For a Republican to get a C+ from the NRA is is not evidence of staunchness. Maybe a sometimes defender would be more correct. Better grade than Obama or Clinton though. His GOA grades were as low as low gets.
Why? Because he most certainly is not a staunch defender of the first amendment, and as we all know the first defends the second just as much as the second defends the first. If the first is no longer followed, it's harder, much harder to defend the second amendment, which then puts the first, and the rest, in even greater peril.
The rating from the NRA is a more accurate rating than the GOA. If the rating from the GOA for McCain was as low as low gets, how did clinton and obama score lower?
The reason the NRA rated McCain with the C+ was because he wanted all sellers at gunshows to have a Federal License and that action would not close down gunshows. The NRA disagrees with McCain on that issue.
McCain voted AGAINST the assault weapons ban. In thar respect, he’s a better candidate than GW is.