Cher is ready to throw her entertainment industry clout behind former Vice President Joseph R. Biden after the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee won her “hate the least” litmus test.
The music industry icon recently gave a wide-ranging interview with Billboard on her career, the coronavirus pandemic and U.S. politics when the conversation turned to President Trump’s likely opponent for the 2020 election.
“You know, everybody’s got faults, but at least he has a soul, and he understands pain,” the singer said of Mr. Biden. “He’s also been a politician for a gazillion years. I think he still has got it, or I wouldn’t vote. I’m actually registered as an independent. It means I don’t agree with everybody, but in the final analysis, you have to vote for the one side you hate the least.”
The 73-year-old also noted that what America needs now is “that kind of activism” practiced by New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
“It has to be a combination of the wisdom and the youth for their energy. We’re not best friends, but I know Nancy Pelosi and I know that she is holding the reins to try and keep everybody together,” she said for the interview published Monday. “But they need to ratchet it up a little bit. I don’t agree with everything, but I think that the baseline of AOC is a big part of this new movement. But she needs to work in concert with Nancy because Nancy has so much knowledge, and Nancy is tough.”
The key, Cher said, is for the nation to take a leftward political lurch in small increments.
“Going left is fine, but it has to be in degrees so that the people who are centrist can think that sounds good, or it isn’t so radical,” she said. “We have to bring everybody along and not drag or pull them along. You have to understand and guide them so they can say, ’I get that. I’m not afraid of that.’ I think Joe Biden can do that.”
Cher insisted that she would give Mr. Trump “some props” if she saw evidence that he “was really interested in people and came up with something to help” on various issues.
• Douglas Ernst can be reached at dernst@washingtontimes.com.
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