You need to be at EVERY single NRA dinner in the state that you can possibly attend. There are many union members in WV that Rockefeller needs who are also NRA. A significant number went with GW Bush over algore this time around. They chose their gun rights over blind union Democrat loyalty. He has even stronger support among these people now. You can grab onto W's coattails and run with them.
You also need to be in touch with W's people ASAP to get W to come here and make an appearance or two. W owes the WV Republican Party and voters for coming through for him here.
Also, get out to the Trap & Skeet ranges in the state at the registered shoots to meet these voters. At the WV State Trapshooting Championship each summer, thousands of obviously pro-gun voters will be there. A politician that misses this event is missing a golden opportunity, yet I personally don't recall a major political candidate ever appearing there. When I was a kid, my dad was the state champ in Trapshooting several times and I worked at the shoot, so I would probably know and remember if someone had. No wonder the GOP hasn't won more here.
Link to the WV page of the Amateur Trapshooting Association.
On the page will be found links with valuable contact info to all the Trap clubs in the state, as well as info re the State Shoot. The State Shoot will be held July 11-15 in Brooke Co., at the Sportsman & Farmer Assn, McAdoo Ridge. The importance of "preaching to the choir" at events like these is this: Even avid sportsmen and many NRA members often don't bother to vote. By attending numerous NRA dinners and shooting competitions, you will begin to see a lot of these same people more than once, building familiarity and credibility with them. It can be the difference between someone agreeing with you, and someone agreeing with you and actually getting motivated enough to go out to vote for you. These votes are the KEY to the election, I truly believe it. You'll get the Chamber of Commerce vote for sure, but it will be the pro-gun bloc that will win the election.
I hope that you, Shelley and the other GOP candidates take advantage of this strategy as well. Where else are they going to meet as many pro-gun Democrats than at the ranges and NRA dinners? They must win a certain percentage of these Dems over to win ANY election here in WV, and these are the best places to find them. They made the difference for W, and will again this year if the cards are played.
Let's win!
Jay should also decide which Cabinet officers/WH operatives would be a good fit for his campaign and work relentlessly to get them to accept an invite to campaign for an afternoon-- start with folks like WV native and the Interior's Surface Mining Director Jeff Jarrett and Sec. Norton. Sec. Abraham could also be there to talk about clean coal and how the GOP supports it.