For more than a year now, renowned actor Matthew McConaughey has toyed with the idea of running for political office. In a new interview, he continues to dance the line and when asked if he would consider running, answered “What the hell is politics?”
Speaking on The New York Times’ Sway podcast, McConaughey addressed potential Texas governor candidate Rep. Beto O’Rourke’s comments about him. Afterward, the podcast host, Kara Swisher, asked McConaughey if he considered running for office. He answered, albeit elusively by asking “Who am I going to be?” Where can I be most useful? Is politics an embassy for me to be of the most use to myself, to my family, to the most amount of people in my life moving forward?”
Being the storyteller he is, McConaughey responded in such a way on purpose. He continues, asking more questions about what needs to be done. “Taking sides on a political issue right now, to me, precedes the discussion of something larger and much more important,” he said. “What the hell is politics? … What is progress? Or how about this question: Do we really want to be a United States of America? And I don’t say that with arrogance or condescension. It’s a question we got to answer.”
Matthew McConaughey then asked about our leadership and why we don’t seem to trust them. It seems he answered the podcast’s questions with his own because he says his questions need answering first. “That’s more interesting to me, before I start hopping in the middle of politics going, ‘Well, this is where I stand here, and this is where I stand here.’ Everybody needs to be in the conversation to answer the questions that I was just bringing up.”
Matthew McConaughey May Run for Office Because ‘Politics Needs Redefintion’
Matthew McConaughey’s cryptic answers in the New York Times podcast aren’t the first time he questioned what politics have become. In a previous interview, he mentioned running for office because “politics needs redefinition.”
Appearing on the Set it Straight: Myths and Legends podcast, McConaughey first brought up how ambiguous he thinks politics have become. When asked about running for office, he said the very definition of politics needs to change. “Look, it’s going to be in some capacity. I’m more of a folk-singing, philosopher, poet-statesman than I am per-se definitive politician, so I go, ‘Well that’s a reason not to,’ and then I go, ‘No, that’s exactly why you should, because politics needs redefinition,’” he said. “I have to remain a storyteller. I’ve been given that gift. I love doing it. I have to remain an artist.”
Combining what he’s said in both interviews, it appears McConaughey wishes to remain a storyteller while getting to the bottom of why our leadership is failing and we are at odds with political leaders.
Once those stars align, perhaps he’ll be alright alright alright with running for office.
