The tide is turning swiftly in favor of Democrats in the US House of Representatives — that much has been known for months. But there’s a race in the US Senate that has Republicans worried as well, and for very good reason. If the polling keeps trending the way it has been, it looks like Democrat Beto O’Rourke is going to actually come away with a win over junior Texas Senator Ted Cruz in November, and although they’d rather not lose the seat to the left, we’re not even sure Republicans are that sorry to see Ted go — he’s remarkably unlikeable.
By contrast, his opponent Beto is insanely popular, and even that seems like a bit of an understatement.
After a video of the Democratic contender defending the First Amendment against those who would tell black Americans to sit down and shut up went viral, Beto’s poll numbers shot through the roof. But that’s almost to be expected in a political atmosphere of memes and Internet-based campaigns.
More importantly, Beto embraces truly Democratic principles: Accessible health care for everyone, workers’ rights, women’s rights, and an adherence to the rule of law. Just exactly the kind of candidate that country, blues, and jazz legend Willie Nelson has been supporting his whole life.
That’s what made it so odd when Willie’s “fans” were so outraged after he announced he was playing a benefit concert for Beto’s campaign. Many people have associated country music since time immemorial with Republican politics, and apparently, his fans have both never heard “Stardust” and never heard Willie talk about politics before. Fox News wrote breathless editorials about how Nelson was “alienating” his fanbase, and that made Willie’s response on today’s episode of The View all the sweeter.
“People are shocked at that, that you would support a Democrat. Why? Do they have some misunderstanding of you?” Joy Behar asked the music icon. Willie seemed as perplexed as her:
I don’t know, I guess so, because I’ve been supporting Democrats all my life.”
Asked why people have the image of him that he would somehow not be a Democrat and whether or not he was getting “flak” from fans, Willie went on:
I don’t know. I have no idea. Because, you know, I haven’t hidden it that much … I love flak. We’re not happy ’til they’re not happy.”
And in a final statement after Joy repeated the fact that “a lot of your fans don’t like it,” Willie was succinct in his reply:
I don’t care.”
Watch the incredible exchange here:
Featured image via Wikimedia Commons
