Dr. Hate — Republicans, to paraphrase Palin, are “palling around” with Nugent
[Speaking Truth To Power]
Last week, racist right-wing rocker Ted Nugent “apologized” for calling President Barack Obama a “subhuman mongrel.” Mr. Nugent issued the “apology” after Tea Party Kentucky Senator Rand Paul criticized the rock musician for his racist invective against the president.
But isn’t Mr. Nugent typical of the deeply regressive racism within Republican ranks?
On Friday, in a radio interview with Conservative talk-show host Ben Ferguson Mr. Nugent said “I do apologize–not necessarily to the President–but on behalf of much better men than myself.” Mr. Nugent who was campaigning with Texas Attorney General Gregg Abbott, said he “apologized” for “using the street-fighter terminology of ‘subhuman mongrel’ instead of just using more understandable language, such as ‘violator of his oath to the Constitution’.”
He also said “I will try to elevate my vernacular to the level of those great men that I’m learning from in the world of politics.”
In January, speaking at a gun event, Mr. Nugent said this: “I have obviously failed to galvanize and prod, if not shame enough Americans to be ever vigilant not to let a Chicago communist-raised, communist-educated, communist-nurtured subhuman mongrel like the ACORN community organizer gangster Barack Hussein Obama to weasel his way into the top office of authority in the United States of America.”
On Thursday, Kentucky Senator Rand Paul criticized Mr. Nugent saying “Ted Nugent’s derogatory description of President Obama is offensive and has no place in politics. He should apologize.” A day later, Nugent issued his “apology.”
Mr. Nugent has also been linked to Texas Republicans like Texas Governor Rick Perry, a former presidential contender, and Tea Party Senator Ted Cruz—both of whom didn’t rule out campaigning with him, even though, they say they thought his comments were inappropriate. Mr. Cruz dissociated himself from Nugent’s comments saying “Those sentiments there, of course, I don’t agree with them. You’ve never heard me say such a thing and nor would I.”
However, Senator Cruz noted “there are reasons Ted Nugent – people listen to him, which is that he has been fighting passionately for Second Amendment rights. And – and this administration has demonstrated an incredible hostility to the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens.” Senator Cruz is reportedly planning a presidential run in 2016.
On CNN, Governor Perry who is reportedly considering a second presidential run commented that Mr. Nugent “shouldn’t have said something like that about the President of the United States.” Reportedly, Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott has been dodging questions about Nugent—who campaigned for him in Texas. And this isn’t the first time Nugent has said something like this about President Obama.
After the 2012 Presidential Election, Mr. Nugent opined “What subhuman varmint believes others must pay for their obesity booze cellphones birth control abortions and lives?” And during a speech for Mitt Romney, at the 2012 NRA Convention, Mr. Nugent said “If Barack Obama becomes the president in November, again, I will either be dead or in jail by this time next year.” But, although, Governor Perry distanced himself from Nugent’s comment he also said “the idea that Ted Nugent has said something that’s outrageous shouldn’t surprise anybody.”
Indeed, it shouldn’t. This right-wing degenerate who seems, by his own words, to be a pedophile has previously called the Obama White House “coyotes” that should be shot and said Democrats should have their heads chopped off. Mr. Nugent characterized those who support President Obama as “pimps,” “whores,” “welfare brats” and the like.
Given all of this, the question Republican politicians should answer is: why are they “palling around” with the racist likes of Mr. Nugent?
Remember when Republicans demanded that President Obama explain why he was a congregant in Reverend Jeremiah Wright’s church? Reverend Wright offended many Republicans because he echoed the sentiments of former Ambassador Edward Peck—and Malcolm X—by saying “America’s chickens are coming home to roost” for the wars and evil the American government perpetrates in the world. Republicans and conservatives claimed the president’s association with Reverend Wright was indefensible.
The same thing happened with Chicago Professor Bill Ayers who was a co-worker with Mr. Obama for a few years. Because Mr. Ayers was a Sixties radical, and a former member of the Weather Underground, the president was accused of “palling around with terrorists”—even though the president was a small child during the Sixties. Moreover, since that time, Professor Ayers has distinguished himself having come a long way from that turbulent, violent period. Yet, the president was attacked for this association as well.
But now Republicans want to minimize the fact they like “palling around” with right-wing racists like Ted Nugent whose mouth is stinker than a septic sewer. Shouldn’t Republicans practice what they preach and cut all ties to Mr. Nugent if they want to tell others about the company they keep? Do they think they can win major elections—without, stealing them by voter suppression tactics—with bigmouth bigots like Nugent as their mouthpiece, in a racially diverse and changing America?
We should also consider Mr. Nugent’s pedophilic proclivities. Reportedly, over the years, Mr. Nugent has had multiple sexual encounters with underage girls. In fact, in his song “Jailbait” Nugent sings “Well I, don’t care if you’re just 13. You look too good to be true. I just know you’re probably clean…Wait a minute officer. Don’t put the handcuffs on me. Put them on her, and I’ll share her with you.”
Aren’t Republicans always preaching and pretending they are a party of “family values?” Aren’t they the ones always pontificating about how morally virtuous they supposedly are? Many of these same people, once upon a time, attacked what they argued was the debased content of Rap music. So why are they in bed with someone who promotes violating the laws against sleeping with teenage girls under the age of consent?
The harsh truth is: Mr. Nugent is not that different from many of the right-wingers in the Republican Party base. Nugent’s attitude articulates, and mirrors, the feelings of many of these pathetically prejudiced people—who are petrified about the prospect of an America where racist rednecks no longer hold total sway. And Republicans know many voters in their bigoted base identity with Nugent—and, that he can get them to the polls by riling them up.
We all know the dog-whistle terms now in vogue like: Food Stamp president (ironically of total foodstamps recipients the proportion of Whites is higher than Blacks), Welfare president, gangster\pimp president, etc. that people like Nugent—and Republican politicians use frequently. Aren’t these the currently approved code words where right-wingers can call us niggers among themselves supposedly without us knowing? Isn’t this really what Nugent alluded to when he talked about the learned men of politics who instructed him to tidy up his “vernacular,” instead of making his racism so transparent?
So, instead of Governor Perry, Senator Paul, Senator Cruz et.al telling Mr. Nugent that, in 2014, racism won’t be welcome or tolerated in America, these politicians utter weak words about contemptible comments being just inappropriate.
But none of these Republican politicians ever seriously address the underlying obvious racism within their ranks—especially, since they are, often, busy using racism in more polished political ways.
That is why Republicans won’t speak on the racist ideology underpinning the utterances made by Mr. Nugent—who echoes the voices of their supporters.
That racism is a primary part of the very foundation now quickly eroding the Republican Party.
