Reposted from the other thread:
I have had occasion to read Nugent's work in various hunting magazines over the years, and it leaves me unimpressed. In my opinion, he tends toward being bombastic and over-the-top, without having the intellectual horsepower to back it up. He may get the converted riled up into "Hallelujah" mode, but he certainly doesn't convince anyone.
Besides, he is now part of the Republican machine designed to convince those who should know better that Mitt Romney is a friend of the right to keep and bear arms. That alone gets him a grade of "F" from me.
I don't know Mr. Nugent any better than anybody else in this forum does (which is
not at all), and I understand that what I am about to say won't make you change your mind about "Uncle Ted" one bit - it's not intended to - but I'm gong to say it anyway. The fact that he "tends toward bombastic and over-the-top", is pretty much typical for celeb's of any stripe. I'm guessing - based on my
limited experience with famous folks - that, when they change residences, it takes a separate United Van Lines trailer to haul their
ego to the new place. Regardless of their field of entertainment,
they are what their fans make of them. Try to imagine yourself entering the stage of some gigantic venue to perform, and when your name is announced
tens of thousands of people
jump to their feet, cheering, applauding and chanting "MIB, MIB". I think
most people would be hard-pressed not to eventually develop a persona that was
bigger than life. Nonetheless, Ted does it... and he does it as would John Q. Public. No fancy clothes for his TV interviews or appearances, no "front man", no "spin doctors" (although I'm fairly certain he must have "advisers" of
some kind). He comes across as one of
We the People... one of We the (
very outspoken) People. At least Nugent is on "our side", and not some mindless, can't-see-the-forest-for-the-trees, ignore the Constitution, gun-grabbing, socialist-"progressive" Marxist-Statist commie. We already have
tens of thousands of well-known people in any/all of those categories in Washington and Hollywood. We don't need any more. But we do need a spokesperson who will catch some ears just because they are famous. You or I could make similar statements - only statements that were... let's say, less "flamboyant" - and very few would listen (I know
I couldn't garner enough of an audience to fill a small coat closet). For celeb's it's all about keeping their name in the public eye, and
controversy is one way to maintain that public interest. At least Ted is (arguably)
supporting a legitimate cause in his own, inimitable,
imperfect way. Perhaps it's the
blowhard in Ted that has kept any interviewer from ever besting him.
As for his being a part of the "Republican machine" - I think he may actually be (like me), a part of the "
ANYBODY BUT OBAMA" machine.
Unfortunately, our choices in the upcoming presidential election are between Obama and "Obama-Lite". Romney has an appalling track record on 2A, and created a healthcare system in MA that isn't a dime's worth of difference from ObamaCare. I would vote for
Satan himself before I 'd vote for Obama.. oh,
wait... that's
redundant, isn't it? My greatest fear is that Americans
really are stupid enough to re-elect Obama, and our Republic cannot survive another four years of socialist tyranny. :banghead: Pax...
P.S. Being of a more
charitable bent than you, MIB, I'd give Uncle Ted a
C-
