Significant Picture Placement at the NRA Meeting?

Gun Watch ^ | 12 April, 2015 | Dean Weingarten

[marktwain]

My war was the Cold War.  I spent a good chunk of my career helping to develop weapons to counter the communist threat.  A chunk of our intelligence effort was spent attempting to determine what was going on inside of the Soviet Union, who might succeed who in the leadership, and what it might mean.

Watching the NRA and trying to determine what is happening in its internal politics is much like that.  There are the public pronouncements, that tell us some of what happened, after the fact.  While the NRA elections can have a significant effect on select races for the board of directors, the control of the organization has never been in doubt since the late 1990's.

Wayne LaPierre has led the organization since 1991.  That is 24 years.  He has been extremely successful.  While maintaining control of the organization in spite of a membership revolt led by Neal Knox, LaPierre learned from the experience.   He brought the organization more in line with the political desires of the members, who wanted less compromise, and more offense in the protection of the second amendment.

During Wayne's tenure, second amendment supporters have expanded legal concealed carry to all 50 states and most territories.  The Heller case, originally opposed by the NRA, earned its support.   The McDonald decision followed, and  many give the NRA, significant credit for supporting that win with an amicus brief.

I am hearing rumors that Wayne may be considering retirement.  He has done very well with the NRA.  He is nationally known, and loved by more people than he is despised by.    The question is: who will succeed him in the executive vice president spot?  That spot is the chief executive officer (CEO) position in the NRA.  The president's post is largely ceremonial.  That is why the above picture is significant.  Chris Cox is a clear up and coming presence in the NRA.  He is heard from more and more, and many believe that he will be Wayne LaPierre's successor.   The prominent poster showing Chris Cox behind LaPierre, and ahead of Charlton Heston, is exactly the sort of thing a Soviet watcher would attach significance to.

Will Chris Cox be the next executive vice president of the NRA?  No one knows for sure.  But that is the way to bet.

©2015 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice is included.
Link to Gun Watch

[marktwain]

The internal politics of the NRA are Machiavellian. Control of the organization was taken from the members in the 1997 coup by LaPierre, when he beat back the Neal Knox organization.

He who controls the magazines and the nominating committee controls who is on the board.

[dware]

How did that whole glenn beck / grover norquist thing turn out?

[MSF BU]

Your war was the Cold War? Which war...and branch of the service did Chris serve in?

[alpo]

Norquist has removed himself from director duties. Not sure if he resigned.

[Yo-Yo]

There are rumors swirling around that the NRA was trying to cut a deal with the ATF over a change in the definition of Sporting Purposes for a classification of shotguns that are technically NFA items - pistol grip shotguns without a butt stock. In exchange, certain specialty ammunition such as tracer rounds, would be banned from importation.

Rumor continues that Chris Cox was doing the negotiating and blind sided Wayne LaPierre, who was not amused.

[2harddrive]

“over a change in the definition of Sporting Purposes for a classification of shotguns that are technically NFA items - pistol grip shotguns without a butt stock.”

All pistol grip shotguns are NOT per se NFA items, although they NOW must be sold only to those 21 and older. The only ones retroactively (and WRONGLY! Thanks, Klinton!) reclassified as NFA items, as a taxable destructive device like hand grenades or land mines, are the “Stryker” style that have a permanently-affixed rotary drum in them. They are basically 12-shot revolver shotguns, good for self-defense.

[marktwain]

“All pistol grip shotguns are NOT per se NFA items, although they NOW must be sold only to those 21 and older.”

That seems to be a matter of contention. What about items that are over 26” overall, but with a barrel under 18”? They are being sold as not NFA, and the companies have a BATF letter approving it.

http://shockwavetechnologies.com/site/?page_id=88

The Mossberg 500 Cruiser is classified as “not a shotgun” by the BATF.

http://www.tombstonetactical.com/catalog/mossberg/500-cruiser-shotgun-12-ga-18.5in-cb-black/

[Yo-Yo]

The issue at hand is technically, since a pistol grip 12 gauge shotgun has a bore over 1/2”, and it was not designed or redesigned to be fired from the shoulder, it does not meet the legal definition of a shotgun. Therefore, the Mossberg 500 Cruiser is technically a destructive device.

[ATOMIC_PUNK]

[2harddrive]

I will research it. It can be sold as a handgun, with a barrel under 18”, IF it is a rifled barrel, NOT a smoothbore.

[2harddrive]

I have NOT heard of any Cruisers being taxed as destructive device, just the Stryker style. They are still all over at the gun shows. But yes, BATF are using the bore size over .5” as their excuse. So that takes of 16 and 20 gauge shotguns, too. Maybe we can keep our .410’s? LOL!!

[2harddrive]

The Mossberg 500 Cruiser is just a hand gun to the ATF, nowadays.

[marktwain]

I recall that the Taurus revolver in 28 gauge was prohibited from import because it was over .5 inches in bore.

Heard anything about that?

[Yo-Yo]

I hope we can keep our .410s because I have an original Snake Charmer in my safe that I inherited from my Dad.

[Hugin]

The internal politics of the NRA are Machiavellian. Control of the organization was taken from the members in the 1997 coup by LaPierre, when he beat back the Neal Knox organization.

Bullcrap! Board members are elected every year by the members. Wayne is routinely reelected because he understands how to get things done, and has done a great job working in the trenches to expand gun rights, which is why the gun grabbers hate him. You never hear them complain about the NRA wannabees.

[OKSooner]

Chris Cox is absolutely not to be trusted after his dealings with Harry Reid.

Hell, I just re-joined the NRA within the last year, I might have to un-join again if this @$$hole gets in.

[marktwain]

Yes, Board members are elected every year by the members, from people selected by the nominating committee, which is composed of people loyal to LaPierre. The write up of the people nominated is published in the magazines. The magazines are controlled by people loyal to LaPierre.

There is a mechanism for nomination of Board member candidates from the membership, directly, and the reality is that one or two board members can bypass the nominating committee if they have enough organization or support to get people to concentrate by voting just for them. It happens with some regularity. Celebrities like Ted Nugent or Robert Brown can also be elected.

But control of the NRA rests with whoever controls the publications.

In fact, the person or group who controls the magazines controls who is selected to the Board.

There used to be considerable power in the annual meeting. The membership who could vote there could actually get things done. That power was reduced to a minimum after Neal Knox almost succeeded in replacing LaPierre in 1995.

It is rather similar to the politicians in the United States. The people who control the media have a large say about who gets elected. In the NRA this is magnified by who controls what gets put in the NRA publications.

[marktwain]

I am not saying that the NRA is not a valuable organization. It has proved its value. It is the 800 lb Gorrilla in the room, and it has been forced to become far more attentive to its members wishes because of competition from other second amendment supporting organizations such as GOA, SAF, and even NAGR.

But the internal rise to power is Machiavellian, from everything that I have heard. This is not unusual. Most large organizations who control considerable money and power have Machiavellian internal power struggles.

The NRA is a bit different because the “bottom line” is not so easy to measure as a stock price or a dividend.