In case you didn’t hear the good news yesterday — Linda Ronstadt is not very happy about Donald Trump holding a rally last night at a (2200-person capacity) building named for her in Tucson, Arizona! She is so unhappy about it, in fact, that she wrote a letter forcefully denouncing him and officially endorsing Kamala Harris. This is actually a pretty big deal for a few reasons. One, she hasn’t been in the public eye much in recent years, and two that her endorsement could possibly sway some fence-sitting Baby Boomers.
I mean, I love Linda Ronstadt, she is an icon and a musical/sartorial inspiration to me, but I don’t think I love Linda Ronstadt in quite the same way that men of a certain age love Linda Ronstadt. This is a tendency I have been made especially privy to, as a lady who some people think looks somewhat like Linda Ronstadt. (To be fair, I have had most of her haircuts at this point.)
She wrote:
Donald Trump is holding a rally on Thursday in a rented hall in my hometown, Tucson. I would prefer to ignore that sad fact. But since the building has my name on it, I need to say something.
It saddens me to see the former President bring his hate show to Tucson, a town with deep Mexican-American roots and a joyful, tolerant spirit.
I don't just deplore his toxic politics, his hatred of women, immigrants and people of color, his criminality, dishonesty and ignorance — although there's that.
For me it comes down to this: In Nogales and across the southern border, the Trump Administration systematically ripped apart migrant families seeking asylum. Family separation made orphans of thousands of little children and babies, and brutalized their desperate mothers and fathers. It remains a humanitarian catastrophe that Physicians for Human Rights said met the criteria for torture.
There is no forgiving or forgetting the heartbreak he caused.
Trump first ran for President warning about rapists coming in from Mexico. I'm worried about keeping the rapist out of the White House.
Linda Ronstadt
P.S. to J.D. Vance:
I raised two adopted children in Tucson as a single mom. They are both grown and living in their own houses. I live with a cat. Am I half a childless cat lady because I'm unmarried and didn't give birth to my kids? Call me what you want, but this cat lady will be voting proudly in November for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz.
Ronstadt can’t sing anymore due to Parkinson’s (I cannot think too much about this or I will cry), but clearly she is still able to make her voice heard. (AW)
Ronstadt was not the only LadyBoomer icon to come out in support of Harris/being a childless cat and/or dog lady this week! Stevie Nicks emerged from her temperature-controlled cape room to encourage fans to register to vote — identifying herself as a Childless Dog Lady.
As my friend [Taylor Swift] so eloquently stated, now is the time to research and choose the candidate that speaks to you and your beliefs. Only 54 days left until the election. Make sure you are registered to vote! Your vote in this election may be one of the most important things you ever do.
Love, Stevie Nicks
Childless Dog Lady
Nicks also posted this picture with her adorable dog, to further illustrate her point.
THE DOG IS WEARING A FRINGE CAPE, OMG.
While Nicks did not specifically endorse Harris/Walz outright in her post … she’s Stevie Nicks. It’s not really something anyone has to wonder about.
Carole King has already been going around endorsing for at least the last year or so — have you had five emails from her yet today? — but she did make a special appearance this week to give credit to Taylor Swift for doing so and for getting so, so many people registered to vote again.
Talk about a trifecta!!
Let’s have some musical accompaniment, of beauty and love.
In case you were wondering, we already know where Joni Mitchell, Joan Baez, Janis Ian, Bonnie Raitt, Bette Midler, Cher and Emmylou Harris stand on Trump, and it is very firmly against.
Text to granddaughter and Taylor Swift fan ...
"It has not escaped my attention that this will be your first presidential election. You will be able to vote for (or against, I suppose) the first woman of color to run at this level."
Her reply...
"I will be voting Kamala and honestly you should disown me if I voted for He Who Shall Not Be Named."
You don't tug on Superman's cape, you don't spit into the wind, you don't rip the mask of the old Lone Ranger and you don't mess around with Stevie Nicks.
Yes, Taylor Swift writes songs criticizing her past boyfriends. But Stevie Nicks MADE HER EX BOYFRIEND PLAY GUITAR ON THE VERY SONGS SHE WAS SINGING CRITICIZING HIM. Talk about a power move! And I respect Lindsay Buckingham, for he insisted on Fleetwood Mac taking her in the band with him as part of a package deal.