The Firing Line Forums - View Single Post - Why The Republicans Have Earned My Vote On Gun Rights

Raccoon · October 21, 2004, 10:47 PM

When it comes to the Presidential Election gun owners in swing states should vote for President Bush. We cannot afford to let John Kerry win. A second Bush term means more of the same. Given the Sunset of the Assault Weapons Ban and the end to crooked and crippling federally supported lawsuits against the gun industry, more of the same sounds pretty good to me.

The fact is most gun owners would be happy that we've merely held the line at the federal level for a solid four years. I know gun owners would have been quite grateful to have even that under the dark days of Clinton. Under Bush we've actually made some significant progress and if we play our cards right and work hard to elect pro-gun Representatives and (particularly) Senators we could stand to gain even more.

I ask gun owners who live in swing states cruelly curtail our progress by not voting for Bush. Building a pro-gun executive branch and legislature (which can lead to an all important pro-gun Supreme Court) takes years. If we get derailed now the work of the last four years (the 2000 and 2002 elections will be wiped out).

What's more, John Kerry will get to pick at least one Supreme Court nominee if he wins. Some of those Justices are just too old to hold out any longer for a Republican President and a sufficiently large majority in the Senate. We all know that given the media bias they'll be up against and who the media blamed for "shutting down the government" last time around the Republicans will lack the stomach to fillibuster nominees for a full four years only on the basis of ideology just as the Democrats have done.

Yes you always reserve the right to vote as you wish but there is such a thing as solidarity.

Gun owners in safe states (like North Dakota) should feel entirely free to vote for whoever they want for President (save Kerry) and their conscience shouldn't bother them.

Obviously, if you have the opportunity to vote in a Senate or House race you should vote for the pro-gun nominee and eschew third parties. The President can't do very much to pass lawsuit protection, an end to the DC Gun Ban or anything of the sort so long as the Democrats can fillibuster in the Senate. Neither can he appoint justices and judges that would make the effort we put into getting him elected especially worthwhile.

October 21, 2004, 10:47 PM	#8
Raccoon Member Join Date: August 10, 2004 Posts: 43	How you vote should depend on where you live.... When it comes to the Presidential Election gun owners in swing states should vote for President Bush. We cannot afford to let John Kerry win. A second Bush term means more of the same. Given the Sunset of the Assault Weapons Ban and the end to crooked and crippling federally supported lawsuits against the gun industry, more of the same sounds pretty good to me. The fact is most gun owners would be happy that we've merely held the line at the federal level for a solid four years. I know gun owners would have been quite grateful to have even that under the dark days of Clinton. Under Bush we've actually made some significant progress and if we play our cards right and work hard to elect pro-gun Representatives and (particularly) Senators we could stand to gain even more. I ask gun owners who live in swing states cruelly curtail our progress by not voting for Bush. Building a pro-gun executive branch and legislature (which can lead to an all important pro-gun Supreme Court) takes years. If we get derailed now the work of the last four years (the 2000 and 2002 elections will be wiped out). What's more, John Kerry will get to pick at least one Supreme Court nominee if he wins. Some of those Justices are just too old to hold out any longer for a Republican President and a sufficiently large majority in the Senate. We all know that given the media bias they'll be up against and who the media blamed for "shutting down the government" last time around the Republicans will lack the stomach to fillibuster nominees for a full four years only on the basis of ideology just as the Democrats have done. Yes you always reserve the right to vote as you wish but there is such a thing as solidarity. Gun owners in safe states (like North Dakota) should feel entirely free to vote for whoever they want for President (save Kerry) and their conscience shouldn't bother them. Obviously, if you have the opportunity to vote in a Senate or House race you should vote for the pro-gun nominee and eschew third parties. The President can't do very much to pass lawsuit protection, an end to the DC Gun Ban or anything of the sort so long as the Democrats can fillibuster in the Senate. Neither can he appoint justices and judges that would make the effort we put into getting him elected especially worthwhile.