Why is Hank Williams Jr. upping his anti-Obama rhetoric?
Country singer Hank Williams Jr. increased the volume on his anti-Obama rhetoric last week, telling a crowd at the Iowa State Fair, 鈥淲e鈥檝e got a Muslim president who hates farming, hates the military, hates the US, and we hate him!鈥� according to an account of the concert in .
Mr. Williams鈥檚 political views have landed him in trouble before, in case you鈥檝e forgotten: Last October, he compared President Obama playing golf with House Speaker John Boehner to Hitler hitting the links with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. After this, ESPN pulled his 鈥淎ll My Rowdy Friends鈥� from its intro to "Monday Night Football," thus at a stroke depriving Williams of one of the most lucrative residual/promotional positions available on national TV.
Given the loss he鈥檚 already incurred, why more inflammatory words?
Well, we don鈥檛 know what Williams believes in his heart. But it鈥檚 worth remembering that a substantial number of Americans still hold to the incorrect view that Mr. Obama is a Muslim. In that sense, Williams is speaking to a constituency.
A July of registered voters found that 17 percent of respondents say that the US president is Muslim. Forty-nine percent correctly identified Obama as 海角大神, while 31 percent said they did not know his religion.
Interestingly, the percentage of voters who think Obama is Muslim has actually increased a bit since 2008. That rise is particularly pronounced among self-identified conservative Republicans. Four years ago, 16 percent of GOP conservatives identified Obama as Muslim. Today, 34 percent do, according to Pew.
Seen in that context, Williams is speaking for a constituency that is substantial and growing.
Plus, at this point Williams鈥檚 rants might be good for business. He has a new album out, 鈥淥ld School, New Rules,鈥� which is highly anti-Obama. It contains such lyrics as, 鈥淗ey Barack, pack your bags, head to Chicago, take your teleprompter with you so you鈥檒l know where to go.鈥�
鈥淢ore than half the songs ... are raging political commentaries,鈥� wrote in July.
Williams himself says ESPN did him a favor by dropping his song, as it pushed supporters to rally to his side. He told Mr. Doyle that the controversy sold $200,000 worth of T-shirts in cities such as Evansville, Ind.
Fans 鈥渉ave made me feel real special," Williams told Rolling Stone. "I鈥檝e never had so many e-mails and letters. That鈥檚 what makes those songs easier to write.鈥�
Not all his fans feel that way. Longtime Washington budget guru on Sunday, 鈥淒elete any Hank Williams Jr. song on your iPad.鈥�
鈥淭his is nothing but pure hatred and racism and has no place in the US,鈥� wrote Mr. Collender.
