I think you are wrong. I don't think what you are saying is impossible but it seems far less likely. Let's look at this from the incentive side of things.

Now what is very likely is that with the recent success of "Try that in a small down" this song is getting more traction and promotion from the industry. Money is the goal of most in media and music. Everyone is trying to co-op this guy and his song. That isn't just "the media". Its conservative pendants, republicans, and others. I try to tune out these groups. It is rich hearing these groups get behind this song like they aren't the people the song talks about. The system is built to put everything in terms of party politics and that is what I'm seeing happen here.

Where you might be right is that folks are using this guy and his song to their own ends. People make the mistake of thinking the media and politicians are strictly ideological. They aren't. Some in the media are but they follow trends and when they get push back they pull back.

I find it very hard to believe that this guy is a media creation. They aren't that good. What they do and might have done is push something up that was organic in the beginning.