Garrison has burned his bridges several times. I have not listened to him since his first hissy fit, years ago. He was a one man Grand Old Opery, the Nashville of the Tundra. He kept a lot of people employed and a lot of people entertained. When he left the first time it was like Santa Claus admitting he worked for Sears.
He had the right, of course, but when an entertainer kills the magic, it's pretty hard to get it back.
The short answer to the question posed by the article is: Yes he has always had a mean streak.
I stopped listening to the guy after hearing about how he treated the hired help. When you scratch a lib, you find an elitist.
Yes he has always had a mean streak. I remember years ago, shortly after he became notable, my Mom saw him on TV. The first thing she said was "He's a very angry man." Since it has been conclusively proven to me that my Mom knows everything, I have watched him with that in mind. She's still batting 1000.