Heartlanders had a busy week debating political issues, from Cracker Barrel-gate to the importance of midterms, even laughing it up at former presidential candidate Kamala Harris. CEOs walked back remarks; President Donald Trump pulled back Secret Service protections from the former VP; and Republicans finally saw that maintaining the House and Senate a short year from now is paramount to the MAGA agenda. Light bulbs went off in the most interesting places.
MAGA: Saddle Up, We Ride at Dawn
Pollster Matt Towery went on Fox News’ The Ingraham Angle and scared the bejesus out of any GOP voter watching. He did have a point, though: Republicans need to stop resting on their laurels and keep the MAGA momentum of the presidential contest going for the 2026 midterm elections. He said, shiver the GOP timbers, that polls indicate a Democrat lead – at least that’s the news from RealClear Polling.
Some folks still feel the rush of 2024, much like Angela Bryeans of Georgia, who said: “Registered voters don’t equate to actual votes. If people understood that a loss of the House would mean impeachment that might motivate because it’s not a maybe, they’ll make it priority.”
Now is the time to capitalize on mistakes by each of the dominant parties. Strategists are keeping tabs on who is pulling the dumbest political stunts imaginable, and the ads in the run-up to 2026 will likely be both entertaining and frightening.
“They continue to have surrogates who throw crazy ideas," said Towery. “The newest one is, of course, that prayer is not good. Right after a tragic shoot[ing], you’re not supposed to pray. So that’s another problem they have. On top of their stand against crime, in which they basically say they don’t want Trump to do anything to clean up crime in these blue states.”
Will Boyles of Alabama had an idea: “How about a campaign ad showing Washington DC went from one of the most dangerous cities in the world, to one of the safest cities in the country in two weeks. Yes, from one of the most dangerous, to one of the safest in 14 days. I wonder how that happened?”
“The people see this sort of stuff, and it really is hurting the brand,” Towery reiterated. “You would think the people who advise Cracker Barrel are advising the Democrats right now.”
The Great Awakening
When Cracker Barrel’s CEO began hinting at a major rebranding, southerners, middle American rural folks, and MAGA people across the nation tensed for the unveiling. Well, it happened. And it was not well received. Uncle Herschel was removed from the logo, which some say made it look suspiciously like Dollar General. Corporate sanitized the restaurant from an Americana experience to a hospital cafeteria. The hoopla was cacophonous, prompting CEO Julie Felss Masino to appear on Good Morning America and tell this whopper: "People like what we're doing," she said, claiming the feedback has been "overwhelmingly positive." What is she yammering about? It sent a shockwave over all platforms of social media. And if the feedback was so “overwhelmingly positive,” why did the company scrap the new logo and return Uncle Herschel to his chair by the cracker barrel in a week?
Cracker Barrel co-founder Tommy Lowe advised: “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” The 93-year-old Tennessee native called Masino’s cluelessness destructive.
“Well, that’s crazy,” Lowe told local television affiliate WTVF on Thursday, “I heard [CEO Julie Masino] was at Taco Bell, but what’s Taco Bell know about Cracker Barrel and country food?” Lowe asked.
“If they don’t get back to keeping it country, then it ain’t gonna work,” he warned.
In Ogden, UT, Kallie Amber Oborn asked a legit question: “Isn't that the same girl that ruined Bud Light?”
And Thomas Perrigo in Pawhuska, OK, had his say, too: “The problem of going WOKE is that instead of providing good food with a nostalgic atmosphere they chose to pander to a radical minority at the expense of offending the great majority. The result is a mass exodus, and they believe saying ‘we're sorry, we made a mistake’ and will fix it!” Perrigo wasn’t done quite yet: “The problem is... it wasn't a mistake, it was intentional, and you aren't sorry, you just don't like the result of your choice. They may not recover from this.”
Kamala Harris Feels the Weight of Her Coconut
President Donald Trump followed precedent and policy in ending Secret Service protection for former Vice President Kamala Harris. Typically, VPs get six months after leaving office, but Harris somehow had Biden grant her a total of 18 months. Did Harris not see this coming? Or did she “just fall out of a coconut tree,” whatever that means?
As she will embark on a book tour this fall, the California Highway Patrol has picked up the detail – no one knows willingly or otherwise. But Greg Laing in Arkansas knows some people might be happy: “The Secret Service has been unburdened by what has been.”
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