Legendary country music pioneer Willie Nelson is having second thoughts about his endorsement earlier this week of former New Mexico governor and 2012 GOP presidential candidate Gary Johnson.
Nelson now says his endorsement of Johnson might have been a bit premature. According to the TeaPot Party’s website — a group co-founded by Nelson — the 78-year-old music star says that he would personally prefer U.S. Rep. Dennis J. Kucinch if the eight-term congressman decides to run for president a third time, a scenario that is increasingly unlikely as the Cleveland lawmaker scours the country in search of a new congressional district in the event that his seat is carved up by Ohio state legislators.
Ohio is losing two of its congressional seats in 2012 through reapportionment.
Reminded by TeaPot Party activist Steve Bloom that he had already approved the group’s endorsement of Johnson, Nelson said, “I know I said that. But I think I will wait and see where he [Johnson] stands on other things. My bad. Sorry.”
Nelson said that he still believes Johnson is “a good guy,” but that he wants to wait and see what Kucinich does next year.
“If it came down to either him or Gary I’m already committed to Dennis,” he wrote in an e-mail. “They both have said they support legal pot.”
Nelson, a longtime Democrat, supported Kucinich’s bid for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2008.
The Johnson camp took the news in stride, saying that they appreciate whatever level of support Nelson and the TeaPot Party can offer.
Follow Us