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Ted Nugent gives considered opinions on '08 race
Since this IS Ted Nugent, I suppose a "strong language" caveat would be superfluous...
(UPDATE, Sat. morning: Jim W.. had a comment that was blocked by the spam filter for some reason, so I added it in extended comments below).
Jim W. posts:
We aren't "reasoning with the anti-gun people" we are attempting to
reach the millions upon millions of fence sitters that don't care about
the issue until they become concerned about crime, etc. Dedicated
anti-gunners are a tiny percent of the population. The rest just sort
of swing in the breeze. When they time comes for them to make a
decision on a law or a candidate, they may ask themselves "which side
is more like me?" This is how people make decisions. "Which herd do I
belong to?" Middle class professionals (ie, Sandy Froman, Stephen
Halbrook, Dave Hardy, etc, etc) are a good image for people to have
when they think of gun ownership. We need people that behave like
adults, work for a living and express reasonable and non-crazy
viewpoints. That natural order of things is normalcy on our side and
pants-shitting hysterics on their side. It is out advantage to lose.
Captain Caveman (ie, the nuge) is NOT a good image for people to have
when they think of gun ownership. Most people over the age of 20 find
him completely repellent and childish, including people like me that
agree with his inappropriately expressed views. We do not need anyone
thinking of Ted Nugent when they pull a voting lever. That would be
very bad for the movement. Almost no one who thinks he is cool votes.
· Politics
13 Comments | Leave a comment
He does much to contribute to negative stereotypes of gun owners. We would all be better off if he kept his trap shut more of the time.
I agree with Jim W. While Nugent may be a funny guy to some of us, myself included, seeing him on the front page of Drudge and potentially watched by millions, is not a good thing for the image of people who own firearms. It makes us look rather like neanderthals who go around screaming about how people we disagree with should suck on our guns and so forth. Or like Ted Nugent.
Jonas there is no reasonning with the anti-gun people. They are driven by emotion. Nothing anybody says or does can change them.
You want us to be "Nice". It never has worked and will never work with these people. They just see "Nice" as weak and their emotional arguments trump anything we could say or do.
So Let Ted be Ted.
Dan, you're putting words in my mouth. I'm not saying we can reason with most anti-gun people. All I'm saying is that it presents a stupid view of gun owners that I don't like. I'm an avid gun collector, primarily of guns from the two world wars. I don't want to be lumped into the madman stereotype of Ted Nugent just because I collect firearms and have an AK clone. I'm not saying we be "nice," but we should be intelligent.
Hey, freedom means sometimes having to listen to people with whom you disagree.
Nuge is Nuge. Anti-gun types are going to characterize us as red-flannel-wearing, Redman-spitting, pickup-driving, John-Deere cap-wearing, monosyllabic-grunting, backwoods chest thumpers regardless of what Ted does. Does he give them an "example" to point at? Sure - it reinforces their belief in the correctness of their position. A position they weren't going to change anyhow.
I agree that I don't want folks to think all gun owners are as nuts as Nugent, but I don't think he's doing any real harm. The Brady Bunch and their ilk are going to despise us whether we smile, say "please", "thank you", shake hands, and clean behind our ears or not. We are the enemy merely because we take the position in defense of firearm ownership. Whether we do so with the highest degree of decorum and civility or, uh, in the manner of The Tedster, in their eyes, we're just plain wrong and despicable.
To turn it around, what could Carolyn McCarthy, Dianne Feinstein or Chucky Schumer do to make you respect them or feel better about them? In my case, there are two answers. One is two words, not repeatable in polite company; the other is a short three-letter word.
We aren't going to convert them and they're sure as hell not going to convert me and I suspect most of y'all too. So que sera sera...
It's not the rabid anti-gunners who we need to worry about. They're a lost people.
It's the indifferent middle-of-the-fencers who people like Ted Nugent are antagonizing.
Addiction to self-righteousness indignation is not something that only effects the other side.
Interesting the take of some people .... Sam Adams and John Hancock were even more of firebrands about liberty than what Ted displayed there.
FREEDOM!!!!!
Nuge hooked 'em good. Now reel them in and fillet 'em. Broiled Democrats in the morning. Mmmm good.
Nuge is a rock star, his business is attracting attention to himself. Anybody miss that part. Free speech, don't like him, don't go to his concerts. Simple as that.
Walk softly and carry a big stick.
I agree with Jim W, but Ted Nugent can't change and still be Ted Nugent. You need folks who are persuading the quiet folk, but you also need people to rally the troops.
I lost respect for Ted when he had that stupid reality tv show. Not long after, my cable provider stopped all their outdoor shows. Coincidence? Takes time to get the battleship turned around. It isn't a jetski.
My freedom isn't up for debate. Yours isn't either. I'm in California those pigs are trying to swindle us out of their freedo.. The country is melting down all around us. We are in for interesting times.
Ran across that clip a bit earlier this morning - it is popping up in several places. Gotta love The Nuge. You always know what's on his mind and where you stand with the guy. "Prevarication" is not in his vocab.
I'd like to say the same things to Hillary and Feinstein - and Schumer.