Lessons From The Doctor Oz Endorsement

Pennsylvania – -(AmmoLand.com)- President Trump’s endorsement of Doctor Oz for the United States Senate seat in Pennsylvania being vacated by Pat Toomey has some important lessons for Second Amendment supporters. As noted earlier, taking these lessons to heart can probably help us better protect the Second Amendment in future legislative and political battles.

You Defend The Second Amendment With The People You Have

As much as we want to have the perfect pro-Second Amendment candidate in a race, that will not always happen. In this case, Sean Parnell’s divorce took him out of the campaign. Would he have won the nomination and the general election, giving us a strong Second Amendment supporter? In this environment, the answer is probably yes.

But we don’t have Parnell. The choice is between a hedge-fund manager and Doctor Oz. Both would be far better choices than Jon Fetterman.

Do Not Let Perfectionism Give The Enemy Victory

In 2016, many Second Amendment supporters took a chance on Trump because the alternative was an avowed enemy in the form of Hillary Rodham Clinton. In Pennsylvania, Second Amendment supporters will need to make that same decision.

The temptation to sit out an election is never a good thing. If the actual candidate is not an A+ candidate, then think of what defeating the anti-Second Amendment extremist will prevent. Things like Chuck Schumer as Senate Majority Leader, a packed Supreme Court, or even the confirmation of anti-Second Amendment extremists at ATF and elsewhere.

Focus On The Positives And Opportunities

Pessimism is never good when you are trying to encourage people to get involved in the process. Even in a situation like the Pennsylvania Senate race, there are things to feel positive about.

One thought to keep in mind for Pennsylvania in particular: Doctor Oz could help by picking up votes from those in the suburbs surrounding Philadelphia who may have some goodwill attached to his daytime talk show. In this case, not only could he have an easier time winning the general election, but it may also open doors to reduce the difficulties Second Amendment supports have had in suburban areas in general.

Build A Better Bench

It is never a good idea to have all your eggs in one basket. Second Amendment supporters need to build a much better bench so that when a candidate like Parnell has to drop out, there is a ready alternative.

At the same time, we must mitigate the risk that a contentious primary will leave whoever wins the nomination so damaged that an anti-Second Amendment extremist can win. It never hurts to have a lot of talented pro-Second Amendment candidates, but the skills and resources needed to win a Senate seat are considerable. Start building that bench today at the state and local levels.

Defeating Anti-Second Amendment Extremism Is A Marathon

The last thing to keep in mind is that even with favorable Supreme Court rulings, there will be many avenues to attack our rights. We will need a long-term view, and sometimes events or situations out of our control will require us to take a step back. But keeping in mind the lessons of past elections – and learning the lessons from this Senate race – will help defeat anti-Second Amendment extremists via the ballot box at the federal, state, and local levels.

About Harold Hutchison

Writer Harold Hutchison has more than a dozen years of experience covering military affairs, international events, U.S. politics and Second Amendment issues. Harold was consulting senior editor at Soldier of Fortune magazine and is the author of the novel Strike Group Reagan. He has also written for the Daily Caller, National Review, Patriot Post, Strategypage.com, and other national websites.