If you’re unfamiliar with the tao of Matthew McConaughey, the actor sees the world like a traffic light. In his memoir, Greenlights, he says the gist is that life is always presenting you either red, yellow, or green lights.
Right about now, it looks like McConaughey is seeing a yellowish-green light on something he’s been flirting with for years: A Texas gubernatorial run. In a recent episode of The Balanced Voice podcast, McConaughey was asked about whether or not he’d run for governor of Texas, since the current governor, Greg Abbott, is up for reelection in 2022. While he’s never dismissed the idea of a run before, the Texas native (and current resident) gave the most telling answer of his plans yet—making it seem like Gov. Alright, Alright, Alright might actually happen someday.
“It’s a true consideration,” McConaughey said. He wondered aloud, “I’m looking into now, what is my leadership role? Because I do think I have some things to teach and share.”
The whole McConaughey-for-Governor idea reaching a crescendo is hardly a surprise. While on the press tour for Greenlights, it’s been rare for the man to not bring up politics—even if they have been hard to place. In 2017, he urged Hollywood to work with then-President Trump, saying, “He’s our president now, we must embrace, shake hands and be constructive with him.” That said, he lives in the very-blue-leaning town of Austin, Texas, and leans left on several big-ticket issues. (Limited gun rights and more weed, of course.) But when talking politics, he’s opted for a more centrist approach, taking aim at the far left and far right. Here’s what he told us back in November when talking about Greenlights:
We’re really not thinking about a long view about where we’re going and how to get there, you know? The far left doesn’t seem to want to ever be able to admit the evil that mankind can possess, and the far right doesn’t want to think past tomorrow… I want to propose meeting in the middle as a dare. I dare you to meet in the middle, instead of like, Oh, that’s a place of great compromise. I dare you to come over here and have a look, to have to meet in the middle, at least have to look at the opposition in the eye. At least shake their hand and go, Well what can we agree on?
Well, there you go. Do you agree with the idea of Governor McC? It looks like we’re leaning toward a green light, baby.
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