The folk musicians and singers that I grew up listening to, were home grown and far from "left wing"...They had a pride in themselves, sang of their joy and sorrow, they revelled in life and all its facets.

Long before folk music was adopted by the political left.
In fact I think Dixieland Jazz was more of an influence than folk music as it led on to the better understanding of black "culture" and political involvement in the civil rights movement.
Reading about the history of the American traditional jazz players certainly gave me my first political insight.