This, folks, is why Philadelphia will always be a first rate, second rate city.
Category: Politics
New Jersey Mailer from the 1990s
I’ve seen this mailer making the rounds for a while now. I can’t speak for Chris Christie, but I’ve spoken to Rick Merkt at a few ANJRPC events, and don’t believe he supports this position any longer. He’s one of those folks who was duped by the fully automatic/semi-automatic confusion, and no longer supports the ban, and in the mean time has become a gun collector himself. Having said that, it’s a moot issue, because the ban isn’t going away any time soon. Commenter NJSoldier hit the nail on the head when he said this:
It would be great to replace Corzine with any Republican. Further erosion of our rights, and further wasteful spending would be halted. But to make real reforms and roll back the damage done will require some serious gains in the legislature.
Emphasis mine. That’s one of the problems I had with Steve Lonegan’s candidacy, is that he was telling people he’ll get right-to-carry through the legislature. It’s a nice thought, and I appreciate Lonegan being willing to talk favorably on the issue in New Jersey, but anyone who knows Trenton knows that bill is going nowhere, and Corzine will be happy to scare voters in November about Lonegan favoring all manner of gun wielding lunatics running around their kids soccer games, around churches, shopping malls, and restaurants waving guns around. In New Jersey, that rhetoric works.
New Jersey’s percentage of gun ownship is 12.3%. Compare that to Delaware’s 25.5%, Pennsylvania’s 34.7%, even New York’s 18%, and Maryland’s 21.3%.  Even Guam has a higher percentage of gun owners! The goal in the New Jersey’s governor’s race is to get someone in who will veto bad legislation, and give Second Amendemnt activists time to work on the legislature. The overall goal now is to stop losing ground, and see if perhaps we can gain in some minor areas that would allow that number to creep back up. Garden State gun enthusiasts need to mint more of yourselves. That’s going to be the only real way to turn things around. As much as I would like to be able to carry in New Jersey, or take my ARs over there to shoot high-power, your laws that make it tough for people to be introduced to the sport do far more harm than either of those things. I’d start there.
Problem of Term Limits
A lot of conservatives are on board with the idea of term limits. While in principle it seems like a good idea, it’s one of those things I think is a bit of a double edged sword. This is one of the reasons why.
Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen never has to face the voters again, so he can freely veto Restaurant Carry, and now Park Carry, without having to fear. Having gotten what he wanted, his NRA endorsement having helped him get re-elected, he no longer has any need for them, so under the bus they go. For most of our state governors, they will spend at least half their career as governors being completely unaccountable to voters.
We’ve had to endure that in Pennsylvania, where Ed Rendell was quite happy to run from his gun control record when he ran for Governor the first time, and kept it largely off his agenda during his first term.  It was not until he no longer had to face Pennsylvania voters that he decided to make an issue he’d put political capital behind.
I think too many conservatives see term limits a a panacea, rather than seeing it has significant trade offs. I am not passionate about imposing them on Congress, and generally think it’s a fight conservatives and libertarians shouldn’t waste their time with.
Chris Christie, NRA Shill?
If only it were actually true. New Jersey is a tough state. Christie is not going to be able to be overtly pro-gun in his rhetoric, and still come out in the race. It’s one of the few states I know of where politicians smear their opponents as being pro-gun, and it actually works. Christie will be an improvement over Corzine, and will at least block New Jersey’s laws from getting any worse. Don’t expect him to lead the charge on concealed carry, or repealing New Jersey’s assault weapons ban, but being able to stop bad legislation is an advantage, and is step one in turning things around.
New Jersey has been on this path in 1966, when it passed most of its onerous gun laws. It’s going to be tough to get things turned around, and it’s going to take a long time. But I admire the folks who stay there, and don’t give up. It prevents the anti-gun folks from moving on to other states.
Pennsylvania to Have State Gun?
Sen. Pat Browne, R-16, Allentown, has sponsored a bill designating the Pennsylvania Rifle as the official firearm of the state. Every time you think lawmakers have drawn the well dry on these designations, a new one comes along.
How many states have an official state gun?
Lancaster Passing Lost and Stolen
Lancaster adds itself to list to become the eighth municipality violating statewide preemption. I have to hand it to Joe Grace, his campaign might not result in Harrisburg passing the legislation he wants, but I wouldn’t call it ineffective. The trick for our side, is going to be ripeness and standing, in that we might have to find someone who’s actually charged under one of these ordinances. We’ll want it to be a clean case; someone who is charged that will be sympathetic to the courts. We’re not going to want someone charged who’s got, say, a long string of drug convictions, or is otherwise unscrupulous.
Palin Stiffing Supporters?
At least that’s what US News is reporting:
After several false starts, when it was unclear to the organizers whether or not she would attend or agree to speak, Palin decided to show up at the dinner but wasn’t assigned to the head table and wasn’t given an opportunity to address the group. She was seated in the first row, however, and drew a big crowd of well-wishers even though, privately, there was a debate about who had snubbed whom in arranging her appearance.
She kind of did the same thing to us in Phoenix, which they mention here:
Prominent GOP strategists don’t understand why Palin has avoided appearances at events that could bolster her standing among conservatives who will be instrumental in the 2012 GOP presidential primaries, such as gatherings of the National Rifle Association and state parties in California and Texas. “She’s getting a reputation for being on-again, off-again,” says one conservative activist. “People aren’t even sure how to get in touch with her and whether their messages are getting through.”
Maybe she’s just not all that interested in national office. I can’t say I blame her after the way she was treated.
Quote of the Day
This should serve as both an omen, and a warning to Republicans:
But Virginia voters now have the luxury and being able to simply not worry about our 2nd Amendment rights in this years gubernatorial election. Its tough to say which candidate is actually better than the other on gun rights.
Which means, for once in a long time, we can actually focus on issues like transportation, and taxes, and education, and whether Pat Robertson will be allowed to monitor who and in what positions we choose to fornicate.
Take an important issue away from Republicans, and you might be surprised as to which issues motivate us.
Good Deeds!
When it comes to sticking it to the Democrat establishment, all I can say is, savor the victory. Creigh Deeds takes the election with 49.73 percent of the vote, which is pretty much a bare majority in a three way race. Moreover, it’s definitely a slap in the face to the progressive wing of the Democratic Party, including Ed Rendell and Mayor Bloomberg, who put so much on the line only to come out with an empty bag. I have to love that. Yes, for that, they deserve the icon:
Your anti-gun shill went down in flames Mike. So why don’t you go slink back to New York and mind your own business. Countertop raises the $6,000,000 question:
Big question between now and then, of course, is will the NRA endorse Deeds over McDonnel again? Will they stay out of it? Or will they do the dumb thing and hold a statement made during a debate at Virginia Tech that’s basically meaningless against Deeds and support the Pat Roberston’s lapdog Bob McDonnel?
I think they should stay out of the race, and let the candidates records on guns speak for themselves. Any way the Virginia gun owners go, they win, and you have to like that.
Virginia Primary
Looks like Creigh Deeds is walking away with the nomination.  55% of the precincts reporting in, and he’s still getting a majority in a three way race.  You can keep up with the results here.