Answer, probably not. He’s a great poster boy for the sudden outbreak of ideological whiplash and willful amnesia on the far right though: it seems like it was only a few years ago when mere passing criticism of WH policy during a time of war was treason, now the same bozos think threatening the commander in chief over fictional transgressions is the height of patrioism. Nugent happens to be the latest, most visible loudmouth to go there. So, the Secret Service is performing their due diligence:
(ABC News) — Nugent said conservatives need to “chop their heads off” and that he will “either be dead or in jail by this time next year” if Obama is re-elected. But while these recent comments have sparked controversy, they are neither the first nor the harshest remarks the gun-loving rocker has spewed against the country’s top Democrats.
During the 2008 presidential campaign, Nugent launched an even more direct attack at then-candidate Barack Obama … “I told him to suck on my machine gun,” Nugent said while brandishing two machine guns on stage at an August 2007 concert, according to Rolling Stone.
Nugent’s patriotism is beyond reproach — for he so loved his nation that he brags about shitting in his pants for a week to dodge the Vietnam draft with a preemptive section eight. That’s pretty fucking weird. But he’s probably not a real threat, to anyone, unless you’re the guy trying to shoo him offstage while he’s armed.
See, Nugent is a performer, and while I find speaking on camera and/or in front of large crowds unsettling, over time I’m told it becomes sublime to the point of addicting for some people. My guess is Nugent just can’t give up the habit and he’ll try to keep it going anyway he can. He may be about done though, the NRA appears to have scrubbed Nugent from their site.
The problem is there are thousands and thousands of people listening to this clown and others like him who might think it’s not just a performance. Some of them might even fantasize about committing the kinds of violence that seemingly excites Nugent. That’s where the danger lays, and this joker is plenty old enough to understand that. What a waste.
den1s says
I can imagine the convo the Secret Service could have with him. “Sir, you need to tone down the rhetoric… or else we’ll come and arrest you on sedition charges. Got it?”
if only
peterh says
Ted’s known for flowery bombast; his style is quite like certain others who’ve been noticed (more or less) by the media recently. As it says in THHTTG, “mostly harmless.”
kraut says
I never knew why folks thought he was a rock guitar player. I mean, there are real players out there, like Joe Bonamassa, Steve Vai, Jeff Beck, Sonny Landreth, Eric Clapton, Warren Haynes, the Allman brothers, Derek Trucks, Mark Knopfler… I mean people who actually can play….
I guess he has to compensate…
F says
Probably not, but he certainly is posing as something. A real guitarist, real nutjob, real human being? Perhaps just a poser in general.
richardelguru says
F
Real wanker??
Skip White says
Who’d have thought, the former 40th most famous performer in the world, mostly known for his completely original act of playing rock music without a shirt in the 1970’s, would have lost his mind.