Dolly Parton was the one thing most Americans could agree on

Dolly Parton, a figure of widespread admiration across America, was celebrated for her multifaceted career as a country musician, philanthropist, actress, storyteller, and businesswoman. Notably, she never ventured into politics, despite being approached about it.

During a 1999 appearance on the talk show *Prime Time Country!*, a young woman in the audience inquired if Parton would ever consider running for office. Parton, with her characteristic sharp wit, responded, "I think of myself more as a diplomat. That's the kind of people who tell you to go to hell in such a way you look forward to the trip."

This diplomatic approach was a hallmark of her decades-long career, which transcended genres and attracted a diverse fanbase spanning generations and political affiliations—from grandmothers to Gen-Zers, Republicans to Democrats, and drag queens to evangelicals. In America's often-polarized society, Parton was a rare unifying presence.

Sarah Phillips, who teaches an "Anthropology of Dolly Parton" course at Indiana University, described Parton as "the one person who straddles political divides… the so-called culture wars." Phillips, who found it difficult to speak of Parton in the past tense, recounted "curling into a ball" and "just sobbed" in her office upon learning of the singer's death.

A recent YouGov poll highlighted Parton's exceptional popularity, showing a net approval rating of 65%. This contrasted sharply with figures like Barack Obama (14%), Taylor Swift (3%), Donald Trump (-19%), and Joe Biden (-18%).

Parton's broad appeal was largely attributed to her consistent refusal to engage in politics, a stance she maintained to avoid alienating her diverse fanbase. "I've got as many Republican fans as Democrats and I don't want to make any of them mad at me, so I don't play politics," she once explained in an interview with Fox News.

She famously declined the Presidential Medal of Freedom on two occasions. She twice turned down Donald Trump's offer, citing scheduling and health issues. Later, when Joe Biden extended the same offer, she felt compelled to decline again to avoid appearing to favor one president over the other.

Following the news of Parton's death on Tuesday, tributes poured in from politicians across the political spectrum. Trump ordered American flags to be flown at half-mast, an honor typically reserved for prominent statesmen and judges. "There has never been anyone like her, and never will," Trump posted on social media. Hillary Clinton, in her own social media tribute, wrote that Parton "was the best of America."

While Parton steered clear of partisan politics, she was never apolitical. She openly addressed issues such as women's rights, LGBTQ equality, and Black Lives Matter. Phillips noted that Parton's commitment to speaking her mind and her "amazing sense of self" were crucial to her near-universal appeal and her unique brand of diplomacy.

"She has always been a model for women, carving your own path, looking out for yourself, making sure that you retain the rights to your intellectual property, looking out for your own financial and creative independence," Phillips told the BBC, adding, "And if that's not feminism, I don't know what is."

Public interest in Parton's views emerged early in her career when she made it clear she was not a conventional country singer. In 1977, she achieved crossover pop success, expanding her audience rather than alienating her base. Her 1980 film debut in *9 to 5*, a dark satire on women's workplace rights, saw her star alongside Jane Fonda, who was widely unpopular in many parts of the country due to her anti-Vietnam War activism.

Parton, however, refused to distance herself from Fonda to appease more conservative fans. She stated, "I respect anybody's beliefs and the fact that they're willing to stand up for whatever it is. But I'm also the kind of person that if I don't like where you got it, I can tell you where to put it." Upon learning of Parton's death, Fonda posted on social media, "She is woven into all our lives and hearts forever."

Parton's public image—always camp, glamorous, smiling, and kind—was meticulously crafted. Her aesthetics were a deliberate choice by a shrewd entrepreneur who understood both show business and people. She often deflected political questions with humor.

When television journalist Barbara Walters questioned Parton about her appearance in a 1977 segment, asking if the singer was a "joke," Parton proved to be more than a match. Phillips reflected on the interview, stating, "Dolly Parton made it very clear that she knows exactly what she's doing." Parton famously told Walters, "Everybody thinks that the joke's on me, but in fact, the joke is on the public. I know very well what I'm doing, and I can change my image any time I want to."

Over the years, journalists repeatedly tried, and failed, to get Parton to deviate from her script. Whenever political topics arose, she would pivot with the agility of a boxer. Her primary defenses were humor and self-deprecation. At a 2016 press conference, she quipped to journalists, "I've been thinking about running myself… we could use a few more boobs in the race," gesturing to her chest.

Despite her father's "Dolly for President" bumper sticker, Parton never ran for office. Instead, she dedicated herself to philanthropy, notably her Imagination Library, which sends free books to children worldwide, and her contribution to funding the Moderna Covid-19 vaccine.

Parton's charitable endeavors stemmed from her personal experiences. She grew up in extreme poverty in a one-bedroom log cabin with 11 siblings. As her career flourished, she employed many family members in her businesses and shared her wealth with her local Tennessee community. In 1986, she acquired an ownership stake in an existing theme park in the mountains where she grew up, renaming it Dollywood. This resort and enterprise remains the largest employer in the county.

James Rogers, a Tennessee musician and president of the board of the American Eagle Foundation (which partnered with Dollywood for a bald eagle sanctuary), recalled Parton's unparalleled kindness and personal attentiveness. "She's even sweeter than you realise," he told the BBC, recounting an incident decades ago when Parton, arriving for a performance, detoured her entire entourage to speak with his then-10-year-old daughter, Heather, kneeling down to talk to her.

"The truth is, she supports everybody," said Phillips, who grew up "across the holler" from Parton's Appalachian Tennessee in the North Carolina mountains. Phillips dedicates "a lot of time" in her class to exploring Parton's politics, or "Dollitics," a term coined by Parton's nephew to describe her unique approach to sensitive subjects. "She wants all boats to rise."

Phillips added that Parton embodied core American values such as "independence" and "freedom to do what you want." "When we think about the American Dream in the sort of old-fashioned sense of - If you're talented, if you work really, really, really hard, you can achieve your dreams - she embodied that very much."

Phillips and numerous other mourners emphasized Parton's singular nature. "This summer, I was in France, and I was in Poland, and I ask people, who's the Polish Dolly Parton? Who's the French Dolly Parton?" Phillips said. "And nobody has an answer, because there isn't one."