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« San Fran handgun ban finally dead | Main | I see a lawsuit coming.... »

McCain has "work to do with gun owners"

Posted by David Hardy · 10 April 2008 09:48 AM

Yep, he certainly does.

Maybe this is this question we should be asking.

Reader Carl in Chicago adds a comment, replying to comments, which the spam filter for some reason blocked:

"I'd love to see a more pro-2A front-running candidate. Probably all of us would.

But regarding voting your principles, protest write-ins, and just staying home on election day, sometimes I fear that some of us have never taken any lessons from Don Quixote.

If you don't comprehend Cervantes, I can use a poker analogy. When you play poker, you play the hand you've got and you make the best of it. Sometimes (very rarely) you win a big pot. Other times, you win a small pot. Sometimes you break even. And yes...sometimes you lose with the hand you have.

But one thing's for certain. You're damned well guaranteed to lose if you fold.

Please folks, don't fold on this. Folding is for when it's time to invoke the purpose of the 2A...and that time sure ain't now."

Reader Renaissance Man responds with a comment, again blocked by the spam filter (which I cannot figure out, but it does stop a hundred or so spams a day, selling everything from viagra to forklifts):

"Carl, the poker analogy is completely bogus. As I commented in a different thread, what we have here is similiar to a labor negotiation. We have power, but the only way to use that power is to cause ourselves short term damage to effect long term gain. A strike causes temporary loss of income which negatively affects the worker and his or her family. However, by accepting such damage the workers as a whole are able to gain a better contract.

The same thing is at work here. As long as the Republican party knows that it will get unquestioning support from gun owners because Democrats are "more evil" then we have NO power. Only by operating en masse and denying McCain the Presidency will we be able to gain or regain the power that we should have."

· Politics

11 Comments | Leave a comment

Rivrdog | April 10, 2008 10:21 AM | Reply

Couple of points on McCain:

1. You're not going to get him to reverse his position on campaign finance, in fact he wants to revise it, probably trashing even more of the First. If you want the GOP to continue in the White House, you have to accept McCain with that considerable wart on him.

2. Why don't we gunnies just ask him outright, "Senator McCain, can you tell us now that you will not sign another Assault Weapons Ban in whatever guise it comes to your desk if you are elected President?"

We have to front the man up, and not give him wiggle room. I am NEVER going to be confident that he is not a gun grabber until he states unequivocally that he isn't and would never be.

Ron Bokleman | April 10, 2008 10:31 AM | Reply

He does, but he sure beats the alternatives...so where's the incentive?

Letalis Maximus, Esq. | April 10, 2008 11:30 AM | Reply

The solution? At least according to the wingnut/moonbat fringe of the RKBA movement?

Why, vote Ron Paul, of course, even if you have to write him in.

Yeah.

That'll work.

jon | April 10, 2008 12:26 PM | Reply

i'd rather write in ron paul and not have the end of the 2A -- and all the others with it -- on my conscience. telling myself "it wouldn't come to that" only gets me to work in the morning. i'll still stockpile some food and ammo if SCOTUS doesn't pull through. being realistic means being prepared, even if your friends think you're a bit weird for it (gasp).

the problem i see is that mccain has absolutely no incentive to reneg on this "moderate" stance vis-a-vis working with leiberman on the "loophole." he's all but secured the nomination and his democratic opponent in the fall gets a vote of no-confidence from 2A supporters no matter what. if obama wins, why commit to something like that and lose votes from the disenchanted democrats who don't get their golden girl?

pick out your favorite sled, the one with the good brakes. it's a four-year slippery slope either way. remember, the power they have on their side is the fear they can sell to rally the people behind them.

30yearprof | April 10, 2008 12:47 PM | Reply

I'll be sorely tempted to stay home. If I go to the polls, I'll be sorely tempted to write-in Fred D. Thompson. McCain needs to remember that HE cannot win without keeping his base.

And he won't keep me (and thousands of other gun owners) without a SOLID commitment to sign NO gun control bill of any kind for any reason. If he doesn't believe this, he should ask Daddy Bush about the success of Daddy's second term (you know, the one he LOST).

Puck | April 10, 2008 1:55 PM | Reply

McCain has "work to do ON gun owners".

Fix it for ya...

The Mechanic | April 10, 2008 4:21 PM | Reply

Call me a proud RKBA wingnot/moonbat if thats what strict constructionist constitutionalist philosophy is now. I plan to waste my vote on Ron Paul as well. Taking the long view the Clinton reign of terror kickstarted the militia movement, got millions of people to start going to church again, and guess what? Firearm possession as an individual right is mainstream now no longer moonbat. I consider a McCain win a Dem win so watch when this thing shifts into high gear.

straightarrrow | April 10, 2008 6:57 PM | Reply

sorry, I am never again voting for evil. If my "wasted" vote causes the implementation of the purpose of the second amendment to arrive sooner, so be it.

I will never again vote slow suicide.

W. W Woodward | April 10, 2008 7:54 PM | Reply

Well said Straightarrrow. When the "lesser of the evils" wins we are still saddled with evil.

Until we refuse to accept politicians' lies and require consistency in our leaders' talk and action we encourage them to continue with business as usual. And, all they expect us to do is, "Shut up and pay your taxes."

Phillep | April 10, 2008 8:57 PM | Reply

The tax cuts expire in 2010. What's going to happen to the economy when the wealthy sell their investments in order to take their profits while capital gains are still low? What are they going to do with the money? What's that going to do to the value of the US dollar?

People in lower income brackets are going to be hit with an increased cost of living, and again when the tax rate increases for them.

People on fixed income are toast.

All of this is going to happen during the next President's term in office.

Maybe Condi is a lot smarter than we think?

Richard Evans | April 11, 2008 7:46 PM | Reply

Maybe this time we vote Libertarian? The only party that is 100% pro gun...

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