The Weekly Standard's Jonathan Last takes on the Dixie Chicks' latest pronouncement that they're no longer country music artists -- they're rock 'n' rollers.

Forget for a moment that this is like Ian McKellen announcing he's no longer a classically trained actor and that he now considers himself part of the Hollywood action-hero fraternity.

I'm sorry, but I can't stop thinking that way. The Dixie Chicks' music is best describes as country, or maybe bluegrass. If you wanted to stretch it, you might get as far as folk. Rock 'n' roll they're not.

Last's article is an excellent look ahead at the Dixie Chicks' future. They're going to have to come to terms with the fact that the people most inclined to like their music are also those who are most likely to oppose their politics. There's a decision to make, they can either be political activists (which doesn't pay that well) or they can be musicians -- they can't be both.