Chris Cox, Exec. Director of the NRA Institute for Legislative Action (NRA-ILA), recently interviewed Gov. Mitt Romney, GOP Presidential candidate. Cox posed a number of questions relating to the Second Amendment and firearms regulations. We recommend that you visit NRAILA.org and read the Full Interview with Gov. Romney.
Here are sample Q&As from the NRA-ILA interview:
Chris Cox: First, let me start with the most basic question of all. In the 2008 case District of Columbia v. Heller, and in the 2010 case McDonald v. City of Chicago, the U.S. Supreme Court—by a 5-4 majority—held that the Second Amendment guarantees the fundamental, individual right of all law-abiding Americans to keep and bear arms. Do you agree that the Second Amendment protects a fundamental, individual right to own and use firearms for all lawful purposes?
Gov. Mitt Romney: Absolutely, and I was pleased when the Court finally rendered a clear and concise decision on this critical issue. The Second Amendment is essential to our free society. I strongly support the right of all law-abiding Americans to exercise their constitutionally protected right to own firearms and to use them for lawful purposes, including self-defense; the protection of family and property; hunting and recreational shooting.
Chris Cox: Obviously, America’s 100 million gun owners are very concerned that their Second Amendment rights hang in the balance at the U.S. Supreme Court by just one vote. President Obama’s two nominees to the Court so far—Justices Sotomayor and Kagan—have a history of anti-gun opinions and activism. And some have predicted that if Barack Obama is re-elected, he may have the opportunity to nominate several more justices to the Court. As president, if you had the opportunity, what type of individuals would you nominate to the Supreme Court? And which of the justices currently serving on the Court would you consider to be the best models of your judicial philosophy?
Gov. Romney: Chris, I believe the next president could indeed have the opportunity to shape the Court for decades to come, and that’s a key reason why the tens of millions of Americans who support the NRA should support my candidacy. My view of the Constitution is straightforward: Its words have meaning. The founders adopted a written constitution for a reason. They intended to limit the powers of government. The job of a judge is to enforce the Constitution’s restraints on government and, where the Constitution does not speak, to leave the governance of the nation to its elected representatives[.]
The 2012 Presidential race is shaping up as a close contest. With two months left before election day, many key “swing states” remain “too close to call”. Accordingly, experts believe that this election could go either way, meaning both Presidential candidates have a real chance to win in October. Some polls show President Obama maintaining a slight lead in the popular vote, while other forecasters predict Gov. Mitt Romney will secure enough Electoral College votes to win. In a tight election like this, your vote DOES matter. That’s why, no matter what your party affiliation, we encourage you to register and vote in the upcoming election.
You’ve heard by now that Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney has chosen Wisconsin Congressman Paul Ryan as his vice presidential running mate. Since Ryan’s selection as a VP candidate, the mainstream media has focused primarily on Ryan’s positions on government spending, health care policies, and debt reduction.
You may be wondering, where does Ryan stand on gun rights issues? In a nutshell, Ryan is a staunch supporter of the Second Amendment and he has lead efforts to protect the shooting sports and hunting. An avid hunter, Ryan is the former co-chairman of the bi-partisan Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus. Ryan has received an “A” grade from the NRA for his overall voting record. Among other things, Ryan has voted to protect the right of hunters to use traditional ammunition and to prohibit suing manufacturers and retailers for the criminal misuse of firearms. He has also supported a national cross-state standard for concealed carry. Here are highlights of Rep. Ryan’s voting record in Congress, on matters relating to hunting and gun rights:
Voted YES to protect the right of hunters to use traditional ammunition.
Voted YES to prohibit suing manufacturers and retailers for the criminal misuse of firearms.
Voted YES to decrease background check waiting period from 3 days to 1 day for a firearm purchase at a gun show.
Supported national cross-state standard for concealed carry.
Opposed the gun registration & trigger lock law in Washington, DC.
Here’s a video featuring ‘Gunny’ R. Lee Ermey. This clip is entertaining to be sure, but it carries an important message — gun owners need to register to vote, and they must go to the polls on election day. Ermey explains: “This is a critical time for our nation, and too many people are sitting back to let others do the hard work. So it’s time for all of us to put some gas in it and persuade all eligible gun owners to register. That’s why I volunteered my time to film the ad shown here.” So if you haven’t registered to vote yet, do so as soon as you can. As Gunny Ermey says: “Now it’s your turn and I want to see results! NO EXCUSES. I expect 110% [effort] right now from everyone who values our freedoms!”
Video find by EdLongRange. We welcome reader submissions.
Today is the day. Across the nation citizens will vote to determine the next President of the United States. And the Presidential race is not the only important election. Numerous key seats in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives are up for grabs. Make no mistake about it… this is a very important election. Its outcome will have a significant effect on our domestic and foreign policies for years to come.
Whatever your political affiliation you owe it to yourself, and to your country, to exercise your right to vote. Sportsmen and gun owners can influence this election, particularly in key “swing states” such as Pennsylvania, Florida, and Ohio. If we, as gun owners, don’t get to the polling places and cast our ballots, we can expect greater challenges to our rights in the months and years ahead.
This is a critical election. Remember that in the D.C. v. Heller case, four out of the nine Supreme Court justices were essentially willing to read the Second Amendment out of the Constitution. Yes, by one vote (5 to 4), we “won” the Heller case, but it is sobering to think the decision was that close. Keep that in mind as you determine who to vote for. The President appoints Justices to the Supreme Court. It is expected that at least two current high court Justices will retire within the next four years. Keep that in mind when you vote today. “Consider,” says Steve Sanetti, President of the National Shooting Sports Foundation, “that the next president could nominate as many as three Supreme Court justices, will appoint the next director of the ATF and will either support or resist U.N. gun-control efforts. Make no mistake, this is not the time for gun owners to take a back seat.”
Also remember that some of the worst gun regulations have started at the municipal and state levels. You must, therefore, pay close attention to state and local elections. Successful efforts to safeguard gun rights begin at the local level. In states like California and New York, we’ve seen that state politicians are more than willing to enact bad laws that violate the Constitutional right to keep and bear arms. So… if you want to keep your Second Amendment rights, be sure to exercise another Constitutional right and VOTE!
Finding Your Polling Place
If you’re not sure about the location of your designated polling place, visit GoVote.org. That non-partisan website will identify your polling place, complete with a street map. Just type in your zip code or street address, and the right location will appear.
The Presidential election is shaping up as a very close contest. Depending on which poll you read, McCain or Obama has a slight lead in the popular vote. What many voters (and most newscasters) forget is that we have an electoral college system. Each state delivers a certain number of electoral votes (usually, but not always, “winner take all”).
According to Electoral-vote.com, if the election were held today, Obama would capture 273 Electoral votes, compared to 265 for McCain. 270 votes are needed to win. The charts display predicted electoral vote outcomes in all 50 states.
But the race see-saws — just yesterday, McCain had the edge in electoral votes, 265 to 252. The difference was Pennsylvania. Interestly, Pennsylvania (21 Electoral votes), just yesterday was listed as “exactly even”, meaning it could swing Democratic OR Republican.
In the latest poll Pennsylvania is “Barely Democratic”. As goes Pennsylvania, so could go the Electoral College. Ohio is another key state. In recent Presidential elections, the result in Ohio nearly always predicted the eventual winner. Ohio is “Barely Republican” right now.
Message to Voters in Key ‘Swing’ States (Pennsylvania This Means You!)
Important states like Pennsylvania and Ohio could swing on a few thousand votes. Pennsylvania has a large population of shooters and hunters. If the hunters and sportsmen come out and vote in large numbers, this could determine Pennsylvania, and that, in turn could put McCain in the White House rather than Obama.
Other key states where the votes of hunters and outdoor sportsmen could shift the balance are: Colorado, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and New Hampshire. These states are now listed as “Barely Democratic” with a 3% margin of error in the polls. Quite literally, if hunters and shooters go to the polls in strength, a few thousand more Republican (red) votes could change the election. And consider this, if the tiny state of New Hampshire (whose motto is “Live Free or Die”) swings from “Barely Democratic” into the Republican camp, the loss of those four (4) electoral votes would drop Obama from 273 to 269 votes — below the 270 required to win.
LESSON: In the key states, hunters, shooters, and supporters of gun rights CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE. If just one “Barely Democratic” state swings the other way, that could determine the outcome of the election.
The differences between the two Presidential candidates are great. The path this nation takes in the next four (or even eight) years will be very different depending on who sits in the Oval office. Will that be John McCain or Barack Obama? Pennsylvania shooters — it may be you who answer that question!
Charts syndicated via electoral-vote.com. Visit Electoral-Vote.com for daily updates.
Chris Cox, Exec. Director of the NRA Institute for Legislative Action (NRA-ILA), recently interviewed Gov. Mitt Romney, GOP Presidential candidate. Cox posed a number of questions relating to the Second Amendment and firearms regulations. We recommend that you visit NRAILA.org and read the Full Interview with Gov. Romney.
You’ve heard by now that Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney has chosen Wisconsin Congressman Paul Ryan as his vice presidential running mate. Since Ryan’s selection as a VP candidate, the mainstream media has focused primarily on Ryan’s positions on government spending, health care policies, and debt reduction.
Here’s a video featuring ‘Gunny’ R. Lee Ermey. This clip is entertaining to be sure, but it carries an important message — gun owners need to register to vote, and they must go to the polls on election day. Ermey explains: “This is a critical time for our nation, and too many people are sitting back to let others do the hard work. So it’s time for all of us to put some gas in it and persuade all eligible gun owners to register. That’s why I volunteered my time to film the ad shown here.” So if you haven’t registered to vote yet, do so as soon as you can. As Gunny Ermey says: “Now it’s your turn and I want to see results! NO EXCUSES. I expect 110% [effort] right now from everyone who values our freedoms!” 
Whatever your political affiliation you owe it to yourself, and to your country, to exercise your right to vote. Sportsmen and gun owners can influence this election, particularly in key “swing states” such as Pennsylvania, Florida, and Ohio. If we, as gun owners, don’t get to the polling places and cast our ballots, we can expect greater challenges to our rights in the months and years ahead.
Also remember that some of the worst gun regulations have started at the municipal and state levels. You must, therefore, pay close attention to state and local elections. Successful efforts to safeguard gun rights begin at the local level. In states like California and New York, we’ve seen that state politicians are more than willing to enact bad laws that violate the Constitutional right to keep and bear arms. So… if you want to keep your Second Amendment rights, be sure to exercise another Constitutional right and VOTE!
