(Below was orignally published on rare.us)
Country-metal-rock-rap legend Kid Rock previewed his new single "Ain't Enough Whiskey" exclusively on Rare Sunday.
Talk about freedom, talk about faith
They talking 'bout taking my guns away
They talk about the greedy, talk about the poor
They talking 'bout sending my daughter to war
Talk about spending, talk about pay, they talk about defending the NSA…
The New York Times asked Rock this month, "I've seen you say that you're not in bed with anybody (politically); you're more of a libertarian than anything else."
Rock responded:
"Fiscally, I'm Republican. But the social issues kill me — gay marriage and abortion. It's like, Come on, man, get off it. There's so many big problems we got that we really need to address in this country."
Rock told The Guardian in January:
"I don't smoke much weed, it makes me dumb. But they should legalise and tax everything: pot, cocaine, heroin. Has it not been proven that people will always find a way to get what they want?"
"I'm always buying more guns. I have everything from a Civil War cannon to an MP5 machine gun and old police guns. If someone invades your house, yeah, you can shoot them. I don't think crazy people should have guns."
"I am definitely a Republican on fiscal issues and the military, but I lean to the middle on social issues. I am no fan of abortion, but it's not up to a man to tell a woman what to do. As an ordained minister I don't look forward to marrying gay people, but I'm not opposed to it."
"I played Barack Obama's inauguration even though I didn't vote for him. I didn't agree with his policies, but there was an exciting sense of change in the air. That promise hasn't been fulfilled – the country is more divided than ever."
To review, Kid Rock seems to love his…
Freedom
Faith
Guns
He’s seems worried about his government…
Sending his kids to war
Spying on him
And seems to believe the U.S. should…
Legalize drugs
Legalize gay marriage, but has reservations
Keep abortion legal, but has reservations
According to polling, more Americans than ever support gun ownership rights. Majorities believe the U.S. tries to do too much around the world militarily, and even those who want a strong response to ISIS don't want another ground war. The public opposes the NSA spying on U.S. citizens. Most Americans think marijuana should be legal. Most believe gay marriage should be legal too.
A slim majority of Americans still call themselves "Pro-Choice," depending on the poll and how questions are framed, but fewer than ever. Fewer Americans consider themselves religious than in generations past, but faith still plays an important role.
Cherishing one's freedom, faith and guns are certainly traditional conservative themes. Wanting less war, the right to privacy, legalized marijuana and gay marriage–and freedom, and guns–certainly fits with many of the libertarian trends some believe are playing an increasingly influential role in American politics at the moment.
Politically, Kid Rock really doesn't fall far from where most Americans are on these hot-button issues, as evidenced by the polling. Nor do these positions necessarily fit into the traditional left-right spectrum, something libertarians also share in defying conventional political definitions.
Is Kid Rock a conservative? Is he a libertarian? Or something different or in-between, representing the current attitudes and opinions of many?
Is he just like most Americans?
Are we like Kid Rock?
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