A group of country music stars are the latest performers to encourage Americans to take an active interest in the upcoming presidential elections. With key names in both the rock and hip hop communities doing their best to rally voters, this week country musicians Ricky Skaggs, Randy Travis, Darryl Worley, Josh Turner, Marty Raybon and Billy Dean joined the 'Your Country Your Vote' campaign. Skaggs told reporters: "It's time to speak for America and not just one party. To me, this is the most important election in our nation's history".
Although Skaggs is a public supporter of Bush and the Republican Party, this particular campaign is non-partisan: "It doesn't matter whether you're a Republican, a Democrat or an independent - your opinion counts." That said, Skaggs did express a certain cynicism to other artists who have taken a very anti-Bush stand when encouraging people to vote. He said: "The American people, they're not going to let Bruce Springsteen or anybody else - or Ricky Skaggs or Marty Raybon or Billy Dean choose who they vote for. And we're certainly not going to let Hollywood choose who we vote for because I don't think they really have a pulse on America. I think the heartland of America is Nashville, Tennessee, or Kansas City or St Louis or Denver, Colorado - that's the heartland of America".