I agree that The Huffington Post is a good venue for Willman, just for the simple fact that he can write the pieces that he wants to write without worrying about topics or word counts.

I linked to his index page because THP can be so overwhelming in style and content. I hope that the site’s regular readers are able to locate Willman’s work. There are certainly a lot of left-leaning country fans who might not even be aware that the genre is producing topical or interesting music these days, so hopefully they’ll find Willman’s pieces and discover music that they might have missed.

I don’t expect MSNBC to start showcasing country artists the way Fox News currently does, and it seems that many political junkies prefer to have their news presented from a distinct point of view, so this could be an opportunity for certain artists to garner exposure that they wouldn’t otherwise. God knows if I was an artist of any worth, I’d want Willman to be the one presenting me as such. (Artists of not much worth, however, should be wary.)

Rich’s comments are… interesting, and certainly provide quite a bit of context for the album he has due out in a couple of weeks. Johnson’s comments, in contrast, reinforce the notion that he just fundamentally gets it when it comes to establishing an artistic persona. I liked the way that Willman’s piece drew attention to that contrast. It’s his ability to engage with music on both an escapist and a political level at a time when so many music writers are more interested in writing consumer reviews that I really admire.