The popular understanding of Oki from Muscogee is that it's a conservative anthem about the way America ought to be and how liberals are a bunch of whining pancies.

This is what most conservative Americans think about the song and it's what most liberal Americans think about the song.

They're all wrong.

A lot of people think the country music singer-songwriter Merle Haggard and the character singing Oki from Muscogee are the same person.

This is absolutely incorrect and that is not my opinion.

In February of 1970, Merle Haggard told a reporter,

he wrote it to be satirical originally but then people latched onto it and it really turned into this song that looked into the mindset of people so opposite of who and where we were.

He straight up telling us the song was written as a joke.

And I'm proud to be an Oki from Muscogee.

A place where even squares can have a ball.

We still wave old glory down at the fortouts.

And white lighten and still the biggest thrill of all.

It's not making fun of all liberals but it's not making fun of all conservatives either.

I believe the butt of this joke is a very specific type of person who we've all met.

But what do you do if you sing a joke to an entire country?

They all think it's serious and they can't get enough of it.

You shut up and keep singing.

Now you need to know what Merle Haggard would have known about the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl.

I can't too strongly urge every voter to go to the polls on election day and cast his ballot in the way that his judgment and his own conscience shall dictate.

Whatever the common judgment of the whole of a great people may be, that judgment will be right.

Herbert Hoover attended Stanford University in its first year despite failing every entrance exam except math.

A professor admired the strength of his will and gave him a chance.

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