There are a few differing impressions you get from a recent piece in the New York Times covering the experiences captured at a music festival held last month. I say “impressions” because there are no real revelations shown nor clear conclusions arrived at in the piece. Instead, we get the practice seen often of a cloistered city elitist making “discoveries” in flyover country, as well as confounding details as the concert-goers were not delivering the expected results.

Reporter Richard Fausset attended the two-day Rock The Country concert fest in South Carolina, one of seven stops featuring an array of mostly country music acts, toplined by Kid Rock and Jason Aldean. Fausset toured the grounds, hung out with tailgaters, and explored backstage. While maybe not quite lapsing into wide-eyed wonderment at the previous unexplored facet of the South - as some reporters do, sounding like Dian Fossey entering the gorilla-filled mist – he nonetheless displays a touch of befuddlement. 

Fausset is at times in conflict, as he reports on a venue sporting patrons with contradictions abounding in front of him. This type of curious discovery can only be arrived at when you begin your quest with a preconceived concept of what to expect, and you get the tangible feeling that while describing perfectly relatable scenes, he seems off balance in the mix. 

He wants to give us a look at “the MAGA movement in pure party mode,” despite this being a gathering about music, not politics. That it appeals to conservative-leaning folks is not in question, but it is not the driving energy. Fausset tips his hand in that he frequently presents a paradox, such as seen in his headline; he speaks of “joy” and rage,” “angry rebellion,” and the “beer-guzzling pursuit of happiness.” 

Yet he never actually delivers on this promise of rage and anger on display. One concertgoer gave mention to the need for a civil war. One guy. (This is significantly overmatched by one opening act where the singer implored the crowd to reach out to those with political differences and bring a message of peace.) Fausset also saw a collection of T-shirts in the crowd with what he described as politically incorrect slogans: “Taxes are Gay”; “Ammosexual”; and “I’m voting CONVICTED FELON 2024”. (Enter my GASP! → here.)

You get the sense that this pic was triggering fror the @NYTimes on a few levels. pic.twitter.com/WKNNDjM3kU

— Lie-Able Sources (@LieAbleSources) August 13, 2024

What is clear is that the Times piece indicates that it makes no sense to them that people with differing positions on topics can still come together and enjoy things as a group. The undertone here is that we're supposed to be at each other’s throats, and yet he saw differences without conflict. In the parking lot, he encountered folks who were both pro-life and pro-choice. He witnessed religious expressions as well as beer drinking and passion. Conservatives have long been “proudly” anti-drug use, he states, yet there was a busy cannabis tent and another selling mood-altering gummies. Richard sounds perplexed that people right-of-center might know how to enjoy themselves.

What is clear is that these apparent conflicts in the crowd were not expected. Not only was “The MAGA Faithful” expected to behave in a certain fashion, but the idea that people with differing opinions could manage to not only comingle but get along and enjoy themselves - among themselves - was baffling. But…but, you’re angry…!, is the undercurrent felt in the approach. How these people can have varied viewpoints and not be outraged is a mystery to Fausset.

This has been my experience when I am with those of a like-minded nature. I can be with those who disagree on a topic and it is entirely possible to hash out our positions and listen, without contempt. I can sit in the tavern and have a calm debate on an issue, and even if an agreement is not reached, we clink glasses. Outrage is not the default with those on the right, has been my experience. Here’s an anecdote:

One night I was at the barrelhouse, sitting with others outside enjoying beers and cigars and laughs. One of our favored servers got off duty and sat with us for a spell. Some topic arose and we were commenting on it when a realization came over her. “Holy cow, are you ALL conservative???” We shrugged, collectively; guess so. She got up to leave at that result, which perplexed us. She was of the mind that since she was on the left, to whatever degree, she was not welcome.

To a man, we were all confounded by this reaction. The consensus at the table was, so what?! It took a few moments, but we mollified her, and she rejoined us at the table and I bought her a drink. You could see she was not expecting a calm, accepting response, and it took her a while to accept this reality. I have seen this mindset play out over the years; any time I hear a tale of a friendship severed over politics, it is uniformly a leftist saying there is no way they can tolerate a conservative/Republican/Trump supporter.

This is reflected in the words from Elvie Shane, that singer who spoke of seeking out our political opposites. “If you love them, you be the bigger man — you make the phone call and say, ‘Hey look, I know we disagree. But I still love you.’” I know this is the mindset of many on the right. It is a surprise to the New York Times, and others in the press, who have spent years insisting they need to despise the others and have been coaching their audience how to be combative at the Thanksgiving table.

Richard Fausset sounds genuinely surprised at the attitudes and behaviors of the conservatives at this event. Look at what happens when the media actually meet conservatives in person!