Posted on 02/24/2018 11:42:44 AM PST by reaganaut1
WASHINGTON — Few places have seen the National Rifle Association wield its might more effectively than Florida, where it has advanced a sweeping agenda that has made it easier to carry concealed weapons, given gun owners greater leeway to shoot in self-defense and even briefly barred doctors from asking patients about their firearms.
To many of its opponents, that decades-long string of victories is proof that the N.R.A. has bought its political support. But the numbers tell a more complicated story: The organization’s political action committee over the last decade has not made a single direct contribution to any current member of the Florida House or Senate, according to campaign finance records.
In Florida and other states across the country, as well as on Capitol Hill, the N.R.A. derives its political influence instead from a muscular electioneering machine, fueled by tens of millions of dollars’ worth of campaign ads and voter-guide mailings, that scrutinizes candidates for their views on guns and propels members to the polls.
“It’s really not the contributions,” said Cleta Mitchell, a former N.R.A. board member. “It’s the ability of the N.R.A. to tell its members: Here’s who’s good on the Second Amendment.”
Far more than any check the N.R.A. could write, it is this mobilization operation that has made the organization such a challenging adversary for Democrats and gun control advocates — one that, after the massacre at a school in Parkland, Fla., is struggling to confront an emotional student-led push for new restrictions.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
Wow, I’m amazed that The NY Times recognizes the reality of the NRA’s influence. Most of the time when I see Leftists ranting about the NRA, it’s all about “we need to get money out of the election process!”, as if that’s the big deal. Which, as this article points out, it isn’t, when it comes to the NRA.
It’s like if you voted for Obama, you are either ignorant or evil.
I’ve probably said it to you before, but great tagline. I’m a big fan of the Weapon Shops of Isher, I first read it 40+ years ago as a teenager. One of the many things that brought me to being a conservative.
Re-upped last night. Had the notice for a week but after reading about the boycotts it reminded me to do it.
And here I thought it was all the fake coin and Viagra ads!
Adam Schiff in a future comgressional hearing:
“Are you now or have you ever been a member of the NRA?”
The gun grabbers and their enablers (see: Enterprise) are about to discover the mobilization effort. Bigly. I am an NRA member who is beyond pissed. We did nothing to harm anyone at Stoneman Douglas but are being blamed.
This won’t stand. Trust me.
Couldn’t you have pointed to amendment 2? Can’t she read?
Just a note. I’m on my second doctor since O-care came in.
Neither has ever asked me about guns.
Think Progress had a list of every Republican the NRA gave money to in the 2016 election cycle along with their dollar amounts. I took that information, totalled it up and guess what?
On average, the NRA gave @ $2,400 per Congressional candidate during the 2016 election cycle.
You know who gave more money to Congressional Candidates?
Labor Unions, Wall Street, Financial Services firms, Banks, Hollywood elitists, public sector unions, left wing lobbying groups, Planned Abortion (Parenthood..) and others gave FAR MORE per Democrat candidate that they gave money to, than the NRA did to the Republican Candidates they gave money to.
Who's bought and paid for here and what agenda are they supporting?
Look at the radical progressive democrats and the stances they're taking -- follow the money!
The NRA is true grass roots political activism while Everytown, Moms Demand Action, the VPC and other anti gun groups are AstroTurf funded by liberal billionaires like Bloomberg and Soros, who, BTW, are surrounded day and night by armed bodyguards.
Join both. Then join your state pro-gun group, too.
It is disturbing the number of people who think that the right to kill your unborn is constitutional, but never mentioned in the Constitution, but that guns, that are specifically protected by the 2nd Amendment, aren’t.
I became a life member when George Bush resigned his membership.
When seconds count, the police - even when they are at the scene, might not consider going into harm’s way to stop the murder of children to be part of the job. What a travesty!!!
We just rejoined as a statement of solidarity.
I joined last evening and let Metlife (my dental insurance carrier) I joined in their honor.
Ah, journalists, jouralists....the key to their clout is that they are right (as in correct), and there are those of us out here who are actually smart enough to follow real logic (not liberal logic).
Remember Alinsky: “Pick a target, freeze it, polarize it.” The NRA is in the sights of Alinskyites everywhere these days. The first time one of us is shot by a Leftist should touch off a civil war
You might consider GOA.
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