I have never met Ben Jones, but I have only heard good things about him. I am not a political person so I will not cross that bridge. However, I truly believe Ben and those guys do appearances because they love the show and fans. Yes, they do make a few dollars, but nothing in the world is free. I have had the pleasure to meet John, Tom, and Sonny and John and Sonny are at the top of my list. They wanted to meet the fans and get to know each one, however Tom was the exact opposite.