I think the NRA vote may swing this election for Thompson.
The NRA has approximately 4 million members, and ten times more who identify themselves as NRA members, but, interestingly enough, are not actual members. NOW has about 400,000 members, about the same as the ACLU.
I like Fred, and no politician is going to be perfect (e.g FDT’s support for CFR), but on this issue he’s get it right on the money. To be fair several other candidates do to. Only they don’t have quite the numbers at this time.
I think you’re right . The NRA vote will be crucial in this primary and I think it will go to Thompson as well.
Romney didn’t bother to educate himself on the gun issue and so-called AW’s and it will hurt his campaign .
McPain was doing anti-gun PSA’s for an anti-gun front group called AGS a few years back, as well as attacking gun shows .
Rudy , well no comment needed .
The NRA is very influential in several early states, including New Hampshire, Florida and Michigan. They provide a built in organization and are experienced operatives because they have targeted anti-Second Amendment types for years and have the scalps to prove it. Rudy and Romney are deceiving themselves if they do not think the NRA is going to come after them and support Fred with all guns blazing.
The thing the MSM and some of the East coast blogging crowd miss (I think, deliberately) is the intensity of Fred’s support. Rudy and Romney have to pay their organizations, because very few people feel strongly supportive of them. Fred, on the other hand, inspires loyalty and admiration because he IS a conservative and he refuses to pander to get votes, as Romney has on the Federal Marriage Amendment and Rudy tried to do today. That is why he gains the support of powerful conservative organizations like NRA and it is why that support, and the support of organizations like it, will propel him to the nomination.