The NRA’s pro-incumbent instincts work out to the benefit of another endangered Democrat: The NRA-ILA has just endorsed Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin of South Dakota.
This might be a good time to check out my interview with Chris Cox, executive director of the NRA’s Institute for Legislative Action.
I didn’t want to berate Cox; there’s a great deal of logic to the organization’s aim to establish allies on both sides of the aisle, and there’s something principled about sticking with endangered lawmakers who stick with them. But it seems like a lot of rural Democrats who represent districts that voted for Bush and McCain have figured out that when they’re accused of being liberals, as long as they never vote wrong on guns, they can always point to their NRA endorsement and use that as cover. I’d hate for America’s foremost gun rights organization to turn into a life preserver for a bunch of liberal lawmakers who give lip service to the rest of our Constitutional rights.
The Republican challenger for this seat, Kristi Noem, is a solid supporter of the Second Amendment and she won’t vote for the stimulus or vote to make Nancy Pelosi Speaker.
Noem is touting her own key sportsmen and Second Amendment supporters from across the state.
Vote freedom first? Well, I want somebody who will free us from Obamacare.
Everybody knows that the NRA wanted to endorse Harry Reid. The trial balloon they floated for that endorsement cost them a bunch of members. They wanted to endorse someone who will promote and approve federal justices who would overturn the 2nd amendment via upholding bad legislation. It makes as much sense as the hen endorsing the fox to be in charge of door to the hen house.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseThe NRA wants to do two things: support gun rights "just enough" to appear necessary, and ensure there is "just enough" anti-gun power in politics to appear necessary. If there was no fear of anti-gun politics, there would be no NRA. Therefore, the NRA will support the better candidate most of the time, but will still look for excuses to support someone like Manchin in WV (for example). Sure, Manchin may be pro-gun... but would Manchin support another Elena Kagan for SCOTUS? Because THAT is the REAL litmus test, and the NRA hasn't been too careful applying it.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseThe NRA needs to put the vote for speaker and majority leader in the group for their ratings. If you vote for Pelosi for speaker, that is certainly not a pro gun vote. Why don't they stay out of this race?
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseThe reason the NRA is the most effective advocacy organization in the country is that they support their friends. Gun rights polls right at 75-80% support, because it's a bipartisan thing, and it's a bipartisan thing because the NRA made it that way. Harry Reid sucks, but he's good on guns. Is he good because he genuinely believes in guns? Probably not, but he's afraid of the NRA. I know NR's cultural milieu makes it wishy washy on guns, and that's ok. The NRA has a narrow focus and they've made it so terrible people like Harry Reid, who strip liberty away everywhere else are staunch supporters of freedom in this area. Maybe, instead of complaining that a single issue advocacy group advocates only for their single issue, other conservatives should imitate the NRA advocacy model to make things like low taxes or balanced budgets or strong defense bipartisan issues with a powerful national advocacy group. Imagine a world where 300 Representatives were as scared of the Club for Growth as they are of the NRA.
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