Posted on 10/10/2008 10:10:40 AM PDT by Josh Painter
This week the McCain-Palin team raked in a bonanza of endorsements. According to conventional wisdom endorsements don't matter that much in politics, but at least one of the multiple nods announced over the past two days for the GOP's ticket could make a big difference. NRA-PVF, the National Rifle Association's Political Victory Fund, put the gun rights organization's stamp of approval on the Republican Party's presidential and vice presidential candidates, and that endorsement carries a load of clout.
NRA doesn't always made a presidential endorsement in an election year, and it has not been overly enthusiastic about McCain. Jim Geraghty explains in this post on his Campaign Spot blog hosted by National Review:
People may have expected this, but my understanding is that the NRA's endorsement of John McCain wasn't a guaranteed outcome, because of the NRA's past disagreements with McCain about campaign finance reform and his support for a gun show restriction bill he cosponsored with Joe Lieberman.Although I have no special knowledge about the inner workings of the NRA, I think Gov. Palin made the difference. She has an A+ NRA rating, is a lifetime member and has a long history of supporting its gun safety education programs.But beyond those two disagreements, McCain has a pretty solid pro-gun record, and Palin, of course, is famously a lifetime NRA member. Obama, of course, is basically the most anti-gun candidate to come down the street in many a year, and Biden's no improvement in the NRA's eyes.
NRA has more than four million members, but that's only a small fraction of the estimated eighty million gun owners in the United States. Still, most gun owners should be aware of Obama's anti-gun record. The junior senator from Illinois once told Fox's John Lott:
“I don’t believe that people should be able to own guns.”Though Obama has appeared to soften his anti-gun attitude for the sake of this election, I'm convinced that it's just for political convenience. In his heart of hearts the Second Amendment that conservatives hold near sacred is just an out-of-date portion of the "living document" that liberals see when they look at the Constitution.
The big payoff from the NRA endorsement will be in the form of political advertising. So far, the organization has been sponsoring an ad campaign against Obama, but now they have a pair of candidates at the top of the ballot that they can be for. McCain, after having been deceived by Obama and deciding to accept public financing for his campaign, is at a severe cash disadvantage and should significantly benefit from the extra advertising that the NRA will provide through its PVF arm.
McCain grabbed another endorsement Thursday which will get less media attention. Some one hundred former U.S. ambassadors are also endorsing McCain-Palin. Not that his foreign policy creds needed any further boosting, but McCain, as the underdog in this race, can use all the help he can get.
A third endorsement for the GOP ticket came Thursday from Associated Industries of Florida. Billing itself as "The Voice of Florida Business," AIF is a voluntary association of diversified businesses. According to its website:
AIF was created to foster an economic climate in Florida conducive to the growth, development, and welfare of industry and business and the people of the state.Given the importance of Florida as a battleground state, Team McCain will gladly accept any endorsement it can get in the sunshine state short of convicted felons. I'm pretty sure they're a lock for Obama anyway.
To round out the cornucopia of McCain-Palin endorsements, Wednesday two Cleveland Browns players went on record for Team Maverick. QB Brady Quinn and LT Joe Thomas announced their support for McCain at a rally in Strongsville, Ohio. "And the crowd goes wild..."
Actually, it did.
- JP
It’s nice that the NRA endorses McCain, but that isn’t going to win McCain too many undecided or crossover votes.
They will get some and the NRA will have their media campaign going. I donated this week to the NRA and use my NRA credit card to help.
all about GOTV
Re you suggesting that “undecideds” do not own guns, and if they do, they will not mind them being taken away?
No one in this country likes anything being taken away from them, especially if the Constitution gives the right for one to have it.
This could have a very noticable affect
The NRA endorsement certainly makes sense. You rally don’t have to make a line-by-line of Obama’s record on guns to know what he really thinks. A general knowledge of his radical background and perfect liberal senate voting record should pretty much tell you automatically what his opinon is on just about every issue including this one. Never mind his recent rote recitations in favor of our right to own Elmer Fudd shotguns and hunt ducks and wabbits.
The belated business endorsements are no surprise either. One only has to say “card check” to let the Chamber of Commerce crowd know they are all being measured for a box by the dems, cheap illegal alien labor or no.
The Pope’s endorsement might persuade a few more voters.
He almost has.
The Pope’s endorsement might persuade a few more voters.
I am Catholic and saw the pope twice, but really think that as a non American I would rather not have the pope endorse America’s presidential campaign. If he was an American Pope that would be completely different.
That's been my thought also. Had Senator McCain chosen a less pro-gun running mate, I doubt that he would have received the NRA endorsement.
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