LONDON - Bob Dylan believes Barack Obama is redefining politics in the United States and could deliver change to a country in upheaval, according to a British newspaper interview published Saturday.
In an interview with the Times of London, the musician is quoted as saying that Obama has changed politics in the United States, though Dylan does not specifically endorse the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee.
"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,'' Dylan is quoted as saying.
"But we've got this guy out there now who is redefining the nature of politics from the ground up ... Barack Obama,'' he was quoted as saying. "He'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. Some things are going to have to.''
The newspaper said the interview took place in Denmark during Dylan's current tour of Scandinavia.
"You should always take the best from the past, leave the worst back there and go forward into the future,'' Dylan said, apparently referring to Obama's campaign.
The 67-year-old singer has an exhibition of his art work opening in London next week.
