NRA Presidential endorsement...

[KD5NRH]

If they all turn out and vote for some "Slow Wheat" candidate they might as well just save some gasoline and flush their votes down the drain.

2004 election turnout was the highest since 1968 at around 122 million. Almost half of all households have at least one gun owner. Let's be really conservative and call it 40% of the 109,902,090 households. That's 43,960,836 votes - about 71% of Bush's total vote count in 2004. Given that it would also be nearly 44 million voters taken away from the other candidates, if all the gun owners vote for Slow Wheat, we'll have President Wheat.

[boomerang]

Given that it would also be nearly 44 million voters taken away from the other candidates, if all the gun owners vote for Slow Wheat, we'll have President Wheat.

Why do you think the RINOs are working so hard to marginalize the pro-gun candidate?

[Nazrat]

I have kept pretty quiet on the election issues on this site. However, no one has to work hard to marginalize Ron Paul. The voting results have already done that. Let me be clear. If Ron Paul was the nominee, I would vote for him. I did not support his primary run but, I agree with quite a few of his positions. However, that is also the same way that I feel about McCain.

Having graduated with a degree in Political Science, I know that the primary math is over. The odds of anyone other than McCain becoming the Republican nominee are astronomical. Please vote for any candidate you like in the primaries but understand that your vote in November is much more significant.

Ron Paul was marginalized by his campaign style and the lack of name recognition nationally. When you add in Paul's unique ideas on certain issues, you have the stereotypical maverick Texan making a run for the president. Hint: No Texan was going to be the nominee this year. I'm pretty sure everyone knows why.

[KD5NRH]

Having graduated with a degree in Political Science, I know that the primary math is over. The odds of anyone other than McCain becoming the Republican nominee are astronomical. Please vote for any candidate you like in the primaries but understand that your vote in November is much more significant.

IMO, all this garbage is why they need to standardize primary day nationwide; no spoilers dropping out after they've screwed up the numbers, and nobody whining about wasting votes on candidates who haven't done well in other states. Statistical likelihood of becoming the nominee has no place in the decision of who to vote for, so let's add immediate public flogging of anyone publishing incorrect predictions. (Correct ones are just as bad but if they still want to gamble with those stakes, I'll let 'em.)

Of course, I'd also like to see a lot of other changes in the election process, but that would be a good start.

[aardwolf]

IMO, all this garbage is why they need to standardize primary day nationwide;

That would give voters across the country an equal opportunity under the law. We all know how much the leftists hate equal opportunity and fairness when the results don't go their way.

[Nazrat]

Having graduated with a degree in Political Science, I know that the primary math is over. The odds of anyone other than McCain becoming the Republican nominee are astronomical. Please vote for any candidate you like in the primaries but understand that your vote in November is much more significant.

IMO, all this garbage is why they need to standardize primary day nationwide; no spoilers dropping out after they've screwed up the numbers, and nobody whining about wasting votes on candidates who haven't done well in other states. Statistical likelihood of becoming the nominee has no place in the decision of who to vote for, so let's add immediate public flogging of anyone publishing incorrect predictions. (Correct ones are just as bad but if they still want to gamble with those stakes, I'll let 'em.)

Of course, I'd also like to see a lot of other changes in the election process, but that would be a good start.

I think you are misunderstanding my point. Ron Paul has 14 delegates. John McCain has 724. It takes 1,191 delegates to win the nomination. There simply aren't enough delegates left for Ron Paul to win every primary and have the delegates necessary. Assuming that Ron Paul does not win every single primary from now on, it is virtually impossible for him to win the nomination. Someone with more time on their hands can do the actual math. I am just eyeballing the list of delegates.

Voting in the primary is fine. Vote for your favorite. Understand that once the general election rolls around, all but one of the primary candidates in your party will be eliminated. IMO, there is a desparate need to prevent the Democrats from taking the White House. The primary race is over. Focus on the general campaign now.

[KD5NRH]

I think you are misunderstanding my point. Ron Paul has 14 delegates. John McCain has 724. It takes 1,191 delegates to win the nomination.

I think you're missing my point entirely; no one would know that if primary day were standardized; on the morning of primary day there would be however many candidates had announced, and none would have received any votes yet. The next morning there would be one winner, with no votes swayed by the "he did badly in the earliest states so I'm going to vote for a guy I like less to keep the one I like even less than that out of it" mentality.

At the very least, when a candidate drops after having received votes, those states should be required to start over, thus eliminating the effect of spoilers like Romney.

[frankie_the_yankee]

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

I think that's because Paul doesn't believe in "reasonable restrictions" on the right to keep and bear arms.

No. It's because he can't win a primary.

He has some good ideas and some not so good ideas. And I can see where thoughtful people can be attracted to him.

The problem is that "thoughtful" is not the adjective that comes to mind when thinking of the typical voter.

If Obama wins the election 48 - 47, with Paul getting 5% as a 3rd party candidate, our worst 2A nightmares will look like a picnic by comparison. Notice how the Democrats have stopped holding Judiciary Committee hearings on Bush's federal court nominees? They are "banking" as many unfilled positions as they can for what they hope will be a radical leftist Democrat president to fill.

Then look at how Ralph Nader saved our bacon in 2000 by sucking away radical left votes (many in Florida) that Gore would have gotten otherwise.

In football terms, the Left fumbled and we recovered and ran it in for a touchdown. (Though we almost gave it back via people voting for Buchanon in FL.)

The upcoming election is no time to throw an interception when we're backed up near our own goal line.

[aardwolf]

I'm voting for Dr. Paul next month. Anything else is wasting my vote.

To follow the football analogy. Voting for McCain in the primary is like picking Janet Reno as your starting quarterback in the Superbowl.

[KBCraig]

... with Paul getting 5% as a 3rd party candidate ...

Please stop repeating this red herring.

I am committed to fighting for our ideas within the Republican party, so there will be no third party run. I do not denigrate third parties -- just the opposite, and I have long worked to remove the ballot-access restrictions on them. But I am a Republican, and I will remain a Republican. --Ron Paul

[frankie_the_yankee]

... with Paul getting 5% as a 3rd party candidate ...

Please stop repeating this red herring.

I am committed to fighting for our ideas within the Republican party, so there will be no third party run. I do not denigrate third parties -- just the opposite, and I have long worked to remove the ballot-access restrictions on them. But I am a Republican, and I will remain a Republican. --Ron Paul

I'm welll aware of Paul's position.

But I also know of people who say they will write his name in in the general election, or will vote for a Slow Wheat candidate, or will simply stay home. At the bottom line, it amounts to the same thing.

Too many of those and Obama could win.

McCain isn't my first choice. In fact, he's not even my second choice. But he is far better than either Obama or Clinton. So in the general election, he gets my vote.

[KBCraig]

But I also know of people who say they will write his name in in the general election, or will vote for a Slow Wheat candidate, or will simply stay home. At the bottom line, it amounts to the same thing.

No it doesn't. Not at all. Those who will write in Paul, or just stay home, are those who would not vote for any other candidate. Their votes are not lost from either side of the equation, nor transferred from one side to the other.

[aardwolf]

Hillary or Obama should get an F grade from the NRA. No big surprise there.

Assuming McCain or Romney is the RINO nominee, the NRA can give them a grade ranging from D to C-. If people insist upon choosing the lesser evil, then this gives them a rationalization to do so. Maybe this will leave the door ajar for future cooperation, as their grade was not as bad as their Democrat opponent.

[flb_78]

I do believe I'd rather see Obama in office instead of McCain.

At least Obama would stab you in the face and you know where he stands, where as McCain is all over the board and would stab you in the back.

[jpierce30]

If you stay home or stay out of the Presidential election then you are really voting for one of the socalist dems that will be there. Even if you must tell your self that you are voting against socalism, you must vote. Showing up to vote is really important this cycle because we need to also make sure the right people are elected to the Legislature.
Think of how many people in the world would die to have the right to vote, and we have it and so many take it for granted. Don't let the libs or the media talk you into not exercising your right. If you don't vote and give up that right, you might as well give up the rest of the rights given to us by the Constitution.

JUST VOTE and encourage everyone you know to vote their convictions.

Jim