Tuesday, January 23, 2007

Where Are the Pro-Gun Candidates

David Kopel lists Presidential contenders at Volokh Conspiracy. He ranks them based on how friendly they might be to gun rights. I could quibble with the rankings, but it’s pretty good.

The sad thing about it is that there are too few pro-gun rights people who have a chance of winning. Top tier candidates include Ron Paul and Sam Brownback. Both are certainly gun friendly, but I’d eat this keyboard with fries on the side if either wins.

The next ranking in the list (“Very Good”) includes Bill Richardson. He has other baggage, not least of which is having been a member of the Clinton administration, but he is not bad on guns. Granted, he may be playing to a New Mexico audience and could govern differently on a national stage. Still, he’s the only Democrat on Kopel’s list that rates above “Almost perfect anti-Second Amendment record.”

I don’t know if I could support Richardson for other reasons, but I think that we gunnies need to have pro-gun people in both parties. We can’t afford to have all of our eggs in one basket. Look at three of the Republicans on Kopel’s list: Mitt Romney who never met a Massachusetts gun law he would eradicate; John McCain sponsored a bill that would make gun shows a thing of the past; and Rudy Giuliani former mayor of New York City, ‘nuff said.

Of course, those who most oppose gun rights are Democrats: John Kerry, Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, and others.

I’ve never sat out an election before, but it is getting mighty tempting when I try to guess who will be my choices for President in 2008.

Can’t we ever run someone better than “None of the Above?”

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