be irrelevant to our enjoying of their music. Frankly, I was stunned by these poll results. Whether conservative Republicans dominated this poll or not, I'm still shocked by the results.

Link:

http://news.aol.com/entertainment/music/dailypulse/052506/_a/dixie-chicks-under-fire/20060525110609990001?ncid=NWS00010000000001%C3%ACK%C3%A8