It's a college kid haircut, so by definition it is "incredibly stupid". If the picture I posted is more recent, he's discovered, like a lot of college kids, that when you get out of college it's time to grow up and grow it out.
I agree with you that I don't see a political statement. Since the kid was born in Fairfax County, he's more "Virginian" than Allen is! :)
I see LOTS of college-kid haircuts. Nobody asks for the Mr. T meets Forrest Gump. Nobody. I've seen weird dye jobs, piercings of every variety, etc. Nobody wears the lazy man's mohawk.