When the drumbeat changes, folks listen. Nicki Minaj walking into a conservative tent and praising Trump is the kind of plot twist that makes people clutch pearls and clutch receipts. But I have seen people change their mind in a single Sunday and still wake up the same person on Monday. If she believes it, let her speak it plain, because whispered politics breeds lying politics. The crowd will try to claim her like a new trophy, and her fans will try to disown her like a bad dream. That tug of war is a masquerade ball, and everyone wants to pick the mask for her. I say the only honest mask is the one you choose, then you live with the stares.