TheBluesMan
Moderator Emeritus
Source You have to register to see the actual article, so here it is:
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>To Help Bush, N.R.A. Withholds Backing
By JAMES DAO
WASHINGTON, Sept. 11 — Defying expectations, the board of the National Rifle Association declined to endorse Gov. George W. Bush for president at its final meeting of the year on Saturday. The development makes it very unlikely that Mr. Bush will receive the group's formal approval before Election Day, N.R.A. officials said today.
That does not mean, however, that the rifle association will sit out the election. Far from it: the organization intends to spend millions of dollars supporting Mr. Bush and trying to discredit his Democratic opponent, Vice President Al Gore, as a threat to gun ownership.
But officials of the association said today that they did not want to provide the Democrats new fodder for attacking Mr. Bush, and so had decided to withhold a formal endorsement. Polls suggest that the N.R.A., while popular in many Republican areas, is viewed negatively by large numbers of the independent suburban voters whom Mr. Bush is trying to court, particularly women.
"Our goal is to do no harm" to Mr. Bush, one N.R.A. official said, noting that the group was already pouring money into the race to help the governor.
Mr. Bush has had a good working relationship with the rifle association in Texas. But he has tried to maintain a polite distance from the group during the campaign, and aides said today that he had not sought the group's endorsement, or its neutrality.
The Gore campaign has described the rifle association as "the Bush gun policy team" and has accused Mr. Bush of working "hip holster to hip holster" with the gun lobby.
And Handgun Control Inc. has been running an advertisement in several swing states featuring a previously disclosed film clip of Kayne Robinson, an N.R.A. vice president, telling a friendly audience that if Mr. Bush is elected, "we'll have a president where we work out of their office."
Once averse to getting involved in politics, the 129-year-old rifle association did not begin endorsing presidential candidates until the 1980's. But since then, it has been solidly in the Republican camp, endorsing Ronald Reagan in 1980 and 1984, and George Bush in 1988. The group did not endorse President Bush in 1992 or Bob Dole in 1996, because of differences on some issues, but it spent millions of dollars attacking Bill Clinton.
Joe Sudbay, political director of Handgun Control, said he was not surprised that the rifle association had not endorsed Governor Bush, because "they've become a real albatross for candidates," particularly among women.
Mr. Sudbay added that the rifle association did not need to trumpet its support for Mr. Bush because it was already making clear to its four million members — through speeches by its leaders, Web site postings and mailings — that it wanted him elected.
Indeed, officials of the rifle association said today that there would soon be a new round of mailings and, perhaps, television advertisements attacking Mr. Gore in several important swing states where gun ownership is high, including Pennsylvania, Michigan, Missouri and Ohio.
Accusing Mr. Gore of trying to play down his support for strong gun-control laws, one N.R.A. official said: "The guy's tried to reinvent himself on our issue since the convention. He makes statements that even I could agree with about supporting the Second Amendment. But come on. Look at the record. And we will certainly be reminding our members of that record."[/quote]
I think that the board of the NRA is still smarting over the comments of Kayne Robinson. His were poorly chosen words which did quite a bit of damage to Bush’s center-aimed campaign. I don’t think that an "official" endorsement is necessary. It is obvious from reading any NRA magazine that they are against Gore. And that leaves us with only one other choice. Right?
Hmmm... Maybe they'll endorse Harry Browne instead.
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RKBA!
"The people have the right to bear arms for their defense and security"
Ohio Constitution, Article I, Section 4
Concealed Carry is illegal in Ohio.
Ohioans for Concealed Carry Website
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>To Help Bush, N.R.A. Withholds Backing
By JAMES DAO
WASHINGTON, Sept. 11 — Defying expectations, the board of the National Rifle Association declined to endorse Gov. George W. Bush for president at its final meeting of the year on Saturday. The development makes it very unlikely that Mr. Bush will receive the group's formal approval before Election Day, N.R.A. officials said today.
That does not mean, however, that the rifle association will sit out the election. Far from it: the organization intends to spend millions of dollars supporting Mr. Bush and trying to discredit his Democratic opponent, Vice President Al Gore, as a threat to gun ownership.
But officials of the association said today that they did not want to provide the Democrats new fodder for attacking Mr. Bush, and so had decided to withhold a formal endorsement. Polls suggest that the N.R.A., while popular in many Republican areas, is viewed negatively by large numbers of the independent suburban voters whom Mr. Bush is trying to court, particularly women.
"Our goal is to do no harm" to Mr. Bush, one N.R.A. official said, noting that the group was already pouring money into the race to help the governor.
Mr. Bush has had a good working relationship with the rifle association in Texas. But he has tried to maintain a polite distance from the group during the campaign, and aides said today that he had not sought the group's endorsement, or its neutrality.
The Gore campaign has described the rifle association as "the Bush gun policy team" and has accused Mr. Bush of working "hip holster to hip holster" with the gun lobby.
And Handgun Control Inc. has been running an advertisement in several swing states featuring a previously disclosed film clip of Kayne Robinson, an N.R.A. vice president, telling a friendly audience that if Mr. Bush is elected, "we'll have a president where we work out of their office."
Once averse to getting involved in politics, the 129-year-old rifle association did not begin endorsing presidential candidates until the 1980's. But since then, it has been solidly in the Republican camp, endorsing Ronald Reagan in 1980 and 1984, and George Bush in 1988. The group did not endorse President Bush in 1992 or Bob Dole in 1996, because of differences on some issues, but it spent millions of dollars attacking Bill Clinton.
Joe Sudbay, political director of Handgun Control, said he was not surprised that the rifle association had not endorsed Governor Bush, because "they've become a real albatross for candidates," particularly among women.
Mr. Sudbay added that the rifle association did not need to trumpet its support for Mr. Bush because it was already making clear to its four million members — through speeches by its leaders, Web site postings and mailings — that it wanted him elected.
Indeed, officials of the rifle association said today that there would soon be a new round of mailings and, perhaps, television advertisements attacking Mr. Gore in several important swing states where gun ownership is high, including Pennsylvania, Michigan, Missouri and Ohio.
Accusing Mr. Gore of trying to play down his support for strong gun-control laws, one N.R.A. official said: "The guy's tried to reinvent himself on our issue since the convention. He makes statements that even I could agree with about supporting the Second Amendment. But come on. Look at the record. And we will certainly be reminding our members of that record."[/quote]
I think that the board of the NRA is still smarting over the comments of Kayne Robinson. His were poorly chosen words which did quite a bit of damage to Bush’s center-aimed campaign. I don’t think that an "official" endorsement is necessary. It is obvious from reading any NRA magazine that they are against Gore. And that leaves us with only one other choice. Right?
Hmmm... Maybe they'll endorse Harry Browne instead.
------------------
RKBA!
"The people have the right to bear arms for their defense and security"
Ohio Constitution, Article I, Section 4
Concealed Carry is illegal in Ohio.
Ohioans for Concealed Carry Website
Although it seems I remember a few years ago NRA backed candidates swept the house pretty good.