Posted on 09/04/2008 11:53:23 AM PDT by neverdem
Lifetime Member And Avid Hunter Palin Will Help Rally Gun Owners, Lobbyist Says
By now, millions of Americans have seen photos of vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin testing weapons while visiting members of the Alaska National Guard in Kuwait.
But it wouldn't be surprising if millions more in battleground states get to see similar pictures soon -- plus appearances by Palin herself -- in states where gun rights are a big issue, courtesy of the National Rifle Association's fat $40 million budget for this year's elections and parallel plans by the McCain campaign to deploy Palin where gun owners are numerous.
When John McCain plucked Palin, a lifetime NRA member and an enthusiastic hunter, from relative obscurity to be his No. 2, the NRA found new ammunition for its already expensive drive to bar Barack Obama from the White House.
The McCain-Palin ticket has spawned "great excitement among gun owners and hunters," says Chris Cox, the NRA's top lobbyist in Washington. "Our focus is to arm gun owners with the facts," Cox adds, pun intended, noting that the 4 million-member NRA intends to do comprehensive education and voter-turnout work targeting the nation's 80 million gun owners.
The Palin pick is going to be highlighted on a recently launched NRA website, gunbanobama.com, which will be used to mobilize voters and will soon feature the print, radio, and TV ads that the NRA is expected to launch this month.
Even before Palin was tapped, the NRA had planned a hefty get-out-the-vote drive in about a dozen states, particularly such Midwestern swing states as Indiana, Michigan, Missouri, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.
Similarly, the McCain campaign is also keen on deploying Palin in these and other states where gun rights and hunting resonate with voters, according to a senior McCain aide. The McCain campaign looks forward to sending Palin to battleground states "in the heartland, where 2nd Amendment rights are particularly treasured," explained the aide, who asked not to be named.
The McCain aide added that the campaign also intends to draw a sharp contrast between Palin and Obama's No. 2, Sen. Joseph Biden of Delaware, who was heavily involved in the passage of the 1994 crime bill that contained a ban on assault weapons.
In the eyes of Wayne LaPierre, the longtime NRA president, Palin's addition to the ticket "is a plus. I think her candidacy has helped activists in those states which care about Second Amendment and hunting-rights issues."
BTW, Wayne LaPierre is the longtime NRA Executive Vice President.
No less than Bill Clinton himself credited Algore’s loss to the NRA.
Indeed, he did. In the last midterm election, the donkeys finally learned not to raise a Second Amendment threat. Now, they put up Obama & Biden, what a pair of targets!
I am crossing my fingers that Palin would be able to exert some influence on the rights of gun owners. I hope she has the DOJ file friend of the court briefs in support of gun owners who are having their rights infringed by lower federal courts, states, counties, and cities.
As life member of the NRA, I hope they use this opportunity to draft more new members.
Future headline: Vice President Sarah Palin to give keynote address at 2009 NRA Convention in Phoenix.
The states of Arkansas, Tennessee, West Virginia, Ohio, and Florida saved us from Algore. The greatest feat of all was Tennessee doing their duty and turning on their native son back in 2000.
The NRA is a fabulous organization. They are so strong the left rarely lays a hand on them. God bless them.
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I travel TN quite a bit and most of the folks there didn’t seem to think of him as a native son at all.
NRA Benefactor Ping
I saw her flipping 3 round bursts off with an M-16.
When I can scoot to the hardware store and pick on of those up on special? Then the Second Amendment is truly safe.
I would like to see Ted Nugent as President of the NRA.
I like Ted and I think he would do a heck of a job.
I could see Ted’s press conference now:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QiYyHNgeFA8
language warning (of course)
One need only recognize that the worst nominee to the Supreme Court appointed by McCain will be far better than the best nominated by Obama. With McCain in the White House, we might have a chance of seeing a follow-on case to Heller with a 7-2 majority. Such an outcome is completely out of the question if Obama wins.
You say that as if you are not a member.
Yes, WE are strong. But imagine how much stronger WE would be if WE, instead of being three and a half million members, were seven million members and growing?
It's easy to join online. It takes just a few minutes and a few dollars.
Where did you see the NRA argue that it's just about hunting or "sporting use"? They didn't make that argument in their brief for Heller. It took a long time to get behind the eight ball. The NRA and others are working to fix it. It takes time.
Poor ol’ presidential candidate Bob Barr... the media always overlooks the fact that he was on the NRA Board of Directors for like 6 years... too bad he joined up with the ACLU.
Then you know nothing about the NRA. When is your gun group going to sue some town or city based on Heller? What is your gun group waiting for?
Well guess what. Just went to their site. Please feel free to correct me if I'm wrong about this
I don't see anything about repealing the 1968 GCA.
I don't see anything about repealing the 1934 NFA.
I see some crap proposed legislation called HR 4900 which is a still gilded pair of handcuffs for machinegun owners. I think the bullet points that say : "ALLOWS" smell of compromise.
Guess what. My rights are not subject to their permissions.
NRA - Not enough. GOA / JFPO - those guys are the ones pushing for real reform.
Oh yes, GOA and JPFO also submitted briefs in support of Heller. I am quite aware of who is doing what Shooter. I just don't think the NRA is doing enough.
"Those who appease the tiger do so in the hopes that the tiger will eat them last."
Registering the ownership of civilian-use nuclear weapons is where I am at on self defense. If it throws lead, photons, fire or chemical explosives it is required for the unorganized militia of the USA.
Extreme? Yep, and damn proud of it. I am to the Second what a journalist is to the First Amendment.
Well guess what. Just went to their site. Please feel free to correct me if I'm wrong about this
Have you looked at National Rifle Association of America, Institute for Legislative Action. ?
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