DeSantis causes political stir at Luke Bryan’s Florida concert. So what? | Editorial

Music and politics, at times, have collided or complemented each other. They did so again over the weekend, and Gov. Ron DeSantis was in the middle of it as the country music played in Jacksonville.

It was another example of how popular he is — and isn’t.

This time, it wasn’t about Bill Clinton playing Fleetwood Mac’s “Don’t Stop” at his inauguration, with permission.

Or Bruce Springsteen asking Donald Trump to stop playing “Born in the U.S.A.” at his events without permission.

Or Lee Greenwood’s “God Bless America,” played for George H. W. Bush at just about every event.

It was over DeSantis appearing on stage at Luke Bryan’s concert in Jacksonville. The singer is one of country music’s biggest stars and a current “American Idol” judge.

Did DeSantis’ appear to help raise donations for Hurricane Ian victims or to drum up votes as he runs for reelection and, allegedly, eyes the White House in 2024?

That’s the tempest in this teapot. We have to ask: And the problem is . . . ?

Some Bryan fans are accusing him of being a DeSantis supporter and giving the governor’s controversial culture wars and revenge politics a platform at a place where they did not expect it, since they were paying for the concert ticket.

No doubt, DeSantis is a divisive public figure. Bryan admitted as much in a tweet Sunday night.

Bryan is defending his decision to invite DeSantis on stage during his Friday night concert. DeSantis was there to raise money for victims of Hurricane Ian, which decimated parts of Southwest Florida in late September.

“Thanks for letting me crash the party last night, @lukebryan!” DeSantis said in a Twitter post the following day, drawing attention across the country.

A tweeted video of the event showed Bryan introducing DeSantis to a loud ovation. “We’re gonna have some fun and raise some money tonight for the great state of Florida,” Bryan tells the crowd. “Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the stage, Governor Ron DeSantis!”

DeSantis comes on stage, tossing a few hats, described as campaign hats, and high-fiving Bryan as the crowd loudly applauds, the video shows. An image showed both men walking arm-in-arm offstage.

That’s when the backlash began, apparently from Bryan’s more-liberal fans angered by DeSantis’ appearance. They expressed their displeasure on social media, where Bryan was trending. Threats were flying that he was done, but there was also support for Bryan.

“Two Rock Stars celebrating freedom in Florida,” one tweet said; another said: “Look, I understand this is for hurricane relief . . . But when you do this 10 days before the midterms, it’s nothing but a political stunt. . . . Shame on you, Luke Bryan.”

Bryan released a statement on Twitter after footage emerged, though he has not publicly spoken out about whether he supports DeSantis or not.

“I typically don’t respond to stuff when I’m getting run down on a social platform, but here’s the deal,” Bryan wrote. “I understand Governor DeSantis is a very polarizing figure. But I grew up in a country where if a governor asks you if they can come and raise awareness to help victims of a natural disaster, you help.”

Here’s another song to consider: Petula Clark’s “A Sign of the Times.”

Just about every aspect of our lives is a political team sport nowadays, even attending a concert. Everyone picks a side — and digs in.

We don’t think Bryan or DeSantis did anything wrong. Of course, Bryan’s fate will be decided by the free market. And that of DeSantis will be decided at the ballot box.

This story was originally published November 1, 2022 at 3:06 PM.