Keith I go back to the NRA. In order to maximize their membership and effectiveness they stick to the one issue. They don't have a litmus test on social issues nor political party nor do you have to tell them where you think Obama was born. They believe that would reduce their base, dilute their message and impair their effectiveness.
Being civil and tactful is not winning at all costs. It is common sense and good strategy.
Do you want to be right or do you want to be effective?
Well Mike, I am not the NRA, so I can and do have opinions on the economy, jobs, abortion, taxes, spending, man-made global warming, gay marriage, socialized medicine, and a whole litany of other issues including whether a presidential candidate meets the Constitutional qualifications to run. It is very important that the NRA stay within its' own lane for the reasons you cite. I am not a single issue organization that may lose members if I stray into another area. I don't have members, but I am not alone in my beliefs. I am entitled to my opinions and am free to have opinions.
The anti's are assaulting our rights because we let them win elections. They won largely by being dishonest and uncivil. They lied and I believe they even cheated where they could. (See my recent post on voter fraud in Ohio.) I don't want us to go down that road, so I'd rather we counter it by exposing lies and not giving credence to the lullers and closet anti's here.
Craigd and Canvasback both agree that we need to reach the urban schoolkid with a new message. I would counter that no catchy sound bite message is likely to counter a six hour per day liberal left drumbeat. I wish the guys who keep saying we need to modify our methods and message would finally show us their ideas, and more importantly, show us where it has worked. In mono-cultural and civilized Great Britain, the same Liberal forces systematically stripped away most rights of law abiding gun owners as they passively watched thinking that each new solution would be the last. The anti's want your guns and they don't care whether you are civil or not. In fact, being polite and civil probably smooths their path and enables them.
Look at the rash of vehicle crashes last week where over 20 teens were killed in several states including 6 in one vehicle not that far from me. 7 teens die every day on average in vehicle crashes. That's the equivalent of a Newtown massacre every 3 days. Where are the Liberals and their solutions that might save even one life? Has Obama even mentioned it? This is about guns and the dishonest folk who are out to infringe upon our Civil Second Amendment rights.
