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We are much better on the subject than any of them!

The Second Amendment is not a political tool, or bargaining chip...

It is best left alone to stand on its "original" intent, not to be watered down...

If you want to change it, its time for the gun-control crowd to do it the hard way...

I really hope the Heller case rips them up to shreds...

We need to stop being nice about this...

Nazrat wrote:The primary race is over. Focus on the general campaign now.

Yes the presidential primaries are statistically over now...Focusing on that alone is not necessary anymore...

What we need to do is focus on the down ballot races...Get the conservatives (if you lean that way) into office to counter the exreme moderate and or liberal candidates that will not support our right to keep and bear arms as vehemently as true conservatives would support our inalienable, individual rights...

And always remember, in two years we can continue to push back against those who would take away from us that which simple needs to be left alone and or rolled back in the peoples favor...

yerasimos wrote:Fellow hoplophiles,

Perhaps we can focus this thread upon political strategies to weather the coming storm, aside from pimping our favorite presidential candidates or political parties.

Just a suggestion to keep things constructive.

Muchos Gracias!!!

flb_78 wrote:I believe it was entirely feasible if the NRA had put up some support a couple of months ago instead of waiting until the primaries were half way over. It would seem that many on this board are more worried about giving Muslims rights then keeping our own.

And if I don't vote Republican, the terrorists win, right?

Okay slick...I'm not sure an education about the real situation is going to help here, so I'll make this simple...

The purpose of "my" thread was to introduce a little twist on something that was done years ago in a similar situation...

Charles Cotton, myself and a few others here do understand that to bolster the NRA's position to counter a very real, and hostile political climate after November 2008, we need to be supportive, encourage our organization to make a wise decision (which I hope it does in this case), not from the standpoint of whatever happens to occur to be a vindictive, or uncooperative position, yet be strong enough to weather this storm that is going to occur...

At this point it has NOTHING to do with ANY candidate at this point running for President...I believe our usual battle will be to help elect those candidates and incumbents (down ballot) that will (on the issue of the Second Amendment) will be solid on our side of the equation...That simply means we will not have to make many phonecalls, emails, letters to them when and if a gun-control bill sees the light of day in the next 4 years, until we can re-energize the cadre of people considering running for political office, and that are already known to be good supporters of our inalienable, individual right to keep and bear arms...Period...

If the NRA plays this right, it will be in a stronger position to do what it does during this hostile political environment for us...And we need to find an angle to help them create this stronger position...That is what I floated out there 2 pages back...

If you feel better about what you have said here in those posts...I hope you do...Doesn't do a thing though in this case...

I'm done addressing you directly on this particular matter...

frankie_the_yankee wrote:

srothstein wrote: Actually, if I don't vote for the Democratic candidate I will be wasting my vote, because a Democrat is going to win the election. We just don't know yet if the next president will be named Obama, Clinton, or McCain, but whichever of the three it is, it will be a Democrat that wins.

Oooof! What can I say to a shot up the gut like that?

Not much, because he is right, and I agree with him wholeheartedly...I'm just glad someone else said it before I went off topic on another aspect of this thread that I am about to address...

flb_78 wrote:Man your attitude is annoying.

Really?

There is only 1 candidate in either party that has a record of supporting gun rights and you say it is a wasted vote.

Yep...I'll say it...And it has nothing to do personally against him, you, or anyone else that is a principled supporter of Ron Paul...

So don't kill my thread by injecting Ron Paul yet again into a discussion that doesn't, and will not have anything to do with the big picture here...He had his chance, he does make some sense, but he doesn't poll well when he has too...And that is unfortunate...

yerasimos wrote:Or is it a tacit omission of any presidential candidate endorsement, and skipping ahead to Congressional, state and local election endorsements?

I would suggest the tacit omission, a blackout of the presidential circus on NRANews and mailings, and an emphatic, strategic legislative focus.

Yep, thats about it...

I do not believe it would be wise to preemptively foreclose the possibility of strategic cooperation in the future. As far as the NRA is concerned, I believe they belong in a separate pigpen from Hillary and Obama.

I do not think it would damage it at all, the focus would re-align to the candidates and elected officials earning the endorsement, and not expecting it "just because"...

In other words, if the current slate of presidential candidates are unacceptable, then just quietly focus upon maximizing gunowner turnout on election day, and emphasize the need to get pro-gun candidates (re)elected to state legislatures and Congress.

Gunowner turnout is not a problem...Turning them out for "what", is what is important...You are right that we need to bring up in the talent pool, candidates that are well rounded in a lot of issues, Pro-Second Amendment candidates and elected officials should know that there RKBA's credentials should be a cornerstone that sets them above and apart from others because they believe and trust their constituency...

That may be to some a utopian look upon things but is it??? I believe its reality...

The NRA (like Charles stated) has done this in the past, and they need to do it again...That's all I am trying to say...

Well I cannot dissagree about Ron Pauls' stance on the Second Amendment...That is his best quality in my opinion...

No one else left after tonight, is worth a flip for our cause...

I do not see an upside to any of this other than I agree with Charles that the battle for the trenches in the Senate and House are where we need to gain some Veto-proof ground...Thats where I am going to go fight...

The political climate is going to be ripe for exploitation for the gun-control crowd...And there is not going to be much of a shield for us to hide behind for the next 4 years, anyway you look at it...

Not that I am trying to doom and gloom it, I think the battle will be where each of us draw that line in the sand, and how many times they try to step a tippy toe across it to challenge our sensibilities...

I may have a concern about the next 4 years, but now that we know what is obviously coming, I am not fearing that future...

I (we) are not here because of the path that lies behind us, we are here because of the path that lies before us...And the truth is that we are still here!!!

We are on that bridge at Lexington, we are in the trenches waiting for the next banzai charge...There is nowhere else I would rather be right now...

The NRA would show great leadership ability by not endorsing a candidate for this office, and strengthen its political position by sending the right message to the country and its membership, and future members by demonstrating this restraint...

Every single candidate left has demonstrated a serious lack of support for OUR right to keep and bear arms in the offices they have held previous to running for this position, every single one of them...And they WILL go out of their way to continue and further harm this right, regardles of whom it is that wins in November...

I am personally confident in this reality, therefore my position...

We do not deserve what is coming, and we need to be strong against the next 4 years, instead of supporting at the very least a pandering of our sensibilities on the issue...

The NRA leadership needs to know that we are behind them first and foremost, and all of us together, knowing why we are doing this is strength...

I am not at all fearful, or concerned about any perceived negativity from this possible action...It would be a principled stand, and that is what we need, principled representation...I believe it will grow our ranks and our voice to those that we elect to govern our affairs, and they will certainly listen, and give great thought over the next few years to the coming onslaught of attacks that WILL be a threat to you, me and everyone else who understands how important this issue is...

I would have posted this in the "Federal" folder, but thats gets about the attention of a gnat on a rhino...Sometimes...

So here goes...

Regardless of the tentative nature of the subject, and the way endorsements are levied mainly by a candidates voting record and activities that support the Right to Keep an Bear arms in general...I have always believed there may be a time when the NRA may very well need to stay out of an election and NOT endorse a candidate running for President of the United States...

I believe the time is now...

There have probably been discussions, meetings, etc etc on the subject with people who are in the know on the issue, but instead of yammering and hair pulling, trying to find some slim ounce of credibility of a candidate that is NOT all aboard with the idea that this organization and its members are in full support of obviously...

I believe the time is now...And to announce very publically, and on a national level, so there is no ambiguity from the leadership and membership of the NRA, that we are not going to endorse ANY candidate left standing in this race, I believe is proper, it is necessary, and it is totally on message with what it will mean to future candidates on the issue...

Sure, the down ballot races can certainly be reviewed and those endorsements should be made all the way down...Those that are proven via voting records, or activities and participation in events that support our cause should not have a problem getting an endorsement...

I believe its time to discuss this, whether you are for the idea, on the fence, or totally opposed to the idea...

The message we send to those watching this forum, and the timing might benefit us in the long run, and the NRA needs to hear from us on this issue...

I already feel very confident that not one candidate, either Republican or Democrat left in the race is a friend of our inalienable, individual right to keep and bear arms, that the jeopardy of the NRA endorsing any candidate in this cycle running for President would damage any future lobbying, political strength, and any desire for future candidates to seek this prestigeous organizations endorsement...

The next 4 years are going to be a real challenge for the cause, and the NRA needs to be strong and not loaded with a burden that this time could be passed upon and not levied on a (any) candidate that is NOT a friend to our cause...

I call for a public, national statement by the NRA to NOT endorse any candidate running for President this year...