NRA Support Propels Candidates

Newsmax ^ | 09 Nov 2010 | Brad O’Leary

[neverdem]

When you analyze the impact of conservative and single-issue membership organizations on the 2010 midterm elections, you find that one group’s efforts dwarfed the rest: The National Rifle Association of America.

The NRA spent $20 million on behalf of its candidates — nearly five times more than the combined effort of all other such groups.

In fact, the amount of money the NRA spent to defeat Democrat John Spratt in South Carolina’s 5th Congressional District was more than all the other Second Amendment groups combined.

The group is now well-positioned to protect gun owners’ rights at the state and federal level for the next 10 years.

As of this writing, there are 17 new Republican faces in governors’ offices, 14 of whom received an A rating from the NRA on Second Amendment issues, and two of whom received a B rating.

The most important of these might be Scott Walker in Wisconsin. Wisconsin is a state which might now join the 40 other states that allow their citizens to carry a firearm for personal protection.

It also means that 116 electoral votes that went for President Barack Obama in 2008, will now be hotly contested in 2012.

In the U.S. Senate, seven of the new Republicans are A-rated by the NRA, and one of them has a solid B+ rating. In addition, not a single incumbent senator with an A rating from the NRA lost election. This too would indicate a political tide returning.

Considering there are 100 seats in the Senate, it will take two more election cycles for the tide to completely turn. In addition, only two NRA A-rated senators could be considered at risk in 2012, while 10 Senators with NRA ratings of F, D and C will likely have contentious re-elections...

[LibLieSlayer]

No... not necessary... but to me... their intent was clear. I have never questioned your honesty... maybe an opinion... but it would be boring around here if we did not debate these things.

LLS

[LibLieSlayer]

Wow... I’d rather have had them endorse the pos and kept our dues money and donations.

LLS

[Dan Nunn]

I and real conservative care about the whole Constitution, the NRA does not. I don’t care about the NRA,

I understand you reject the premise of a single-issue organization, and that's fine. But if you don't care about the NRA, why are you in every single NRA post here on FR attacking them?

[LibLieSlayer]

I’ll have to hand it to you... you are correct... corrupt election theft actually put harry over the top... but the NRA helped to some degree. Four grand is four grand.

LLS

[Dan Nunn]

Schumer can't do anything without the votes

I didn't mean that Schumer would have the votes to pass anti-gun legislation, because he wouldn't. Especially with a Republican house. What I meant was that Reid has the power to bring up pro-gun legislation through amendments and the like. Something Schumer would have outright refused to do. This is why we increased our gun rights during the last 2 years.

I don't think you will make friends for the NRA here by defending Reid, who came close to imposing amnesty on this nation.

So did President Bush. But I'm not defending Reid, I'm defending the NRA's defense of Reid - I would have never voted for the guy because I look at all the issues when I vote. The NRA, by definition, looks at one.

[Dan Nunn]

Anyone paying close attention to what the NRA leadership has been about the last few years, cannot be happy with what has taken place. They have done some very good things... but they are much like politicians today... untrustworthy and out for themselves.

I don't disagree with the fact that I can't defend everything the NRA has done.

But their endorsement policy has been the same for decades. There were just more Democrat incumbents this time around due to the elections of 2006 and 2008. It'll be different in 2012.

And as for your father's NRA, they didn't start the NRA-ILA, their lobbyist arm, until 1975.

[ding_dong_daddy_from_dumas]

So did President Bush.

True, and in doing so the left used to almost take over.

But I'm not defending Reid, I'm defending the NRA's defense of Reid - I would have never voted for the guy because I look at all the issues when I vote.

Fair enough.

The NRA, by definition, looks at one.

And I believe that in some cases, the NRA is helping candidates that will vote for policies that will eventually lead to the loss of 2nd amendment rights, and many other rights.

[neverdem]

Because all dims are socialist crap and about 45% of the republicans are. There are NO good dims... but there are some good republicans... and being a FReeper you know this.

Not all the rats were that bad. Some of our pubbies are awful. If a rat was honestly good on the RKBA, and they defeated a Mike Castle or Mark Kirk type RINO, then I wouldn't feel bad. I want the GOP to counter the rats, and the NRA to protect the Second Amendment. Since the GOP went into the wilderness in January 2007, I'd say it's worked out OK. Gun grabbing bills by Bobby Rush and Carolyn McCarthy are still sitting in committee.

[Dan Nunn]

And I believe that in some cases, the NRA is helping candidates that will vote for policies that will eventually lead to the loss of 2nd amendment rights,

I don't disagree with you. It's kind of a grab-bag - if they don't try to influence these politicians, they don't stand a chance when (not IF) they take power. At least they had some pull.

No, it wasn't enough to reject Kagan or Sotomayor. But it was enough to stave off another assault weapons ban and other anti-gun legislation.

[taildragger]

Called them today and told them why I am no longer a member.

I was polite but I really wanted to tell them to stuff it, Support for Reid and Dingell put me over the edge..

[LibLieSlayer]

I can agree with a great deal of that... but I cannot name one ELECTED dim that is worth crap... not one... I mean to be a dim today is to be something I was raised to believe was anti-American and seditious. The only dim alive today that I think is a good guy is Zell Miller. That is it... an army of one.

LLS

[mad_as_he$$]

Yes. BTW the way one acid test for me is if they voted for 0care. Ocare is very anti gun.

[Smokin' Joe]

You know, I checked that site and admittedly I had a hard time reconciling that "voting record" (most of which was signing letters, not votes) with the pipsqueak who sat across from me in a diner in Williston, ND justifying his vote FOR the AWB with "Well, you don't need an AK-47 to go deer hunting".

I (and those who heard him make that remark) have been working for his defeat ever since. Good Riddance.

The NRA didn't go back very far, and I haven't noticed a 'come to Jesus moment' in Mr. Pomeroy's history.

As for expressing opposition to the reenactment of the AWB, that cost him nothing politically with the Party--it's a third rail issue, but would he have voted against it?

As for this: BATFE Reform — Cosponsored and voted for legislation to force much-needed reform of the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (BATFE)

What reform has occurred, and does it leave a different print on the stomped kitties?

Sorry, I'm not buying it.

[grumpygresh]

“But if you don’t care about the NRA, why are you in every single NRA post here on FR attacking them?”

Dan, I just don’t think that conservatives should continue to support the NRA because the NRA is not compatible with the constitutional and conservative agenda by virtue of the NRA’s support of Democrats.

I believe that we are living in truly historic times and each of us much choose sides. At issue is no less than the Constitution and the fate of the Republic (that is the whole Constitution).In the past, maybe about 20-30 years ago, you could really have conservative Democrats that cared about the Constitution. These Democrats could act independently of the party leadership EVEN when a close vote was on the line that contradicted the leadership. Sadly, this is not the case any more. Pro-gun Dems will vote for the anti-gun anti-Constitutional Dem leadership and Leftist SCOTUS nominees (we will see about Manchin). Party will trump gun-rights. The Leftists are just biding their time. Just look at the “pro-life” Dems. Dan, I know that the Republicans are far from perfect, but you just can trust a Dem when you need their vote.

At times, I will agree with the NRA when they stand with true conservatives that are capable of advancing the conservative agenda (that would exclude the rinos). When the NRA supports “conservative” Dems, I will oppose you and the NRA because those “conservative” Dems, in the end, will not advance conservatism because of their support of anti-conservative (and anti-gun) party leaders.

Dan, you can have the NRA and the 2A. I will take the Constitution and the 2A.

[OKSooner]

" Let’s say your flawed premise is right: that the NRA helped elect Harry Reid (as other posters pointed out, they did NOT endorse Reid).

Ergo (remember, flawed premise and all that), Harry remained victorious over Angle.

The resultant situation: Majority Leader Harry Reid. The alternate situation: Majority Leader Chuck Schumer. "

The NRA may not have endorsed Reid, but they did quietly donate money to him, which amounted to a tacit endorsement.

Many of us around here were thinking more along the lines of "Minority Leader Chuckie Schumer."

We just might have gotten there, too, if not for the efforts of (being totally honest about it here) the RSCC. The NRA didn't help matters with their tacit endorsement of Reid.

[JCG]

The 2A wouldn't have helped Rome survive. We won't survive either if we take the NRA's endorsement as a reason to vote for poli-trash like this. Vote conservative, not single-issue. 

                                                       *

NM-3: Ben Lujan                  0 !
NM-1: Martin Heinrich            4
WI-8: Steve Kagen                7
CO-4: Betsy Markey               8
MN-1: Tim Walz                   8
OH-16: John Boccieri             8
OR-5: Kurt Schrader              8 

* American Conservative Union rating...

Can you believe the NRA actually endorsed a candidate with a zero ACU rating? I'm going with GOA and JFPO -- at least they don't appear to have lost their marbles.

----

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[Trteamer]

“I want the NRA to refrain from endorsing socialists.
I want the NRA to refrain form endorsing a candidate when both the Republican and the democRat are both “A” rated.”

The NRA did exactly that in my district. Glad to say the socialist rat lost the election. I let the NRA know I won’t support them financially any more.

[neverdem]

I can agree with a great deal of that... but I cannot name one ELECTED dim that is worth crap... not one...

I stumbled across a story about Pelosi and the blue dogs howling. Boren, OK, has an ACU score of 44. Castle is 56. Kirk is 72.

[LibLieSlayer]

Kirk is certainly way ahead of those other two.

LLS

[A. Patriot]

In my conservative state, the people wisely ignored the NRA and sent good pro-gun Republicans to congress. The NRA needs to be reformed.