Populism Gets a Nashville Twang

Waters are receding, but cleanup will be time-consuming

(AP) - While city officials reported progress today restoring Nashville's electrical and water systems after a devastating flood, the downtown remained dark, homes were sodden, and patience was wearing thin four days after flash flooding and storms blamed for at least 29 deaths in three states. Nashville's country music scene also began assessing damage from the floods. The blazing fiddles and screaming guitars in the city's famed downtown honky-tonks were quieter as business owners pumped water out of their restaurants and bars. More»

A few in the South, as one might expect

(NEWSER) - Things getting a little too liberal in your neck of the woods? The Daily Caller has a list of the most conservative-friendly counties in the US. The top five:

• Williamson County, Tenn.: Area south of Nashville that’s home to country stars including Kenny Chesney has the highest rate of married couples on the list, and John McCain got 69% of the vote there.
• Forsyth County, Ga.: Democratic party machines focused on cities, but decentralization favors Republicans here, where, Chris Palko writes, “homeowner associations are more powerful than any branch of local government.”

Don't expect a new tour or album anytime soon

(NEWSER) - Garth Brooks is officially out of retirement—whatever that means. The 47-year-old singer announced his return to great fanfare at Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry today. “It’s a proud day for me and my family,” Brooks declared. But coming out of retirement doesn’t mean Brooks will be recording a new album, or even touring. Brooks said it would be at least 5 years before either of those things happens. More»

As Republicans' populists appeal hits dull notes, so does country's pop flirtation

(NEWSER) - Joe the Plumber is transforming himself into Joe the Country Singer, but he might not want to quit his day job, whatever it was. In the New Republic, David Browne warns that “country is no longer the music of the middle for many Americans.” Instead, Barack Obama's iPod, full of Crow, Coltrane and Jay-Z, may better represent what's going into the body politic’s ears. More»

How they acted

(NEWSER) - What viewers see is as important as what they hear in debates. So what did pundits see?

• "The expressions on John McCain's face, and the irritation in his voice, said it all," writes the San Francisco Chronicle. McCain “was a portrait of frustration,” while Obama looked like the proverbial “cool hand at the tiller”—just what McCain said the country needs.