Capitol Annex: Perry Campaign Using Google Ads To Promote Governor's Shooting Of Coyote

i call BS (5.00 / 2)

on several levels this tale is incredible.

1) who jogs with a gun?
2) who jogs with a gun when you have a security detail (which he aknowledged was with him)?
3) how wily must this coyote have been to "attack" a Lab, and a group of 2-5 grown men?
4) how slow must this "wily" coyote have been to allow a running group to stop, clear the line of fire, pull his weapon, "charge" his laser-sighted pistol, and take a one-shot kill?
5) that it took this long to come out.
6) that his DPS-issued security detail a) allows him to carry, and b) doesn't have a ream of paperwork to fill out when shots are discharged in their presence while on duty.

the mere fact that they are bragging about it and running a paid communications strategy around it is evidence enough for me that things didn't go down quite the way it has been painted.

if you've ever seen or encountered a coyote, you know just how silly this story is.

dear gov, if you want to polish up your NRA bonafides...go hunting for real.  but i don't know if shooting the equivalent of a stray dog qualifies you as a sportsman.

Please refer to KT's signature.

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by: colin @ Thu Apr 29, 2010 at 14:38:39 PM UTC

I small a rat (0.00 / 0)

This wreaks of politics. It comes out the very week he slips in two polls.
This story is so full of holes only a fool would beleive it. So he is appealing to his base, but aren't the primaries over?

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by: bsranch @ Thu Apr 29, 2010 at 14:58:52 PM UTC

What really upsets me (0.00 / 0)

That Rick Perry is trying to pull off this stunt -- fine. That's his choice. The press corps, though, just laps it up. Even the non-profit press corps.

Evan Smith said in a podcast, "True or not...you've got to give [Perry] credit." Evan is the CEO of the Texas Tribune.

For the press corps, tabloid journalism gets more views -- even if it's a lie. And most reporters are in a for-profit news business, so traffic to their websites is critical. To that end, even if I don't agree with it, I can (ultimately) understand why it happens.

But the Texas Tribune doesn't turn a profit. Their entire purpose is on improving the public forum of political discussion in Texas. Yet there's their CEO, celebrating a lie because Rick Perry was smart enough to know that he could get away with it and that the press would repeat it.

Barf.

Now, a very great man once said that some people rob you with a fountain pen.

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by: Phillip Martin, Progress Texas @ Thu Apr 29, 2010 at 15:14:12 PM UTC

It is nice to know that big bad Rick (0.00 / 0)

is afraid of snakes as well as coyotes.

Rick Perry's silly and likely fabricated story might play well among the the gun lovers and Palinistas.  But there are others in this big vast state that are seriously turned off by stunts like this.    

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by: Libby Shaw @ Thu Apr 29, 2010 at 15:23:48 PM UTC

whaaaaaaaaa (1.00 / 2)

let's whine about the press like a bunch of pre-pubescent babies. Whaaaaaaaa! Go ahead and oppose the use of firearms to protect a pet. That will help build the D Majority! Whaaaaaaaaaa

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by: Rump Ranger @ Thu Apr 29, 2010 at 16:10:59 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Thanks for the intelligent comment (0.00 / 0)

It's always nice to engage in an intelligent dialogue like the one you've begun. I appreciate your comment on the site, and hope you continue reading!

Now, a very great man once said that some people rob you with a fountain pen.

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by: Phillip Martin, Progress Texas @ Thu Apr 29, 2010 at 16:31:19 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

so (0.00 / 0)

Rump Ranger, I am to understand that you believe this story to be true?  

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by: Michael Crabtree @ Thu Apr 29, 2010 at 18:20:06 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Why do you think it isn't? (nm) (0.00 / 0)

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by: TexianPolitico @ Thu Apr 29, 2010 at 20:05:30 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Well I'll tell ya... (3.00 / 1)

I grew up on a cattle ranch. I learned at a young age that sometimes animals, domesticated or otherwise need killing. I have no problem with that. It's a fact of life. But let's think about this- are snakes a huge threat in the middle of February? Summer months, sure, but February? Come on. Stop it. Also, I've owned one of these pistols. Do you know how close you would have to get to hit something the size of a snake? Laser sights or not, you'd have to get within a few feet. That's much too close for someone who had such a fear of snakes that they need to carry a gun for protection from them. If it was a .22 with rat shot I could see that, but a .380 that is small enough to hide in your hand? Seriously, stop it, you're killing me. Anyone who has experience with firearms like this one will probably tell you the same. And who takes a puppy out running? Have you ever seen the pace that the governor keeps? The man does run at quite a quick pace. Not one that I would think a puppy would keep up with. It's a ridiculous fabrication of a story. Every time that I think about Rick coming up with this, hear this voice saying "Yeah, that's it, and then he charged at me and the dog, that's it. Yeah, so I ran at him and then I shot him, yeah that's the ticket". It just doesn't hold water.

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by: Michael Crabtree @ Thu Apr 29, 2010 at 20:59:00 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

I agree (1.00 / 1)

No one should ever shoot a coyote. He should have apologized to the coyote for humankind stealing his land and offered his hand as a sign of peace and understanding. The coyote just wanted some food and weapons never solve anything.

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by: TexianPolitico @ Thu Apr 29, 2010 at 20:04:19 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Acme (3.00 / 2)

Actually Perry has a back door contract with the Acme company, who clearly provided this coyote with more failed gadgets.

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by: John McClelland @ Thu Apr 29, 2010 at 18:26:29 PM UTC

Bill White (0.00 / 0)

Has Bill White ever fired a weapon? Just an honest question.  

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by: TexianPolitico @ Thu Apr 29, 2010 at 20:01:54 PM UTC

Don't know (0.00 / 0)

Do you think that is an important issue?

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by: Michael Crabtree @ Thu Apr 29, 2010 at 21:00:57 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Just curious (1.00 / 1)

No, its not a big issue, but I've found that most people that want to ban firearms have never touched one in their life and have a bizarre phobia of them. I'm not saying White wants to ban firearms, but I also don't think he's a pro-2nd amendment guy either.  

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by: TexianPolitico @ Fri Apr 30, 2010 at 13:17:54 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

You can have your own opinion but not your own facts (0.00 / 0)

White disagrees with that characterization, too: "I support the Second Amendment. I own guns. I don't want to take guns away," he said. He expressed concerns about guns in the hands of street gangs but said, "I don't think we need any new gun laws."

http://www.texastribune.org/bl...

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by: George @ Fri Apr 30, 2010 at 14:14:21 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

I have, so what? (0.00 / 0)

I've shot a shotgun, a rifle, and a 9mm handgun. And none of those times have I needed to bring them with me while jogging, at school, or in the local WalMart. I also didn't need an Uzi, Tek 9, or AK47 for anything I was using those other weapons for.

There is a clear difference between wanting to outright ban firearms and actually wanting people to have an appropriate use/need of firearms.  

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by: John McClelland @ Mon May 03, 2010 at 19:14:18 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

I'd like to have a Gov. that knows whether (0.00 / 0)

it's time to use a gun or if it's time to use a pointy stick.

If you take Perry's story at face value it looks like he  might have broken a few laws, good thing for him he's just making it all up.

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by: citizenx @ Thu Apr 29, 2010 at 21:34:12 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

If I Were Running For Governor (3.00 / 1)

and wanted to make a story for attention, I would claim a UFO sighting or abduction. While running for President in 1976, Jimmy Carter claimed he had once seen a UFO. That did not hurt him. Maybe it even helped him with others who had also seen a UFO or even been abducted.  

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by: Texas Liberal @ Thu Apr 29, 2010 at 22:22:39 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Kucinich (1.00 / 1)

It certainly didn't help Kucinich in the 2008 primaries when Shirley MacLaine came out and told about Kucinich seeing a UFO. He was the principled progressive in that race and instead he became the butt of all sorts of jokes. I do think he did well in the precincts on Zebutron and Merxxtkykz however.

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by: TexianPolitico @ Fri Apr 30, 2010 at 13:20:37 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Afraid of Snakes in Feb. (0.00 / 0)

Interesting take. So of if Jerry Patterson carries his 22 in his boot when he goes to the Legislature, does Perry carry his 380 in his jock strap when he is jogging?  

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by: ssuits @ Fri Apr 30, 2010 at 03:35:00 AM UTC