http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uTDrnqr3IoI

TTAG commentators are quick to point out that Texas isn’t the most gun-friendly state in these here united. Constitutional Carry? Nope. Open carry? No sir. Guns in schools? Not a chance. And yet America’s second most populous state has an extremely strong gun culture. So while we can’t credit Texas Governor Rick Perry for rolling back the Lone Star State’s civilian disarmament legislation – save the recent reduction in mandatory training hours for concealed carry permits – we can certainly acknowledge his unabashed enthusiasm for armed personal defense. The former presidential candidate never fails to defend and promote gun rights in interviews. Perry also leads by example, shooting all manner of semi and fully automatic guns for fun, carrying a Ruger LCP (with which he shot a coyote while jogging) and keeping an FN FiveseveN for bedside backup. As a high-profile poster boy for firearms freedom, Perry makes the grade. For that he gets our thanks and appreciation.

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71 COMMENTS

  1. Politicians should be judged by what they get done, not what they say. It’s nice and all that he advocates for firearms, but anyone can do that.

  2. He’s still a conservative nut who hates gays and marijuana, so he’s no good to us running for president.

    • If you think most of the liberal leadership is “Pro Gay” you are kidding yourself. They are indifferent to homosexuality (for now) and only champion it for political reasons. Same thing with diversity. It is a means to an end. If they ever seize full control, they will turn on the homosexual community and crush them along with anyone else that claims individuality. In their vision of society, everyone must be the same, which includes sexual preference.

  4. Gun hero or gun whore? Here is my back of the envelope calculation regarding who will and who won’t throw gun owners under the bus: if they support ALL of the Bill of Rights — then they may be worthy of support — if they “posture” positively over guns and then support anything the NSA does — that is a danger sign. The Constitution is not multiple choice.

    • Capacity and low recoil. Louder than Hell though. Not defending or detracting it, because it wouldn’t be my first choice, but holds a lot and very controllable.

    • It would not be the standard criminal breaking into Perry’s home. No doubt he has that thing full of SS190.

  6. PA might be the most gun friendly state. Open carry w/o a license. Shall issue LTCF. no restrictions on NFA stuff.

      • I think of Arizona as the friendliest friend of firearms. Too bad about the damn scorpions. Those things keep up at night. (The arachnid, not the 80’s rock band.)

    • New Mexico; OC without a license; Shall Issue CC, suppressors and full auto with in federal guide lines; can CC in restaurants that serve beer or wine. Private sales of pistols and rifles without license or registration. Semi auto sporting rifles sales with no registration or restrictions beyond NICS at a gun store.

  7. Culture win.
    And don’t forget about Ted Cruz.

    But let’s not start the flame war over why Texas sucks. We need to focus on states that ACTUALLY need our help like CA, NY, and CO instead of getting into a pissing Co test between Arizona and Texas.

    • People gripe about Texas, like they do about America, but when it comes time to bail on the crappy place they live, where do they go?

      The world comes to America and Americans come to Texas. Soooo…..

      • when it comes time to bail on the crappy place they live, where do they go?

        Any place slightly less crappy.

        • Less crappy? Like he rest of the country with high unemployment and high taxes? Funny, we don’t pay a state income tax and have one if the best employment %. You don’t like us, fine don’t come down here. Honestly, it’s getting way too crowded anyway, but I guess when people want a place where they can work, have land and make decent money, Texas would be the best choice.

    • Search for ‘unix’ on Dice.com:

      Arizona: 119
      New Mexico: 9
      Texas: 632

      I’ll have the job, thanks. Plus, no income tax. More moneys for ammo and toys.

  8. After 13 years in office, his record of advancing 2A freedom isn’t earth shattering, but there’ve beensome noteworthy accomplishments. Certainly far more than mere lip service.

    There’s the reduction is training hours for CHL’s, but that’s for new applications. For renewals, training hours have been reduced to zero, which is more appropriately described as eliminated.

    There’s also the 2007 law that allows for the carry of a concealed handgun in one’s vehicle, without requiring a concealed handgun license. This settled a century+ old debate by eradicating the “travelling” standard, which had been abused and used to prosecute some people wrongfully. Now, if you’re legal to own, you’re legal to carry in your vehicle without expense, hassle of a license.

    Another law mandates that employers may not bar employees from storing their firearm in their personal vehicles on company property. That one’s new and could see some civil suits yet, but it’s a great step. Same with colleges/universities, which can’t ban guns locked in cars.

    Some nice tidbits, more than honorable mention; but not the rock it out, full throttle expansion I’d like to have seen.

    • Perry signed all the gun right laws that passed his desk, however, he never promoted or fought for any of them. Last legislative session, he was time and again, by a lot of people to add the campus carry bill that had stalled in a democrat controlled committee to one of the three special session. He ignored everyone. Greg Abbott supported and asked for the bill to be added to the special sessions, as well as Dan Patrick who posted a plead video asking Perry to add the bill, but Perry did nothing. He is all talk and no action.

  9. That was a really good interview. Started with boos, ended with cheers.

    Man’s got talent, that much is clear to me.

  10. There was a proposition on the ballot last week to expand locations where concealed carry is permitted. Prop 2 passed by almost 90%.

  11. Why didn’t we see this Rick Perry during the primary debates? That Rick Perry was a bumbling fool. This Rick Perry is smooth with a refreshing sense of humor. Is he now off the sauce or something?

    • Because he hired campaign managers. “What? we can’t let people see who you really are!! We have to portray you the way this complex algorithm predicts people will want to see you! My computer and my political science degree make me an expert!”

      • Bingo.

        The GOP “consultants” that have run every presidential campaign since ’96 are a bunch of inside-the-beltway fools and idiots.

        One of the reasons why Geo. W. Bush won in ’00 and ’04 was that he brought his own team from Texas to run the election.

      • Saucewise? You may be on to something there. Remember when Kris Kristofferson was drinking like a fish and inhaling illicit substances, then cleaned up his act? He went from being a great songwriter to a second rate actor playing a lame supporting part in “Blade.”

        • Happens to a lot of celebrities. Seems like Chevy Chase stopped being funny, for instance, when he gave up the pain pills.

  12. They just had Idaho gov. Butch Otter on local radio explaining the bill he signed allowing CC on colleges and universities.
    Cool guy.

  14. I like Gov. Perry, but let’s not devalue the word “hero” by using it inappropriately.

    A hero is someone who risks his/her life to save/protect/defend someone else’s life. Sometimes heroes die in the process.

    Being pro-2A in Texas isn’t exactly a political risk.

  15. I think his assessment of Austin was the most accurate description of that city Ive heard yet.
    Being that its mostly in recent years been inhabited by exCalifornians.
    A blueberry in a bowel of tomato soup………………………perfect……

  16. “Gun Hero” my ass.

    Just under who’s orders do you think the TX State Troopers have been ILLEGALLY ARRESTING cap & ball replicas which are explicitly NOT legally defined as guns, on PUBLIC Austin Capitol grounds??

    You think those CosPlay dragqueens who have left alone open carriers all this time, would ‘suddenly’ grow a statutes-enforcing fervor specifically targeting cap/ball replicas??

    Another RINO puppet to dangle in front of the geopolitically clueless.

    Ask Perry how many of already-TX tax payers-paid-for roads he’s personally sold to Cintra, a Spanish company with toll lease for over 99yrs??

    Only if some actually paid attention to how politics actually operate, than what’s advertised…

    Farago, you should know better.

    • So he sold some highways to Cintra. So what? Cintra owns tolls roads all over Europe and the US.

    • I have no problem with a company owning a toll road, nor do I have a problem with the state selling a road they built with tax payer money if they recoup said taxpayer money in the sale. Are you implying that once the taxpayer money has been spent on the purchase or construction of public property that the government can never divest themselves of that property and recoup taxpayer money? Explain your stance on surplus guns and ammo then. The taxpayer already paid for them, so the government shouldn’t be able to sell them, right?

      • “The taxpayer already paid for them, so the government shouldn’t be able to sell them, right?”

        uh, yeahup. the public (and I don’t mean businesses) should get first bidding rights on auction or public resale of small arms, and all sorts of other surplus taxpayer-funded equipment.

  17. There are things about Perry that I’d complain about.

    His stand on the second amendment is not one of them.

  18. +1 Rick. Ever see the governor of Illinois? Perry is a Mensa member compared to Pat Quinn. Texas is a paradise compared to Illinois.

  19. I do hope you people realize that Perry was a Bilderberg golden child. He’s already made his bed and just waiting for the day when he’s commanded to sell out Texas to the globalists …….. even more than he already has.

  20. In the recent primary elections, there were 2 women vying for the Democrat Governors’ position. Both were pro open carry! God Bless Texas!

  21. That “I shot a coyote” with my Ruger LCP is a load of crap. Anyone who’s been around coyotes in the wild know how timid they are — they don’t get within LCP range, and they don’t charge adults. Second, the governor of the state of Texas does not go jogging alone. Third, no one just leaves a coyote corpse to rot . . . in the suburbs. Whatever his (mixed) record on 2A rights, this story is clearly BS.

    • Right off the top of my head I know of at least one case where coyotes attacked and killed a jogger. I believe it was Canada. Yotes are predators. Disney might have painted them as buffoons, but predators they are.

    • I’ve had coyotes come close enough to me to sniff my nuts like a Labrador Retriever. So, yeah, they get within pistol range.

    • Coyotes very rarely attack adults, but it does happen. I think your points 2 and 3 are much stronger. If a politician takes down a coyote with a subcompact carry pistol with a barrel under 3 inches, a pretty incredible shot given the speed of “canis latrans” then yeah, that bullet ridden ‘yote is going to be on the TV news. I guess his security just forgot to jog with him that day . . . and how big was that Lab puppy if he was “jogging” with it? Had to be big enough to match his stride but small enough to look tempting to a ‘yote! Hmmmmm.

  22. Perry is half retarded. I’m happy he is pro-gun but the guy is a goofball and was an embarrassment in the debates. He endorsed ultra liberals in Texas to get lefty support in his district, he supported Al Gore’s presidential campaign and even worked for Gore in Texas. Perry was handed the governorship while Bush Jr.(slowmo) was cheated into office. He supports Obamacare. He is a pro-life goof taking away freedoms because of a old book written by thousands of part-time philosophers of religion, yet he supports stem-cell because he’s invested in it. He forced girls to get vaccines by executive order. He supports illegal immigration by using tax funds to send illegals to college. He supported block grants to fight crime of which included gun buyback programs. Contractors that happen to be getting most of the 150 billion for the Trans-Texas corridor project Perry is invested in.
    Perry is a typical politician and anyone that would vote for him over a real libertarian or independent shouldn’t be voting at all. Just because he likes guns doesn’t mean he is a good guy.

    • Tell us what you really think. Part time philosophers? Pro life goof? If you HATE CHRISTIANS just come out & say it. And just because YOU like guns doesn’t make you a good guy.

      • Pretty sure disagreeing with the part time philosophers and pro life goof comment doesn’t qualify him as a bad guy or a hater.. But then Christians are known for embracing the victim status, when the heathens dont sign on.

  23. He doesn’t oppose gun rights but he doesn’t fight for them either. Couple that with the suspicious tie in between who donates to his campaign and who gets our small business development grants and I’m unimpressed with him.

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