Bob Dylan joins growing group backing Barack Obama

Sen. Barack Obama has not only locked up the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination, he also secured support from a musical icon known for his ardent stand on social issues.

In a recent interview with The London Times, Bob Dylan, currently on tour, claimed Obama "redefines the nature of politics from the ground up."

No shrinking violet when it comes to his political views, and with the chaos the American economy is currently in with rising gas prices, rising food prices, unemployment, and funding an unpopular war, Dylan told the paper, "Well, you know right now America is in a state of upheaval. Poverty is demoralizing. You can't expect people to have the virtue of purity when they are poor. But we've got this guy out there now who is redefining the nature of politics from the ground up...Barack Obama."

Dylan joins another of rock's elder statesmen, Bruce Springsteen, in backing the Illinois Senator's bid to win the White House. During the primaries, both Obama and fellow Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton courted several celebrities and musicians to join their campaigns, and Obama tapped some to work on his voter registration initiatives.

Not to be outdone, Republican Presidential candidate John McCain has also seen the importance of the music connection to politics and has used a song by the Swedish supergroup ABBA, who he claims to be a fan of, in one of his campaign blogs.

"[Obama's] redefining what a politician is, so we'll have to see how things play out. Am I hopeful? Yes, I'm hopeful that things might change," Dylan added. "Some things are going to have to. You should always take the best from the past, leave the worst back there and go forward into the future."

Among the list of other members in the musical community who have already thrown their support behind Obama include Dave Matthews, the Grateful Dead, Arcade Fire, Superchunk, and The Decemberists.