NRA Rating for George W Bush? Will NRA endorse him?

[Weimadog]

I have been trying to find the NRA Rating for George W Bush, and I could not find it.

With his promise to sign an extension to the assault weapons ban, I think it has to be less than "A".

Also, because he signed the Campaign Finance legislation, he put a gag on organizations like NRA-ILA, restricting what they may do before an election. Of course, virtually everybody on THR knows this. My question, is, what is the NRA-ILA going to do about it?

I've heard "The Second Amendment is the one which guarantees the rest". This is fine to say, but it makes no sense to me to support a pro-gun organization which supports a candidate who tramples our rights.

Weimadog

 

[Derek Zeanah]

I'll be criticized for saying so, but the NRA tends to back those that are most likely to win, rather than those most likely to fight for gun rights if elected to office.

 

[RWK]

Who else, Dean?

 

[Hkmp5sd]

The NRA doesn't always endores the leader. They refused to endorse Bush (41) because of his actions in 1989. This did have a negative effect on the election and Bush blamed the NRA for contributing to his loss. That is why he "resigned" from NRA once the first opportunity to embarrass them arose. Payback.

In the case of GWB, I think the NRA is sitting on the fence, waiting to see what happens with the AW ban. They cannot endorse GWB prior to the expiration of the ban unless he comes out firmly against any replacement, which he isn't going to do. Bush wants the best of both worlds. He'll support a new ban if congress gives him one to sign. Of course, he makes sure that is the one thing congress does not do.

My concern is that GWB and the Repubs might make some backroom deals with the gun grabbers and if the grabbers will go quiet until the election is over, once GWB is reelected, they will support a replacement ban, possibly more restrictive than the current one and retroactive to 1994.

 

[Mark Tyson]

Lapierre said on MSNBC that they would have to see what happened in 2004 before endorsing any candidate. He was cold to the idea of endorsing Dean because of Dean's opposition to the bill preventing frivilous lawsuits against gun manufacturers.

 

[Weimadog]

O.K, so maybe the NRA ILA decides to endorse Bush, but can't get the message out because of the Campaign Finance Reform Bill G W Bush signed. Bush loses by a small margin. Bwa ha ha ha ha!

heh

Weimadog

 

[Brett Bellmore]

"They refused to endorse Bush (41) because of his actions in 1989."

And 1990, and 1991, and 1992... The amazing thing is how long they persisted in trying to tell us that Dole was pro-gun. Didn't give up until he used one of the debates to give an anti-gun speech. :lol:

Barring Bush doing something really stupid, like signing a renewal of the '94 ban, (I think Congress will spare him the chance to make that mistake.) or issuing some anti-gun executive order, I suspect he'll get the endorsement, and probably at least a B+ rating.

 

[justice4all]

If the NRA, of which I am a member, had the courage of its convictions, it would endorse the Libertarian candidate, and not anyone who has promised support for a renewal of the AWB. But in the end, it will endorse Bush.

 

[Lone_Gunman]

The really weird thing about the NRA is that even if both candidates have the same rating, they will go ahead and endorse one over the other for no good reason. In that case they usually endorse the one they think will win, to improve their success rate for endorsements.

 

[Dan from MI]

$20 says that the NRA will back Bush, no matter what he does.

And I'm not a betting man.

 

[Thumper]

Pretty safe bet, Dan...the NRA is well aware of the repercussions that will come from the Justice naming that is gonna go on soon.

 

[Bob Locke]

the NRA is well aware of the repercussions that will come from the Justice naming that is gonna go on soon.

Based on Bush signing McCain-Feingold into law, and then applauding the SCOTUS decision on that case, I'm starting to wonder what his idea of a "strict Constitutionalist" is.

I have no doubt the NRA will endorse Bush, even IF he signs the AW ban back into law.