KingOneEye's Saturday Aug 25, 2007 diary about Ted Nugent's little rant (the family oriented video of his concert where he offers us suggestions of all the things he would like Democratic candidates to suck on) indicates to me that he must be getting cut off at home. But that's another diary, however, and I have to admit that as a kid who grew up as a huge fan of his music, I'm getting old, or I just found my conscience.
I was struck yesterday by the very fact that Ted Nugent is a Republican. It just cracks me up.
I live in a town full of single-issue voters, It's clear that NRA is the only thought running through Ted's mind in the voting booth. I admire the 'live off the land' mentality to a point (I only wish more hunters weren't such miserable slobs when it comes to leaving trash and empty bottles and cans when they are "communing with nature") and I wish there were more people with such a minimalist view of life.
But Ted's view of living off the land at the same time he thinks that the Republican party is the group who will uphold those ideals is the cornerstone of hypocrisy that leaves me just short of burning my CD of "State of Shock"...
UPDATE: while following some queries based on thoughts in this diary, I came across the following post by the Madman himself over at LibertyPost. Just scroll down until you get to the following quote,
"Bottom line is, I am a rather humble guy, not cocky enough to pontificate on my 'opinions'..."
Wow. If it's actually true that Ted's behavior could ever be considered humble, that makes Bush/Cheney legitimately timid, diffident, and unassuming, doesn't it?
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My hometown is a cadre of single issue voters who all align under the Republican party while not realizing that if they were all locked in the same room together they'd riot until the room was still. There are the exclusive Xenophobes who vote Republican only because of immigration and could care less about abortion or gun control. The Catholics who vote Republican only because of abortion are not in the same mindset as the hunters who only vote for their hatred of gun control. The "small government/fiscal responsibility" Republicans don't normally condescend to talk to the high school graduates who still think Reagan was a hero but who can't tell the difference between the deficit and the debt. But the hunters like Nugent are my favorite. Every time I hear "You can take my gun away when you pry it from my cold, dead, hand" it makes me long for the scene in Men In Black when the alien who is about to assume the flesh of the redneck hick who delivers that line replies, "Your offer is acceptable" and eats the dumb bastard.
But Ted, see, he has to vote Republican to save face amongst his NRA buddies. And we know the poster child for talking trash like "you're either with us or you're agin' us" is none other than the W, and that kind of schoolyard braggadocio sells lots of CD's. So waving around a machine gun is how one can act badass in the face of terrorism but still be comfortably far from sitting in an unarmored Hummvee on patrol through the streets of Iraq.
But anyway, Ted...You say you're a hunter who likes to live off the land, eh? Can you please explain to me how you rationalize that ideal with drilling in ANWR? In general, Ted, how do you explain the somewhat sacrificial stand of your party towards the land you want to take so little from?
How can you rationalize hating those 'big government', 'tax and spend', 'envirofascist', 'feminazis' who created and still defends the EPA, the DNR, and the department of Interior which is the last vestige of support for whatever wilderness that is left for your animals to live in? Tell me how you can ignore that it was Democrats support for science and the efforts of honest and legitimate scientists in the EPA who purged lead from our gasoline, and by it's elimination kept it from further poisoning the soil that grows all the wild greens that your animals and yourseves eat. As nearly insolvent as the "superfund" has become, can you imagine what your pristine wilderness would look like (or how much of it would even be left) if it were not for those greenie enviromental nuts who are still fighting to keep it clean or even standing at all?
Love Grenade? How about Love Canal, you miserable hypocrite?
Let's look at the lyrics from one of my favorite songs by Ted Nugent, "The Great White Buffalo", shall we?
Well,it happened long time ago, In the new magic land.
See,the Indian and the buffalo,
they existed hand in hand.
The Indians,they needed some food,
and some skins for a roof.
They only took what they needed, baby.
millions of buffalo were the proof.
But then came the white dogs,
with their thick and empty heads.
They couldn't see past the billfold.
they wanted all the buffalo dead.
Everything was SO sad.
When I looked above the canyon wall,
some strong eyes did I see.
I think its somebody comin' around
to save my ass, baby.
I think...I think he's comin' around
to save you and me.
Where should I start?
Well, I think the sinker has to be "The white dogs, with their thick and empty heads. They couldn't see past the billfold, they wanted all the buffalo dead. Everything was SO sad."
Um, Ted? Is your mike turned on? You just described your own party, you freakin dolt. George W. Bush can tell you a lot about billfolds; he emptied that of his father and a shitload of investors long before he ran for office and learned how to talk morons like you into donating more to him so he could try again with the country's money.
Democrats may have been guilty of tax and spend, but not alone; and we sure as shit did not replace it with something as shortsighted as "borrow and spend". Republicans held congress for twelve years...why didn't you show us how it was supposed to be done, Ted?
But if you really admire indians because they "only took what they needed, baby..." you have got some serious 'splainin to do to those indians about how the Republican party sees that land. ANWAR is going to be an oil preserve, not a nature preserve under their watch. If your Carbou steak has a hint of north slope light crude, don't come bitchin to Obama and Hillary.
I also get a kick out of the idea that you would support a party that is against birth control and abortion. Gotta wonder about all those groupies who were practicing Abstinence, Be faithful, and Condoms (if neccessary).
But the greatest laugh has to be that you, under any circumstances, are even willing to admit you ever said "existed hand in hand" at any time in your life. Karl Rove and the Swift Boat mentality that has promoted your party of late does not exist hand in hand with anything that they don't have to. Now that you have suggested that you want your political opponents to suck on the barrel of an automatic weapon, one might get the impression that you have a plan to make sure your hand never touches their hand.
'Specially with Obama. Two guys hand in hand would be gay, right Ted?