Texas Two Step

Texas Governor Rick "Good Hair" Perry recently had his inaugural bash in Austin. Due to icy weather, the planned outdoors event was moved indoors.  Undeterred by freezing temps, Perry had a rousing (more like hell raising) party to celebrate his re-election. It was a classic (and disgraceful) "watch what I do, not what I say" style of mixed message from the slithery Texas governor. He spoke effusively and compassionately about racial prejudice and hatred, immigration, bipartisanship and moral values in his inaugural speech. Then, for the evening's entertainment, he unleashed his friend Ted Nugent on unsuspecting guests.  Nugent, the Motor City Madman, let loose with a message of his own - giving a vicious 180 degree twist to every one of Perry's statements. Many among the assembled guests were horrified. Even a GOP strategist (Royal Masset) conceded, "I think it was a horrible choice. I hope nobody approved it."

Here are a couple of examples of what Perry said and how Nugent contradicted it.

(from Austinist)

"On Racial Prejudice & Hatred
Perry’s Inaugural Speech: “140 years ago a segment of our people was enslaved and considered less than equal. But we are overcoming past prejudice for the sake of the common good…On this stage is the descendant of a slave who was once sold as property on the steps of a Central Texas courthouse. Today, Wallace Jefferson walks up the steps of our highest civil court in Texas, not only a peer among nine equals, but as our chief justice…I believe hatreds that are centuries old can be extinguished by one courageous generation. If hatred is something that can be taught, then so can the greatest attributes of any society: ‘love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.’ As the Apostle Paul wrote, ‘against such there is no law.’…Imagine the possibilities in a Texas blind to color, class and ethnicity, where no one is invalidated because of their heritage, but valued because of their humanity.

Ted Nugent at the Inaugural Ball: The Motor City Madman played his scorching set draped in a confederate flag shirt – a symbol of slavery in just about everyone’s book – showing his pride for the South and his disrespect for African-American heritage in one crushing blow of 70’s-era guitar force. Perry danced on stage in his tuxedo, grinning contentedly.

On Bipartisanship
Perry’s Inaugural Speech: “Texas is better off when Republicans and Democrats work together. Our potential is too vast to be spoiled by a politics leavened with partisanship. There is so much we must do together.”

Ted Nugent at the Inaugural Ball: During his set, Nugent made several comments about Perry’s competitors in the gubernatorial race, suggesting in particular that Kinky Friedman should be “court jester” during Perry’s reign and generally scorning all Perry's non-Republican competition. At the high point of his set, The Kansas City Bad Boy played a fierce guitar solo, at the end of which he screamed out “George W. Bush!” with frothy-mouthed bravado and barbaric angst. Perry danced on stage in his tuxedo, grinning contentedly.

For more on the Good Cop - Bad Cop routine by Perry and Nugent, see here. Was this a case of wicked gubernatorial sense of humor, carelessness in vetting Nugent or a slap in the face of all decent Texans?  What a jerk - rather, what a pair of jerks! 

Comments

[Dean C. Rowan]

You know, Nugent was such a damn good guitarist, rock-wise, that I can almost forgive him his chronic mean-spirited inanity. If he horrified the guests, well, rock and roll will never die, maybe. So is he from Detroit or Kansas City?

[Ruchira Paul]

As the accompanying article notes, Nugent would have been okay doing his usual antics at a rock and roll concert where the audience knew what to expect. Clearly, the bipartisan crowd at Perry's inaugural ball didn't.

Nugent was born in Detroit. I don't know where he lives now. Could be Austin, actually.

[robert allen]

To be precise, the Motor City Madman was born in Redford, a working class suburb of Detroit in which I now reside and around which I grew up. As a teenager, he was considered a jerk; as an adult he's been nothing but a racist.

[Pablo Stafforini]

What would you expect from someone capable of making remarks like this:

Remember the Alamo! Shoot 'em! To show you how radical I am, I want carjackers dead. I want rapists dead. I want burglars dead. I want child molesters dead. I want the bad guys dead. No court case. No parole. No early release. I want 'em dead. Get a gun and when they attack you, shoot 'em.