Can we agree that the NRA didn't advocate responsible gun use when they invited Ted Nugent to speak?

[Bjorn Against]

I am honestly hoping not to start a flame war here, I hope that despite any differences of opinions on guns that we may have that we can all agree that the video posted below of Ted Nugent waving a gun around screaming about shooting Obama and Hillary Clinton is not a model of responsible gun ownership. This video is well known has been out for years, if the NRA wants to retain any credibility as a gun safety organization they need to apologize for inviting Ted Nugent to speak and speak out against the way he promotes assassinations. How the NRA could even think about inviting this guy to speak at their convention I can't understand, no matter your positions on gun ownership it just seems to me that everyone should be able to agree that the man in the video below is not the model that gun owners should strive for.

&feature=youtube_gdata_player

[sarisataka]

1. I like Ted

I still have to head bang to his music occasionally and when he opens his mouth, something entertaining usually comes out.

OTH the person I would pick as a spokesman to built your credibility as a sane group would not be nicknamed The Motor City Madman

[Bjorn Against]

2. I think I despise Ted Nugent more than anyone else in the music industry

I honestly can't fathom how anyone could not be disgusted by him, I am disturbed that anyone could be entertained by the video above.

[sarisataka]

35. It is the theater of the absurd...

Does the Secret Service really believe Ted is going to go after the president?

[Bjorn Against]

46. Doesn't matter, he is promoting assassination and could influence others

[gejohnston]

47. the video is

five years old.

[Bjorn Against]

48. And just two days ago he made another comment implying he wanted to assassinate Obama

The fact this video is five years old makes it even more damaging for the NRA, they knew he has advocated assassination in his past yet they kept him on their board. Now five years later he makes a comment at the NRA convention suggesting once again that he wants to assassinate Obama. The NRA can not play stupid on this, they knew that they had an advocate of assassination on their Board and now that person has called for assassination again at their convention using their microphone.

[gejohnston]

49. I read about that at

TTAG, the MSNBC link has Mitt saying "I did not ask for his endorsement." So, maybe Ted is doing Obama a favor, sort of.

I figure the NRA keeps him around because he is bullshit attracts attention and brings in the money. Then again, maybe he is a mole for VPC.

[eqfan592]

3. I think the NRA is stupid for keeping this clown around.

And I think the secret service should lock his sorry ass up. He is NOT doing those of us who care about the RKBA any favors at all.

[Bjorn Against]

5. Thank you, you are absolutely correct

[gejohnston]

4. I can agree to Ted

being irresponsible. I can also agree to:
him doing the gun rights movement more harm than good
he is a draft dodging chickenhawk
he is a borderline pedophile
his music sucks.

Agreed?

[Bjorn Against]

6. Agreed in full

[Logical]

7. 90% of the NRA speakers are right wing idiots! But not many...

Posters ere call them out!

[GreenStormCloud]

8. Definately NOT a model of a responsible gunner. N/T

[msongs]

9. he fits right in with the NRA crowd nt

[krispos42]

10. I don't know how he handles his guns...

...so I can't comment on if he uses responsibly.

I can tell you he acts like a fuckwad in general.

[Bjorn Against]

12. Watch the video above to see how he handles his guns, it is not pretty

[krispos42]

13. I've seen it before.

He's performing on stage and in front of an audience, so the guns are presumably either props or unloaded.

The rhetoric is fuckwad-worthy, but unless those rifles were locked and loaded, he wasn't doing anything dangerous except making his audience stupider.

He hunts and carries concealed and hasn't shot himself or anybody else as far as I know, so he's got that going for him, I guess.

[Bjorn Against]

14. Loaded or not waving guns around and calling for assassination is not responsible gun handling. n/t

[krispos42]

16. It certainly sets a bad example to rational people

But, we're talking Republicans here, not rational people.

[Callisto32]

27. You're on to something, maybe.

The rhetoric is fuckwad-worthy, but unless those rifles were locked and loaded, he wasn't doing anything dangerous except making his audience stupider.

Maybe we should make this the biggest crime of all

[krispos42]

45. Well, there goes 90% of pop culture

[Callisto32]

52. Mission Accomplished

[RegieRocker]

11. I could only agree.

[EC]

15. I just don't get the whole love affair with him and the right.

They claim to love the troops and yet they also love this guy. The guy that went to extreme, extremes to stay out of the service...I just don't get it...


Except I think, maybe, they admire the troops for doing something they are scared shitless to do. But yet they like to play at being military with their little troops in the woods.

[Hoyt]

17. The NRA merely invites people like Nugent that appeal to typical member.

Otherwise he would not have been there. NRA leaders don't like complaints from the right wing members.

[hack89]

22. Typical NRA member = someone who likes shitty music? nt

[Hoyt]

23. And a gun in their pants.

[hack89]

25. Glad to know I am not typical - in both respects.

Mom always said I was special and unique.

[Callisto32]

28. Just like everyone else.

It's a cliche because its true.

[Remmah2]

29. If he had a gun in his pants he'd be holding up liquor stores.

Was you post intended to be racist?

[Hoyt]

32. I guess you haven't looked a the good ole boys that make up the NRA membership.

There are your racists.

[Straw Man]

18. Ted Nugent is an embarassment.

The NRA keeps him around because they think he'll appeal to the "youth" demographic. The man is over 60, so I'm not sure what they're thinking.

I think this time he may have gone too far.

His sportsmanship is also suspect. He was also fined in CA last year for hunting deer over bait.

[Hoyt]

24. More that a few members of the gun culture have "hunted" like that -- one shot a caged bear.

Just part of the gun mentality I think.

[Straw Man]

33. More crap.

More that a few members of the gun culture have "hunted" like that -- one shot a caged bear.

Just part of the gun mentality I think.

How common is it? Not very. Got a cite? I doubt it.

Lies and bigotry: just part of the prohibitionist mentality.

[Remmah2]

30. Many young kids are not even interested in his music.

Ted is proof that endorsements by celebrities is a bad idea.

[mvccd1000]

19. He comes across as an idiot..

... and probably is one. I haven't heard a single coherent thing come out of his mouth, and I don't like his music from back in the day. I did see him perform with Damn Yankees, however (Tommy Shaw from Styx, Jack Blades from Night Ranger, along with Ted and drummer Michael Cartellone). Really enjoyed that show, and it was entertaining to watch him impale his guitar from across the stage with an arrow. I don't recall any political commentary at all; just a lot of loud music. I think I still have the Damn Yankees on my mp3 player. ("Can you take me higher?&quot

[Arctic Dave]

20. TN is a world class dipshit. No debating that.

He is a one trick pony, just like his music.

[ileus]

21. I've never cared for his crazy talk....watch one of his hunting shows

You'll see what I mean....drives me up the wall with the idiot stuff he says. Makes his current rants seem sane and reality based compared to his show.


Don't like him...never will.

[Callisto32]

26. Ever notice...

how first-class assholery acts like a giant gravity well that only attracts attention and money?

That guy can take a long walk off a short pier, for all I care, and the NRA should distance itself as far as possible from his violence-advocating stupidity.

[gejohnston]

36. maybe that is why the NRA has him there in the first place

he attracts money and attention.

[Callisto32]

38. I don't know whether to laugh or cry.

[Atypical Liberal]

31. They pick right-wing extremists as speakers.

They pick right-wing extremists as speakers because this is the core demographic of their membership.

[Hoyt]

34. True. And they want to attract more of them.

[Atypical Liberal]

37. They want to attract more pro-gun people.

They'll get them from any demographic that exists.

If there were more left-leaning RKBA people, that is the way the NRA would lean, too.

It's the reason why the Democratic party needs to drop gun control.

It is a massive wedge issue that can be totally undermined literally overnight.

You take guns off the table and put forth an agenda that actually gives more than lip service to the right to keep and bear arms and you will suddenly have millions of people out there who will no longer have a reason to not vote Democratic. People who just might stop and think about other issues like who is propping up the wealthy and who is advocating for the regular guy.

[Hoyt]

39. I hear you. However, IMO, people who would vote Republican because of guns probably would not be

good Democrats.

[gejohnston]

40. But they would not be

good Republicans either, if that is the only reason they vote Republican.

[Hoyt]

41. I doubt that is only reason the would vote Rethug. Callousness is a con trait.

[gejohnston]

42. Callousness is a GOP trait these days

but we are talking about mostly swing and not really ideological people. Take the gun stuff from the GOP, they have to defend regressive taxation, having "big government" in theirs or their daughter's bodies, corporate welfare, etc.
They can't. They will lose and they know it, that is why the use cultural issues to divide and conquer.

[Atypical Liberal]

44. exactly. Take away guns and you are left with god, taxes, and vaginas.

Not much can be done about the religious nuts.

But I think people are waking up to the fact that trickle-down economics doesn't seem to trickle down to workers in this country. I think people are waking up to the fact that conservatives are against fucking (unless it is men's Viagra-assisted fucking).

[Atypical Liberal]

43. I disagree. I was one.

I used to vote Republican and the second amendment stance was my primary litmus test for choosing who to vote for.

I finally could not reconcile the fact that the conservative agenda was clearly pushing for more and more war, more and more drug criminalization, and more and more for wealthy interests and not average people.

Most of the country supports the right to keep and bear arms. Most of the country had better not be republican-leaning or we are fucked.

[BiggJawn]

50. They invite him for the red meat factor.

Some twit with a permanently shit-stained ass that the ignorant bubbas can identify with (they had Larry the Cable Guy out there, too) who'll give Mark Thompson, Reverend Al and the rest of the Brady Bunch the vapours.

[gejohnston]

51. Yeah but

At least Larry is funny.

[jpak]

53. Nugent is a racist douchebag gun nut and perfectly at home at an NRA convention

yup