Johnny Cash Defended

Johnny Cash

Aug. 19, 2008 — When John Rich introduced his John McCain theme song, "Raisin’ McCain," at a campaign rally on Aug. 1, he also played "I Walk The Line" and proclaimed that "Johnny Cash would have been a John McCain supporter if he was still around."

That apparently did not go over well with the Man in Black’s oldest daughter. Rosanne Cash posted a note on her website taking issue with anyone who incorporates her dad into a political campaign.

"It is appalling to me that people still want to invoke my father’s name, five years after his death, to ascribe beliefs, ideals, values and loyalties to him that cannot possibly be determined, and to try to further their own agendas by doing so," she wrote.

Rosanne did not mention John Rich or the Republican party by name. But no other political moments of any import have popped up in recent weeks that would link the Man in Black to either the red party or the blue one.

"I knew my father pretty well, at least better than some of those who entitle themselves to his legacy and his supposed ideals, and even I would not presume to say publicly what I ‘know’ he thought or felt," she said. "This is especially dangerous in the case of political affiliation. It is unfair and presumptuous to use him to bolster any platform. I would ask that my father not be co-opted in this election for either side, since he is clearly not here to defend or state his own allegiance."

The case is well put. Kris Kristofferson famously referred to Cash as "a walking contradiction."