Dylan's "anti-war leftie protest" period was very short, and 40 years ago. .....before we got involved in Vietnam, oddly enough. So, contrary to what many people think, he was not a Vietnam War protest singer. Once the war started Dylan was going electric with his groundbreaking Highway 61 Revisited and Blonde on Blonde, pure rock and roll albums both. ......songs about girls, cars, .....the usual. His lefist/folk crowd even considered him traitorous to their "cause," shouting "Judas" at him during many of the shows of the period (mid-60's).
But Dylan was undeterred, and was more than happy to distance himself from those freaks. In fact, whenever people/critics started to pigeonhole him as a practitioner of a certain style, Dylan invariably did a musical (and lyrical) about-face.
I just wish to goodness he could SING.
(sorry - that whiney off-key monotone has always grated on me. I know it's supposed to be significant, but I can't get past it. Love his songs though. Blood on the Tracks is I think my favorite.)