This. Excellent guitarist. Influential to many other guitarists. If you don't like his kind of music to begin with fair enough. Not everybody likes hard rock. But I sense that some don't like his music because of him and his politics... which makes those people no less "tools" themselves.
Anyway, back to the OP... I was amused by this quote from the OP's link...
To be fair, I have never met the guy in person. But my in-laws live in Michigan, and they have friends that do know Ted quite well. They pretty much all tell my in-laws that, up close and personal, Ted is an asshat of the highest order.
Third-hand info, but it fits with other reports I've heard about him over the years.
I do believe he is sincere in his beliefs, and I believe that he is pretty much always honest, and I do admire that. Sincerity and honesty is way too UNcommon in today's world. I don't disagree with everything he says, but he is too extreme for me, in an overall sense. He may be kidding himself, but he's not lying to me, if that makes sense.