If you open it in Firefox and switch to "Reader View" (rectangle icon at the right end of the URL, next to the favorite star), it automatically evades the paywall by pulling the raw text minus the javascript.

Also, TIL, the author - Von Drehle - was the guy who got Mark Felt on record as the "Deep Throat" informant for Woodward and Bernstein. Depending on how much you know about Nixon, the FBI, Watergate, and the WaPo's role in bringing down a President, that's a curious pipe to smoke.

What are the Rock’s politics? Beats me. Reportedly registered as an independent, Johnson has attended presidential nominating conventions of both parties. His charitable work with at-risk youth puts him in touch with issues that animate many Democrats, as does his personal story of second and third chances after his youthful brushes with the law. On the other hand, when he discusses the keys to his own success — hard work, discipline, risk-taking — he speaks the language of many traditional Republicans.

The perfect candidate!