Toby Keith speaks at National Press Club
Toby Keith speaks at the National Press Club luncheon Tuesday in Washington, D.C. (Associated Press photo)
Oklahoma country music star Toby Keith was the featured speaker Tuesday at a National Press Club luncheon.
Keith talked about his new United Service Organization tour of Afghanistan and his treatment by the media, and he also took questions from NPC members.
In addition, he ruled out running for political office, particularly Oklahoma governor, in 2018 or sooner, according to The Oklahoman’s Capitol Reporter Chris Casteel.
“Well, I’m not political, so I couldn’t do that,” Keith said. “Number two is, I couldn’t deal with all the lies. I couldn’t shake your hand and walk over there, five feet, and say something bad about you. To me, that’s all politics are, politicians are.”
Read Chris’ story by clicking here.
In the story, Keith complained that the media are caught up in trying to sell “headlines” and often mischaracterize his work and his views. He said that people often assume from media reports about him that he is “right-wing loco,” but he has been a lifelong Democrat who doesn’t have any Republicans in his family.
“My leftie friends think I’m a Nazi, and my rightie friends think I’m a hippie,” he said.
In an interview last fall, Keith told me that he changed his political affiliation from Democrat to Independent because of the nastiness of the presidential election. The ugliness of politics was on his mind again Tuesday, and he expressed concerns about the polarization of the country by “extremists” on both sides.
While he was in Washington, D.C., Tuesday, Keith also accepted a Distinguished Service Award by the Military Officers Association of America.
Keith then departed Tuesday for an 11-day USO tour of Afghanistan. His seventh USO tour of the Persian Gulf will include 17 shows and take him to small, forward operating bases at the front lines of America’s overseas military operations.
-BAM
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