USA –-(Ammoland.com)- “Romney secures front-runner status with New Hampshire win, looks to take momentum into South Carolina,” Fox News reports. This follows the former Massachusetts governor’s win in Iowa.
Not escaping media notice is a new meme: “Conservatives squirm.”
See?
See again?
The thing is, they’re right—and no one is squirming more than gun owners. That’s because, in spite of trying to clean up his image with the help of the NRA, they will never forget his words and deeds when he had the political power to make a difference:
“Deadly assault weapons have no place in Massachusetts,” Romney said, at a bill signing ceremony on July 1 with legislators, sportsmen’s groups and gun safety advocates. “These guns are not made for recreation or self-defense. They are instruments of destruction with the sole purpose of hunting down and killing people.”
He has never apologized, said he was wrong, asked for forgiveness, articulated his understanding of the right to keep and bear arms or sworn to never again betray freedom.
No matter. If his momentum holds, we’ll no doubt see a move to bestow “favorite son” status on him once more. As a way to celebrate “American Values,” NRA Leadership-style.
“But if we don’t vote for Mitt, Obama will win!” we’ll no doubt be told.
“We’re one Supreme Court vote away from a reversal of Heller!” we’ll be warned. “We’ll lose our Second Amendment rights!”
A couple things—if Republicans realized we are in a cold civil war against ideological enemies and stopped acting like…nah, no use even going there. For the most part, they are, always have been and always will be the party of negotiable “principles.” Still, there’s nothing that says a Senate with guts couldn’t just block any unacceptable Supreme Court nominees indefinitely. The weak point is the “guts” part.
Also, they’re not “Second Amendment rights.” No one can take them from you unless you surrender them. Some of us will not.
Really.
And here’s another thing: A Romney candidacy will play right into the hands of the Democrats, who believe his advancement is “good news” because they consider him “the weakest candidate” against their man, which will then bring about that which his apologists tell us we should most fear. Besides, you know when MTV throws out a puff piece, the talking points have been passed out and the complicit media fix is in.
It’s not like he isn’t falling for it, pledging back how he can be the biggest compromiser.
The late Republican strategist Lee Atwater is reputed to have said about gun owners something to the effect of “Who else are they going to vote for?” They relied on taking our votes for granted and for the most part, they’ve been proven right. And we’ve seen the disastrous results of swallowing principles and voting for the likes of Bob Dole and John McCain.
Here’s a reality for those who would dismiss everything I’ve written so far and come back with the conclusion that if we don’t hold our noses and vote for Romney, Obama will retain the presidency. Forget everything else and focus on this:
What coach inspires his team to the championship with a plea for them to not suck too bad?
Can you really expect to win if you can’t galvanize and motivate your base? Will those who might grudgingly and ashamedly vote for the RINO be enthusiastic enough to donate money to the campaign, work for it, put up signs, volunteer for phone trees and poll watching, write persuasive letters to the editor, or do any of the innumerable things needed for victory?
Can it be done without a critical mass of true believers who have fire in their bellies and a message to inspire their friends and neighbors?
How?
About David Codrea:
David Codrea is a long-time gun rights advocate who defiantly challenges the folly of citizen disarmament. He is a field editor for GUNS Magazine, and a blogger at The War on Guns: Notes from the Resistance.
Willard 'Mitt' Romney: "that's not going to make me the hero of the NRA. I don't line up w/ a lot of special interest groups."