Is Charlie Daniels’ latest proclamation about politics kosher? It probably depends who you ask.
Country music legend Daniels took some time out of his Tuesday morning to decry what he saw as “a gentile treason” via his Twitter account.
“Denying justice or benefit to the American people for personal or party political reasons is nothing short of a gentile treason in my book,” Daniels, who earlier this year declared that he was cutting back on following politics, wrote.
Daniels didn’t specify what situation he was referring to (though he had criticized Democrats earlier in the day for “denying the American people security” with regard to Trump’s proposed border wall). And it’s most likely that the musician meant to reference “a gentle treason.” In any case, commenters filled in the blanks with their replies to the traditionally conservative Daniels’ tweet.
A number of commenters took the tweet as an opportunity to call out President Trump.
“President Donald Trump’s charity will shut down with its remaining assets distributed to other not-for-profit organizations as part of an agreement filed Tuesday by New York Attorney,” read one reply.
“So, you stand against @realDonaldTrump? Great to have you on the side of true Americans, Mr. Daniels,” read another reply.
Yet others referenced former national security adviser Michael Flynn, who received a tongue-lashing from a judge this week prior to having his sentencing delayed.
“Judge Sullivan tells Flynn that serving as unregistered agent of a foreign country while serving as National Security Adviser means ‘arguably you sold your country out,'” read one reply.
Yet another commenter took the tweet as an opportunity to criticize the “Demorat” [sic] party.
“It is treasonous and applies to most of the #Demorat party,” read that commenter’s response.
Yet another commenter accused Daniels of being “hoodwinked” by the Republican Party, writing, “WAKE UP Charlie, you’ve been hoodwinked by the Republican party and Trump . Sometimes it happens to the best of us.”
And finally, one commenter asked, “‘Gentile treason’ ??”
Hey, it could have been worse — Daniels might have reflected on genital treason, which is a really dangerous topic to broach.
Read Daniels’ tweet below.
Denying justice or benefit to the American people for personal or party political reasons is nothing short of a gentile treason in my book
America's Most Famous Political Convention Speeches, From FDR to Obama (Photos)
As the 2016 Democratic and Republican conventions arrive, TheWrap looks back at famous convention speeches that defined both politicians and the parties they campaigned for.
1896 -- "Cross of Gold" by William Jennings Bryan Just before the turn of the 20th century, Nebraska Congressman William Jennings Bryan arrived at the Democratic convention as an underdog candidate and left it as the party's champion. Bryan made a roaring speech on behalf of Blue Collar America, claiming that it would suffer if Washington decided to base its economy on the gold standard.
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"You shall not press down upon the brow of labor this crown of thorns," Bryan bellowed at the end of his speech. "You shall not crucify mankind upon a cross of gold!" There was a moment of silence …then the entire convention went nuclear. Bryan became an overnight hit amongst Democrats and easily earned the nomination easily, but lost the election to William McKinley.
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1932 -- "The New Deal" by Franklin Delano Roosevelt Once upon a time, candidates would remain silent until the delegates confirmed them as the nominee. FDR turned that on its head by announcing beforehand that he would be making an acceptance speech, one that came to define his legacy as he promised a "new deal for America" while the nation struggled with the Great Depression.
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1960 -- "The New Frontier" by John F. Kennedy JFK's acceptance speech was based on a simple idea: America's only hope for progress was to put all its focus on the future, even if it had to drag its more nostalgic side along with it. "It would be easier to shrink from that new frontier, to look to the safe mediocrity of the past, to be lulled by good intentions and high rhetoric," Kennedy mused during his acceptance speech, "and those who prefer that course should not vote for me or the Democratic Party."
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1964 -- "In Defense of Liberty" by Barry Goldwater If JFK's speech was a call to boldly face the new, Barry Goldwater's Republican Convention speech four years later was a call to arms in defense of the old. Goldwater and his supporters doubled-down on an anti-Civil Rights platform, with Goldwater declaring that "extremism in defense of liberty is no vice" and "moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue."
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1976 -- "No Pastel Shades" by Ronald Reagan Though Goldwater's policies were roundly rejected by the electorate, future Republicans would adopt his "stand your ground" mentality when it came to conservative principles to great success. Take Reagan's '76 concession speech, which paved the way for his 1980 victory when he called on Republicans to commit themselves to a platform "that is a banner of bold, unmistakable colors, with no pastel shades."
1980 -- "Dream Shall Never Die" by Ted Kennedy There may never be a greater concession speech than this. Despite not having enough delegates to win, Sen. Ted Kennedy made a last ditch attempt to wrestle the nomination from Pres. Jimmy Carter. Upon failure, Kennedy assured his fellow Dems that "the work goes on, the cause, endure, the hope still lives, and the dream shall never die." When Carter failed to move the needle in a similar way, it became a sign that the splintered Democrats were not going to be able to challenge Reagan.
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1984 -- "Reagan's City" by Mario Cuomo Four years later, the Democrats were still struggling to find their voice again as Reagan continued to redefine conservatism. Enter N.Y. Governor Mario Cuomo, who gave a keynote speech that solidified the liberal opposition to Reagan by challenging his vision of America as a city on a hill.
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"A shining city is perhaps all the President sees from the portico of the White House," Cuomo said. "But there's another city … In this part of the city there are more poor than ever, more families in trouble, more and more people who need help but can't find it ... There is despair, Mr. President, in the faces that you don't see, in the places that you don't visit in your shining city."
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1988 -- "Read My Lips" by George Bush Much like how "The New Deal" became the phrase that defined FDR's pre-WWII presidency, George Bush's one-term presidency was judged by how he committed himself to the famous six-word declaration he made at the '88 RNC: "Read my lips: No new taxes."
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2004 -- "One America" by Barack Obama Back when he was a junior senator from Illinois, Barack Obama began his road to the White House with a rousing call for unity as the keynote speaker John Kerry's '04 DNC. Obama called out "the negative ad peddlers who embrace the politics of 'anything goes'" and declared that "there is not a liberal America and a conservative America … there is the United States of America." Overnight, Obama became nationally known as a bold, youthful uniter.
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Speeches at political conventions have defined careers and shaped the paths of Democrats and Republicans alike
As the 2016 Democratic and Republican conventions arrive, TheWrap looks back at famous convention speeches that defined both politicians and the parties they campaigned for.
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