Perfect Storm for Gun Owners: Ohio Presidential Primary edition

By Chad D. Baus

My story "Perfect storm for gun owners? McCain, DeWine and Giuliani join forces", was published at BuckeyeFirearms.org only a little more than 24 hours after the outcome of Super Tuesday was known.

In that commentary, I wrote about how anti-gun former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani's endorsement of Senator John McCain, and anti-gun former Senator Mike DeWine's work as McCain's Ohio campaign chair (as a prelude to a possible Attorney General nomination) are clear signs that the perfect storm that we've been warning gun owners about for the past year is nearly overhead.

Hoping to get a pulse on what Ohio gun owners who vote in the Republican primary are planning to do given the dwindling options, I asked for feedback, and promised a follow-up story. The results of my little survey are overwhelmingly clear:

The Republican party has lost the trust of the Ohio gun owner.

Before I get to some of the feedback, a couple of other notes are in order for those who have not yet read "Perfect storm for gun owners? McCain, DeWine and Giuliani join forces", which was published about 12 hours before former Mass. Gov. Mitt Romney suspended his campaign.

In the commentary, after a review of this already year-long Presidential campaign cycle, and an observation of how soft the media has been on John McCain when it comes to the Second Amendment, I predicted that Mike Huckabee would no longer be a viable candidate by the time Ohioans get to vote on March 4. At this point the only person in the country who would tell me I was wrong is, well, Mike Huckabee.

I then proposed two options facing pro-gun voters on Ohio on March 4:

Option #1 - Vote pro-gun, even if that means a throw-away vote.
Throw-away options include a vote for Ron Paul (please save the protest emails, folks, he hasn't had a prayer since Day 1 and you ought to know that), Mike Huckabee (please save the protest emails until after he wins something above the Mason-Dixon line), or Fred Thompson (whose name will be on the ballot, but for whom votes will not be counted).

I take my right to vote too seriously to have ever been a "throw-away vote" type of guy. Then again, the alternative is as much against what I stand for as is Option #1.

Option #2 - Decide between McCain or Romney as to who presents less of a threat to gun rights, and vote for the lesser of two evils.

As I told Mike DeWine when he called me last week, asking that I switch my allegiance to McCain (remember, I am a Fred delegate), I am tired of voting for the lesser of two evils, because all we get is more evil.

I then asked for feedback on these options from readers, and promised to share the results, along with my own decision, before the March 4 primary.

That day is almost upon us, and the only thing that has changed is that Mitt Romney, apparently far wiser than "Huckleberry", saw there was no way he could win and suspended his campaign.

So the question facing Ohio pro-gun voters in the Republican primary is now a bit simpler...vote Option #1, or vote John McCain. Vote pro-gun, knowing your candidate cannot win, or vote for a man whose overall record on gun control in the past decade or so rivals both of his Democrat opponents.

Perhaps thanks in part to Gov. Romney simplifying the question, the feedback I received was overwhelmingly simple:

The feedback was equally clear about another thing:

Joe S. writes that he will vote for an Option #1 candidate "because I can sleep at night knowing I tried to do what's best for my country (not just the Second Amendment), not the lesser of the evils. The lesser of the evils only allows for the pot of water to be heated more slowly, not cool. I think it's moot though," Joe adds, "our fate is sealed for at least four years of 2A infringement and erosion of our rights. Just a question of by a R or a D."

Jep P. shares those sentiments, observing that "McCain is no friend to the 2nd Amendment." He went on to say that "if our next president is going to support any punitive/restrictive firearm laws, I would prefer it be a Democrat that takes the hit for it. It may FINALLY get the union guys (who vote for who their union tells them to) and the liberal/moderate hunter/sporting clays crowd, that they have been voting against their own freedom (gun rights)." "The Republican Party." Jep continues, "needs to understand that IT IS NOT VIABLE without its conservative pro-gun base. I’m tired of voting for the lesser of 2 evils. Its time to take a stand…!"

Tad S. echoes concerns about the (formerly?) pro-gun Republican party: "The Republican party has shown itself to be aligned with our enemy in the cause of individual freedoms by failing to support what is right and just for their manipulated version of what they suspect might win."

Mike S. writes that "this is a lose - lose election, but that he will vote Option #1 to "possibly send a message to McCain that he is not being given full support of the party rank and file."

Duane O. will vote Option #1, and is also worried about sending a message, noting that if he was to vote for John McCain, "I would be just [telling the Republican party] no matter who you put before me, if you give me no choice, I will vote for them."

Joseph E. writes that he will vote for an Option #1 candidate because he is "afraid that if McCain gets elected, he will be the Jimmy Carter of the Republican party. After him," Joseph laments, "we won't see another Republican in office for many, many years."

D. Salvati shares a concern about John McCain, calling him "a wolf in sheep's clothing." "He has already put our First Amendment rights in jeopardy," Salvati observes, "and is now poised to do away with our Second Amendment rights. ..."You are absolutely correct," he concludes, "there is a bad storm on the horizon. I am as afraid of a John McCain presidency as I am of Obama/Clinton."

And on that note, in case you folks at the Republican National Committee are curious, only one respondent indicated to me that they will support John McCain in the general election.

(For more on this sentiment, see "John McCain is a liberal gun grabber")

Put me down with the Option #1 crowd. And keep your power dry. It's going to be a long four (or more) years.

Chad Baus is a Member of the Fulton County, OH Republican Central Committee and the Buckeye Firearms Association Vice Chairman and Northwest Ohio Chair.