I refuse to believe that Effen and his handlers are so stupid as to think that posing with a gun and saying he's personally against abortion (but in favor of partial birth abortion) is going to woo conservatives away from George Bush.
So, why do this? Maybe to goad the President's campaign into spending their resources on maintaining the (already reasonably secured) conservative vote, rather than in courting the swing voters and undecideds who really do determine the election outcome.
"So, why do this?"
I think the Kerry campaign is reading a little too much into the conservative disappointment with George Bush on certain issues like immigration or No Child Left Behind.
Personally, I don't care for the president's stance on a lot of issues like signing CFR. But, on balance, issues like the War on Terror, taxes and appointing conservative judges are more than enough to make me a solid Bush voter.
Besides, however disappointing George Bush may have been on some issues, John Kerry is an absolute abomination on the same. If he thinks that conservatives will switch over to him because of lip service to "values", then he's too dumb to be president.