They’re not bad live like most people think. If you actually bother to watch other shows other than awards shows where almost everyone sounds bad than you’d discover that.

Unless you’ve heard them acapella (I have), you don’t really have much to go on.

I just don’t see how she has done so much for country, and am tired of hearing and seeing her everywhere, now she is performing twice tonight….why? Let George or Reba great ones perform twice heck perform together anything except more TS.

Just had to get that off my chest, after the more I see of her I realized the lack of musical talent she has, not writing but musical…and she is a horrible live performer it hurt to watch her sing on snl.

“Anyway, I don’t think country music will topple over and die if she does win. If anything, I think it may lead to stronger efforts by traditionalists to regain footing, which I would certainly support.”

Traditionalists HAVE been making strong efforts, and great music…any lost ground certainly isn’t because of an effort deficit on their part. The traditionalist ladies are being shut out by the overwhelming demand for the wares of the young pop princesses, and the Nashville establishment that exists to satisfy that demand.

Now whether the pendulum of popular desire will swing back towards the traditionalists after having it’s fill of country-lite (with a Swift victory, etc..).will be interesting to watch. I guess it’s concievable there might be a backlash in popular opinion, but it will only happen when the grownups get sick of having children in charge of the marketplace.

I never said sales should be the end-all. Sales, like artistic strength, are just one aspect of overall impact. But in determining overall impact, it’s irrational to ignore that a particular act is outselling most of her peers by a 4:1 margin (in most cases better) in the midst of an economic crisis. It’s also irrational to ignore that that particular act has a much greater presence in the world outside country music.

I agree that Swift isn’t in the same overall league as the women you mentioned (although I think much of her recorded music could easily compete with Mandrell’s), but that’s where we are now. I don’t think she’s very country, but I do think she’s released more interesting music in the last year than some of the other nominees. But I know some people don’t think there’s any real value whatsoever to her music, and that’s a matter where I’d just have to agree to disagree.

Anyway, I don’t think country music will topple over and die if she does win. If anything, I think it may lead to stronger efforts by traditionalists to regain footing, which I would certainly support.

“By that criteria, Dan, the award should always go to the person with the highest sales figures. That doesn’t leave any discretion for artistic merit.”

Exactly. The sales-impact criteria would not leave any room for the drama of an awards show either. (If there is any remaining nowadays.)

By that criteria, Dan, the award should always go to the person with the highest sales figures. That doesn’t leave any discretion for artistic merit.

Generally speaking, I think you can glean a lot about a particular era of country music by looking at who won Entertainer in those years. Taylor Swift winning would make a definitive (and accurate) statement about this era of country music. If we always just vote for our favorite act regardless of other considerations, we misrepresent what really happened in this era.

The award isn’t supposed to be about representing or misrepresenting what’s going on in country music at any given time. I do agree that a win by Taylor would certainly say a lot about this era of country music — and not in a good way. It would make the entire awards program a complete laughing stock. It is an embarrassment that they even nominated her. The very notion that she should be part of that same small circle of female performers as Loretta Lynn, Dolly Parton, Barbara Mandrell and Reba McEntire is almost beyond comprehension.

And for the record, I’m not necessarily “voting” for my favorite. George Strait is my favorite hands down among this group of nominees, but I really think the award should go to Brad Paisley this year.

I’m not saying there’s no room for taste in the decision, of course. It could be argued that Rascal Flatts deserved to win one or two years there based on numbers and presence, but CMA tastes kept it going to Kenny Chesney, which was fine, because his success was comparable anyway. In the case of Taylor, there isn’t anyone of comparable current impact besides Carrie Underwood, who isn’t nominated.