Candidate Ranks on the 2nd Amendment

[John81]

Top Tier 2nd Amendment Candidates

To earn a spot in our top tier, candidates need to not only have a strong track record of supporting the Second Amendment rights of American citizens, but need to be not just gun owners themselves, but real shooters… not just on the campaign trail, or in theory.

Rick Perry (R) — The two-term governor of Texas not only spends a lot of time on the gun range with his collection of firearms, but has been known to carry a concealed handgun, which he’s famously used to shoot and kill a coyote that threatened his dog during a morning run. He would seem to easily have more trigger time than any other candidate, and has a solid pro-gun record in office.

Rand Paul (R)— The Kentucky libertarian is a known gun owner, and is a well-known 2nd Amendment absolutist.

Mike Huckabee (R) — The first American governor with a concealed carry permit, gun collector, and an avid hunter, Huckabee is clearly on the record as noting that the purpose of the 2nd Amendment is as protection against a tyrannical government.

Second Tier 2nd Amendment Candidates

Our second tier candidates talk a good game, but don’t necessarily “walk the walk” as much as the top tier candidates… and that’s fine. You can be a supporter of something without being an active participant.

Ted Cruz (R) — Cruz has been on the winning side of two pro-gun Supreme Court cases, and is a gun owner of a revolver and a shotgun. It was tough to decide whether he belonged at the tail end of the top tier or at the top of the second tier, but felt that he simply doesn’t seem to log enough trigger time to hang with Perry, Paul, and Huckabee.

Lindsey Graham (R) — Graham has a sizable gun collection and is said to be an excellent shot, but his willingness to compromise on many things has often made gun owners nervous.

Jim Gilmore (R) — Gilmore sits on the NRA’s Board of Directors, owns pistols and shotguns, and has a concealed carry permit. We’d like to consider ranking him higher, but he simply doesn’t have much of a footprint, despite being on the NRA board.

Scott Walker (R) — Governor Walker came to gun ownership later in life. While he has an excellent legislative track record so far, he’s never bought a gun, and the two gifted firearms he owns are used only for hunting, giving him a distinctly Fuddish vibe.

Rick Santorum (R) — Santorum has a strong legislative track record and owns more than a half dozen firearms, including his favorite, a Kimber 1911.

Jim Webb (D) — Barely breathing in the race, Webb has been both a Republican and a Democrat, and has a strong pro-military and relatively conservative pro-gun voting record that is rare among a Democrat party that has lurched to the far left overall.

Jeb Bush (R) — Bush is not a gun owner, but had a solid track record as the governor of Florida.

Bobby Jindal (R) — Jindal talks a good game and has frequent photo ops with firearms, bu remains largely untested on the issue.

Carly Fiorina (R) — Does not own guns, but says that her husband owns many and that she’s a strong supporter of the right to keep and bear arms.

Marco Rubio (R) — Owns a Taurus revolver, bless his heart. Has a record in Florida that is decidedly “meh.”

Bottom Tier 2nd Amendment Candidates

John Kasich (R) — Voted for Bill Clinton’s 1994 “ban” on so-called assault weapons. Was better as governor.

Donald Trump(R)  — Though a concealed carry permit holder with a newfound respect for the 2nd Amendment, Republican front-runner Trump has supported both waiting periods and gun bans in the past.

Ben Carson (R) — The gifted retired neurosurgeon briefly voiced support for a ban on semi-automatic firearms in urban areas before quickly retreating after being blasted for his views. He claims to be a strong supporter of the 2nd Amendment, but we simply don’t see it.

Chris Christie (R) — Christie has a mixed record on gun rights, but leans toward the more totalitarian end of the spectrum.

“Off to the Gulag With You, Scurvy Peasant” Tier 2nd Amendment Candidates*

George Pataki (R) — Merrily signed anti-gun legislation as Governor of New York, including bans on semi-automatic rifles and standard capacity magazines.

Bernie Sanders (D) — Though a long-time socialist,  Sanders had always been somewhat conservative when it came to 2nd Amendment issues… until he decided to run for President. Currently, he’s lurching towards strict gun control to maintain support among his left-wing, anti-liberty, socialist and communist base of support.

Lincoln Chaffee (D) — The flip-flopping Chaffee is for “common sense” gun control.

Martin O’Malley (D) — The former mayor of Baltimore and governor of Maryland has signed every bit of gun control legislation that has ever appeared in front of him, and is clamoring for more.

Hillary Clinton (D) — The tired, entitled, and seemingly corrupt former Secretary of State seems intent on branding herself as the most anti-gun of anti-gun candidates, to the point of blowing gun rights out of proportion as an issue in the campaign. Of course, when every other mention of you in the media involves one of several scandals and possible crimes, you need to get people focused on something other than yourself…

http://libertynews.com/2015/09/heres-how-each-candidate-ranks-on-the-2nd-amendment/

[Alan]

Thanks for the lesson on the 2nd Amendment and the current flock of candidates.

[trapperhoney]

Thank you!  Enjoyed reading this.  Our selection isn't great. I await with great trepidation to see who comes out on top.  Sorry, but we WVians have already dubbed our Senator Manchin Elmer Fudd, so the term can't be used for anyone else.  We in the WV Citizens Defense League are getting quite a bit of mileage out of that, much to the displeasure of the Senator.

I had to laugh at your comment about Marco Rubio's gun ownership, though I personally would reserve a "bless his heart" for glock ownership.  I consider a Taurus passable, though not a gun I would pick.

I really enjoyed your last tier title.  LOL, and so true!

[OLD fashioned preacher]

I had to laugh at your comment about Marco Rubio's gun ownership, though I personally would reserve a "bless his heart" for glock ownership.  I consider a Taurus passable, though not a gun I would pick.

 

I think it was a "you poor thing" type of "bless your heart" rather than a "good for you" type (different inflection, kinda like the difference between a "bless your heart" that is equivalent to "ain't you a special kinda stupid" verses the "I luuuv you" kind.)

Edited September 9, 2015 by OLD fashioned preacher

[trapperhoney]

I think it was a "you poor thing" type of "bless your heart" rather than a "good for you" type (different inflection, kinda like the difference between a "bless your heart" that is equivalent to "ain't you a special kinda stupid" verses the "I luuuv you" kind.)

I'm a southern girl so I always interpret "bless your heart" as "you're a special kinda stupid."

[OLD fashioned preacher]

I'm a southern girl so I always interpret "bless your heart" as "you're a special kinda stupid."

I'm also Southern (bottom of the Appalachian chain, not top) so I realize that the distinction is all in how's it's said (Think of the inflection given when a friend is in the hospital recovering from an appendectomy, right after a kidney stone, 4 weeks after childbirth: there's the "you poor critter" type of "bless yer heart")

[trapperhoney]

I'm also Southern (bottom of the Appalachian chain, not top) so I realize that the distinction is all in how's it's said (Think of the inflection given when a friend is in the hospital recovering from an appendectomy, right after a kidney stone, 4 weeks after childbirth: there's the "you poor critter" type of "bless yer heart")

you are quite right.  context means everything in how to interpret that.  I guess I'm Middle Appalachian? (WV)  So it can go either way