I don't think he is closet about it. Liberals have just turned his phrases to their own liking. I have been a fan a long time and in his interviews he always reflects my take on things. He has said for years he is not a the sheepish bleeding heart type. Compassionate yes, as all of us conservatives truly are, but not a liberal.
Listen to "Like a Rolling Stone", that sounds pretty anti-hippy to me, too.