By David Codrea
USA – -Ammoland.com)- “Arizona Poll Shows Razor Thin Margin between John McCain, Kelli Ward Heading into Election.” Breitbart News reports on its poll with Gravis Marketing. “Ward gets 33 percent … compared to McCain’s 37 percent. Twenty-three percent of the likely GOP primary voters are undecided walking into Election Day.”
That means gun owners have a chance to stick it to a continually “compromising” establishment GOP. With Ward, they can bring in a conservative with a demonstrable record supporting the right to keep and bear arms and the other major issue affecting it – “immigration.”
Aside from teaming with Democrat Russ Feingold on so-called (and “devastating”) “campaign finance reform” – an assault on the First Amendment leading to an alliance between ACLU and NRA to oppose it – McCain actually has a “D-“ rating from Gun Owners of America. That’s due to a spotty record on guns (putting it politely), which along with some “good” votes includes:
Ban cheap guns; require safety locks; for gun show checks McCain favors outlawing cheaply made handguns called Saturday night specials, and favors mandating safety locks on certain guns. He said he is intrigued by new technology that electronically identifies a person handling a gun, allowing only the owner to fire it. McCain rallied Senate Republicans behind a Democratic measure requiring background checks at gun shows. Source: Scott Lindlaw, Associated Press, Aug 17, 1999.
Supports ban on certain assault weapons McCain said he was open to voting for an assault weapon ban, depending on the details. Source: Los Angeles Times, “McCain Calls for Hearings,” Aug 17, 1999.
There’s one other issue of direct concern to gun owners – McCain’s aid and comfort to the enemy on immigration issues. McCain and sellout Republicans Jeff Flake, Lindsey Graham and Marco Rubio, partnered with rabid enemies of gun owner rights Chuck Schumer, Dick Durbin, Michael Bennett and Bob Menendez (all rated “F-“ by GOA)
The end game for the “Gang of Eight’s” so-called “comprehensive immigration reform? A “pathway to citizenship.” That means handing the Democrats millions of new voters that all credible data (and the California experience) identifies as overwhelmingly democrat and overwhelmingly anti-gun.
That means – especially if Hillary wins the presidency and makes good on her plot for “amnesty” within her first 100 days – ultimately, the legislatures and the courts will be able to pass – and uphold – any citizen disarmament edicts the gun-grabbers want. McCain and the other RINOs are betraying us all – quite possibly irrevocably.
Significantly, and tracking with the polls, Obama led McCain 66% to 23% in 2008. Pandering and whining won’t change that.
Dr. Kelli Ward excels on both guns and immigration, and has earned GOA’s endorsement. And importantly, in case anyone tells you otherwise, per the Breitbart report, “…Ward would smoke likely Democratic U.S. Senate nominee and current Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick (D-AZ) in a general election matchup, too, the polling shows … Ward … would beat Kirkpatrick 53 percent to 19 percent with 29 percent unsure.”
That means there’s no risk for doing the right thing. Arizonans don’t have to hold on to the incumbent out of fear. There’s nothing to lose and everything to gain.
Tomorrow (Tuesday, Aug. 30) is the primary election in Arizona. Gun owners have a chance to send the same shock waves through the establishment as the upset victory of Tea Party favorite Dave Brat over GOP mucky-muck Eric Cantor in Virginia.
It can be done again, and the message that will send to the RNC will be unmistakable – Americans who believe in the Constitution want their party back.
If you’re an Arizona gun owner, you have some choices to make. Will you let McCain continue betraying your interests to Schumer and Hillary, or will you vote for Kelli Ward? And will you contact everyone of your Arizona gun owner friends – tonight – and make sure they know why?
UPDATE: And naturally, Grover goes with the pro-“amnesty” gun-grabber. Anyone surprised?
About David Codrea:
David Codrea is the winner of multiple journalist awards for investigating / defending the RKBA and a long-time gun rights advocate who defiantly challenges the folly of citizen disarmament.
In addition to being a field editor/columnist at GUNS Magazine and associate editor for Oath Keepers, he blogs at “The War on Guns: Notes from the Resistance,” and posts on Twitter: @dcodrea and Facebook.