The NRA’s endorsement quandary.

Four years ago the NRA endorsed Creigh Deeds for AG rather than Bob McDonnell. Now they’ve got the same two candidates, only the stakes are higher. Will they repeat their 2005 endorsement?

If the NRA endorses Deeds in this race, I’ll become a member.

Published by Waldo Jaquith

Waldo Jaquith (JAKE-with) is an open government technologist who lives near Char­lottes­­ville, VA, USA. more »

4 replies on “The NRA’s endorsement quandary.”

  1. In 2005 I joined the NRA after they endorsed Creigh. Then they were very rude to Barack Obama last year, insulting him rather than asking him to sit down and have a conversation about specific 2nd Amendment issues (which Obama would certainly agree to, and which would probably change his mind about a few things because he is a smart guy who happens to know nothing about guns). So I let my membership lapse.

    I would certainly like them to give me a good reason to join again. Endorsing Creigh for Governor would go a long way in that direction. And I am far from alone.

  2. Even though McDonnell’s “One Gun a Month” law was an insult to the Second Amendment, and Deeds’ Amendment to the “Gun Show Loophole” was thin soup, the NRA endorsement is going to McDonnell.

    The NRA forgives old sins from “reformed” Republicans like McDonnell — casting its lot with the likes of George Allen in the Senate race even though George supported the Assault Weapons Ban six years earlier.

    The Gun Show Loophole is the symbol de jour, and the NRA is far more concerned with symbols than they are with actual burdens on constitutional rights.

  3. Waldo,
    Although the NRA endorsed Deeds in 2005, I think there’s a persuasive arguement that they cost him the election. They left the a.g. race off their sample ballot and their national vice president Wayne LaPierre made a robocall for McDonnell. If being on the NRA sample ballot statewide isn’t worth 350 votes, I’m not sure why anybody would pay any attention to them at all.

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