Kelly Clarkson endorses Ron Paul; incurs wrath from Twitter
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‘American Idol’ pop queen Kelly Clarkson has always identified with fiesty underdogs, and her support of Ron Paul seems to be no different.
On Wednesday, she took to her Twitter and Who Say accounts to write, ‘I love Ron Paul. I liked him a lot during the last Republican nomination and no one gave him a chance. If he wins the nomination for the Republican party in 2012 he’s got my vote. Too bad he probably won’t.’
Not exactly the confidance booster Paul is likely looking for — she may as well have written, ‘Hey, good luck NOT winning!’ — but it was enough to spark an onslaught of criticism from Clarkson’s followers, who lambasted her choice in light of the controversy surrounding newsletters issued from Paul or his operatives in the ‘80s that used racist and homophomobic language.
Clarkson answered back in several tweets, including one directed at BarkingTurtles, a private Twitter account: ‘I love all people and could care less if you like men or women. I have never heard that Ron Paul is a racist or homophobe?’
After another handful of tweets where she defended her endorsement, the singer, who wrote that she considers herself a Republican despite voting Democrat in the last election, further clarified her stance:
‘I am really sorry if I have offended anyone. Obviously that was not my intent. I do not support racism. I support gay rights, straight rights, women’s rights, men’s rights, white/black/purple/orange rights. I like Ron Paul because he believes in less government and letting the people (all of us) make the decisions and mold our country. That is all. Out of all of the Republican nominees, he’s my favorite.’
In her final tweet on the subject, Clarkson urged for more peace, love and understanding: ‘Man, my eyes have been opened to so much hate tonight. If y’all ever disagree with something I say please don’t feel the need to attack me. I will listen to what you say and any articles or viewpoints you have when you say it with respect. Being hateful is not a healthy way to get people to see or hear you.’
In other words, it was a rough night for Clarkson on Twitter. Who knows how her tussle will compare to Paul’s upcoming battle in Iowa?
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