For those who think that the political landscape in Texas is as flat and stereotypical as the central plains: George Bush was not a cowboy. He owns a ranch, which would make him a rancher, but not necessarily a cowboy. He employed some cowboys on his ranch, and he used to watch other cowboys at Texas stadium sometimes; for a while he actually owned a bunch of Rangers, but they didn’t carry guns. A bunch of Rangers that did carry guns protected him for a while when he was governor.
I wasn’t crazy about President George W. Bush, but I liked him much better than I like President Barack H. Obama.
Rick Perry is not a cowboy, either. But he wears cowboy boots with a suit because he is a Texan and thus can get away with it. In Texas, it is not pretentious for someone who is not a cowboy to wear cowboy boots, and they can do it in church as well as at the ranch. Rick Perry is also often surrounded by Rangers with guns, and is known to tote a concealed handgun himself, not because he has a special right to as governor, but because he is a Texas citizen with who is allowed to carry one under the Concealed Handgun License laws just like any other non-convict law abiding Texas citizen.
Governor Perry and I both tote guns not just because we’re Texans, but because the second amendment of the United States Constitution says we can.
I wouldn’t be ecstatic about a President Rick Perry, but I’d like it a lot better than President Barack H. Obama.
Just because I am a Texan does not necessarily mean I agree with the political philosphy or aspirations of either George W. Bush or Rick Perry (I don’t). But I admire the fact that they are both Texans and seem to be stand-up guys. I don’t think Barack H. Obama is a stand-up guy, but that’s just my opinion.
Because I am Texan and have a heavy accent I am unable to prononce the words “Norfolk”, “Yonkers”, or “Mianus, Connecticut” without embarrassment. Just the same as you eastern folks who can’t say “Tawakoni”, “Bexar”, or “Mexia”.
Ron Paul is a Texan. I like his political philosophy and have voted for him in the past. I may vote for him in the future. I don’t know if he totes a gun, but I know he is fine with me toting one. I know a lot of other Texans who think that Ron Paul is a total nut job. I know a lot of other Texans who think I am a total nut job. I think Ron Paul is the most stand-up guy I’ve ever seen in the world of state and national politics. I’ve never caught him in a lie. Period. I’ve seen good men do bad things and bad men do good things, but I’ve never seen Ron Paul do a bad thing.
I know some Texans who like Barack Obama. They don’t like me.
I know some Texans who like Mit Romney (who is not a Texan, by the way). Most of them don’t like me, either.
I carry a gun. I wear boots. Not cowboy boots: Bates military and police service boots. Because I got used to them when I was a cop.
I don’t ride a horse. I ride a motorcycle.
I ride a BRITISH motorcycle, and I don’t have any patriotic twinges of guilt over it. I don’t believe Harley riders should feel any guilt over the front wheels on their bikes that are made in Japan, either. Nor do I think Triumph riders in England should feel bad about the ignition switches on their bikes stamped “assembled in the Netherlands”.
I don’t wear a cowboy hat. I don’t wear a baseball cap. I sometimes wear a doo-rag.
I don’t own any cattle, but I am known to eat them with a sprinkling of Lowry’s seasoned salt and charbroiled rare on a Weber Kettle grill.
I will kill anyone who is within reach that is actively posing a physical threat to the life of one of my loved ones. I will stand up for anyone else who does the same for their loved ones, Texan or not.
I am like most Texans, totally unique.
Label us and put us in a box all you want. We all know the truth. Texans are varied and opinionated, and nearly all of them are proud as hell to be Texans…that’s about all we got in common.
Let the Texans have a shot at the national stage. ALL of ‘em.
And by ALL OF ‘EM I mean Ron Paul. The media seems to think he’s Betelgeuse and something terrible will happen if they admit he exists.
He’s another Texan.