Andy Griffith, James Taylor, Dean Smith, and now Junior Johnson endorse Obama.

[Elwood P Dowd]

Who is the next North Carolina icon to come on board? Repuke heads are exploding in the Tar Heel state.

[Zomby Woof]

1. Dean Smith has always been a liberal

That is not shocking.

The Junior Johnson endorsement is a very welcome surprise, however. :-)

[FLyellowdog]

2. That would be me...born and raised in NC. And I endorse

Barack Obama. Hold your applause until the end.

Thank you. Now...:applause:

[BleedingHeartRN]

3. Come on NC!

I think we're going for Obama!

[Cha]

4. Dean Smith...looked him up and

here he is..

"Former North Carolina Tar Heels coach Dean Smith, a beloved figure in the state, has endorsed Barack Obama.

"There is a point in every contest when sitting on the sidelines is not an option," Smith writes in a message posted on the Obama web site. "That is why Linnea and I are writing to urge you to join Barack Obama’s campaign for President."

Smith is known for liberal politics – he pushed for a program to provide medical insurance to children of low-income families, according to this story – but as Jason Zengerle notes, one of the three blurbs on the back of Smith's autobiogrpahy comes from none other than John McCain.

"Dean Smith is not merely a basketball coach of historic accomplishments," McCain wrote. "He is also a man of uncommon integrity and decency."

In his endorsement of Obama, Smith wrote that he and his wife "respect all that Senator McCain has done for our country." He adds: "However, we feel strongly that it is Barack Obama who offers the real leadership our nation needs to tap its potential as a land of opportunity — even as we face difficult times at home and abroad."

<more>
http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2008/10/13/politics/horserace/entry4518079.shtml

[XOKCowboy]

5. Junior Johnson? WOW He's a NASCAR legend for those anti-NASCAR DUers

He's the original bootlegger turned pro driver. This is going to blow some minds. I hope that he makes an ad for Obama.

Edited to add this from Wiki:

Johnson endorsed Senator Barack Obama for the 2008 presidential race. In an email sent to the public on October 27, 2008, Johnson wrote, "...the most important reasons I'm speaking out for Barack Obama are named Robert and Meredith, my two children. My wife Lisa and I talked it over, and honestly, we know in our gut that their future is more secure if Barack Obama is president. At the end of the day, there's just nothing more important than that."

Johnson also spoke out about what he described as a lack of "integrity" in the McCain campaign. "I know what it means to run an aggressive race, but I also know what it means to compete with integrity," Johnson wrote. "Have you gotten one of these pre-recorded calls that are flooding our state smearing Barack Obama's character and questioning his patriotism? That's crossing the line, and North Carolinians deserve better."

[Patsy Stone]

6. I was just coming to post the link

http://www.theyoungturks.com/story/2008/10/27/202647/33/Diary/Nascar-Icon-Junior-Johnson-Endorses-Obama

Nice endorsement!

[XOKCowboy]

7. No doubt...

From the article:

His support for Obama could actually be a game changer in North Carolina. He is that well know down there. NASCAR is the most Republican leaning sport in America and Junior Johnson announcing that he is voting Democrat is pretty fucking amazing.

It sure is...