Hunting Blogs

Obama And Romney Both Seek Sportsmen's Vote

By: J.R. Absher

Oct 31

There’s probably not a single reasonable American voter supporting either presidential candidate who believes their man has an inherently strong personal interest and vast understanding of the issues important to the average sportsman and woman.

But just because neither President Barack Obama nor Gov. Mitt Romney fully comprehend the individual fulfillment one gains from hunting South Dakota ringnecks over a dog with good friends, sitting solo in a deer stand on a crisp Midwestern morning, or hearing an elk bugle among the quaking aspens of Colorado, both candidates—and, more importantly, their campaign staff—understand the vital importance American sportsmen carry as a voting bloc.

And that’s precisely the reason why each campaign reaches out to sportsmen to some degree, as evidenced by Sportsmen for Obama and Sportsmen for Romney.

“Under the President’s leadership, conservation programs are protecting the nation’s natural resources, while providing significant economic and environmental benefits to rural communities and building valuable habitat for wildlife,” states the information contained on the Sportsmen for Obama website. “The Obama administration is working with more than 500,000 farmers and ranchers to implement conservation practices on nearly 30 million acres of land. The President is also investing in projects in all 50 states to conserve wildlife and habitat and to create outdoor recreation jobs.”

The Sportsmen for Romney Coalition, whose national co-chairs include Jeff Foxworthy, a co-blogger here at HuntingClub.com, asserts, “Mitt Romney has strong and growing support among our nation’s conservationists and outdoor enthusiasts.”

In Gov. Romney’s words: “We are blessed with great natural beauty as well. It is the sportsmen and women of America who keep safe that natural wealth for this generation and many more to come. Hunters, fishermen, sports-shooters, and outdoors enthusiasts not only create millions of jobs and pump billions of dollars into our economy, they stand on the forefront of defending our Second Amendment rights and protecting the natural wonder of our nation. If I am fortunate enough to become president, they will have a friend in the White House.”

The long and arduous campaign—along with the months of heated rhetoric and accusations from both sides—will thankfully come to an end in just a few days.

Here at the "Headline Hunter" blog, we’re not suggesting or endorsing any candidate or party. Instead, we simply encourage our readers to exercise the blessed right we’ve been endowed by our forefathers, and go to the polls on or before November 6 and cast your ballot.

And let us know when you do!
 

51 comments

# gjeffryes
Wednesday, October 31, 2012 3:13 PM
Considering the anti-gun ownership activities of the current administration, you don't have to guess who I am voting for.
# rflaherty
Wednesday, October 31, 2012 3:21 PM
If nobama is reelected the Second Amendment is toast. Hunting with our fists won't be very productive. If he succeeds, what's the point of the NAHC? Your future is toast too. What are life members' chance at a refund??
# npaul
Wednesday, October 31, 2012 3:34 PM
I find it interesting that you don’t see a quote from Obama showing his support for hunting. When they say “outdoor recreation activities” they mean water skiing or camping. So much generalizing, so little said.
I love that the Romney quote is from him and not just a support website. I don’t understand how any sportsman could think that they have a friend in Obama.
# RealTruth
Wednesday, October 31, 2012 4:24 PM
Why only a sign for obama if you aren't endorsing either candidate?
# ericjames81
Wednesday, October 31, 2012 8:30 PM
I thought that the actions of working with farmers and ranchers was already in place for a long time? Maybe I'm thinking of something else?
# magicrick
Wednesday, October 31, 2012 10:19 PM
VP Candidate Paul Ryan is a fisherman and bowhunter.
# bwelsh1
Wednesday, October 31, 2012 10:49 PM
It is foolish to believe that a President/Congress/Senate of either party will ever do away with the ownership of common pistols, rifles, and shotguns. The only firearms that are under scrutiny are automatic and semi-automatic assault weapons. What is at stake in this election are the lands the we currently use for hunting and other recreations. Don't wait until the drilling starts, and have regret. Do the right thing on November 6, 2012.
# LarryD
Thursday, November 01, 2012 1:09 AM
A hunting and gun mag/blog that can't stand against a candidate that is so blatantly anti 2nd amendment?? R U Kidding me??? Obama has his way this mag will be out of business. NAHC wouldn't stand against Obama the first term either. What a disappointment. Ive been a Lifetime member going on 30 years....give me a refund.
# brichter
Thursday, November 01, 2012 5:36 AM
Re-instating the assault weapons ban (second debate) is a huge reason NOT to vote for Obama - rifles with drop magazines will be banned and look a likes – AR-15, AK-47, etc. Adding ammo bans – how much you may purchase or like Illinois a permit to purchase ammo, and restriction of magazines size, and much more. Obama belief on the Second Amendment - the right to bear arms to self-defense - He does not believe that. Allowing the EPA to ban lead ammo on federal land will be added. Where sportsmen hunt - federal land will be changed, restrictions, hours, etc. The list could go on forever. What we have today will change and reversing four years later will take years especially if he is allowed to appoint two more Supreme Justices to the court. VOTE FOR ROMNEY will preserve our current rights and privileges if not improve them.
# Web Editor Josh
Thursday, November 01, 2012 11:31 AM
All: J.R. chose to write this as a fair and balanced post because not all NAHC members lean one way or the other. The underlying point of the post is to note that both candidates understand the power and importance of the sportsmen's vote. The NAHC is not openly endorsing either candidate or telling our members how to vote. The choice is yours, so go to the polls on November 6 and vote for who you think best supports the issues that mean the most to you. Thanks!
# ericjames81
Thursday, November 01, 2012 12:21 PM
Not really balanced with the Sportsman For Obama logo at the top!!
# Web Editor Josh
Thursday, November 01, 2012 1:07 PM
ericjames81: Point taken, and the change has been made. Thanks for your passion!
# wstalcup
Thursday, November 01, 2012 1:42 PM
Thank you for changing the graphic in the post since last night. As a web marketing guy and a new member - I was having serious doubts about your organization because the original post was quite concerning in it's choice of graphics. This is due to the way search engines crawl and index content. It did most assuredly appear as an endorsement for the most anti-gun, anti-hunting, anti-etc candidate on the ballot and perhaps in history and would have been indexed that way in search engines. Such use of graphics is a common tactic to say something without actually saying it in print.

I understand your intent to be neutral overall. However, I don't think there is any doubt based on factual records, 4 more years of Mr. Obama & Mrs. Clinton would be more a disaster for not only the 2nd amendment rights of Americans, for hunters, & sport shooting but also for the larger economic future & prosperity of the nation.

My Best,
W.
# lturley
Thursday, November 01, 2012 2:58 PM
I can appreciate the position the NAHC is in; believe it or not brothers and sisters, not all hunters are Republican and not all hunters are anti-Hussein. I side with every post made here... except #bwelsh1. Do not be naive. This will blind you to the truth before it is too late. Every move made by this administration demonstrates their feelings toward the hunting community not to mention Barry's condescending comment, "...they cling to their guns and religion...". If it does not benifit those he perceives as deprived, then he is not for it. You suggest that opening a small parcel of land to help make us more self-sufficient and less reliant on foreign oil is somehow going to quickly morph into a loss of all hunting grounds. Wake up and look around you. If (heaven forbid) the annointed one wins a re-election, you will be faced with a loss of far worse! (that noise is me now stepping down off my soap box) Please forgive me, everyone.
# bbabin1
Thursday, November 01, 2012 6:55 PM
i voted for romney and that is because obama is gona hafta pry my guns outa my cold dead hands. thats the only way he is gona get theme.
# Harold1954
Friday, November 02, 2012 11:30 AM
Everyone is entitled to your own opinion. If you support Obama that is fine,IF you love living in a Socialistic society. We are on a fast track to Socialism A.K.A Communism. He (Obama) has plans to sequester funds from Pittman-Robertson to put in the gerneral budget, because HIS Senate refuses to accept a budget from the House. That is just one more reason among hundreds of others I can think of to vote him out.

Here is a link to a story on this stealing of our money, just in case you doubt it. http://www.wvmetronews.com/outdoors.cfm?func=displayfullstory&storyid=55611
# candrews7
Friday, November 02, 2012 1:10 PM
I find it unbelievable that you are not endorsing Romney. If Obama gets in again we will be hunting with slingshots and spears. Get your head out of the sand and see what is happening to our country.
# sarmstrongw
Friday, November 02, 2012 5:22 PM
Voting for President Obama because I understand his position on guns and the 2nd amendment. We aren't going to lose our rights or our firearms. Under Romney, I would lose money and the women in my life and all across America would lose medical rights. To me it's a mute point, vote as you will, but try to see both sides from an unbiased source before making your decision.
# Davros11
Friday, November 02, 2012 5:48 PM
Please!!! enough with the poor women not having health care story!!! They can have as many abortions as they want and kill as many of the children as they want, JUST DO NOT ASK ME TO PAY FOR IT. My mother and sisters can easily pay for their own birth control, so can yours!!!
# merwin4
Friday, November 02, 2012 9:12 PM
Simple statements say a lot. Obama said during this campaign and I quote " I mean what I say and I say what I mean", so in his own words he told author John Lott during an interview, and I quote, " I don't believe that people should be able to own guns." His own words - of course that's before he started pandering for the sportsman/women vote. Next:in 2011 - hiding behind the endangered species act and using the EPA he has closed millions of acres of public land to hunting and shooting. The Heller and McDonald decisions - which affirm your right to own firearms - was upheld by a 5-4 decision. The next president could appoint up to 3 Supreme Court justices overturning that decision. In 2011 Obama told congress that he would ignore a provision in the 2012 omnibus spending bill that specifically barred him from using TAXPAYERS dollars to lobby for more gun control. The U.N ATT: Arms Trade Treaty - is being re-negotiated and Obama is set to sign it when it is. FYI: State Dept says and I quote,"We vow to make this treaty legally binding," calling it a "fundamental policy commitment." And let's not forget the re-introduction of the assault weapons ban now to include language that not only includes the weapon but also equipment such as multi-round mags, tactical stocks, detachable mags, etc...This is all part of public record and a few hours of your time searching the web may open your eyes.
# kgfox
Friday, November 02, 2012 11:11 PM
KGFOX; Friday, Nov.2 2012, With the weapon situation the way it is or the way it could go. Means that you really don't have a choise. The only way you can vote is for Mitt Romney. And I personally have already done so. Guess who, Mittthe only way to go.
# MarkFissel
Saturday, November 03, 2012 5:59 AM
I also have already voted and not for the current liar in office who is out to destroy everything we know and live in this free country for. His healthcare plan is a joke and his energy plan is a bigger joke, and his stance on the second amendment is well defined.
# CCREECH
Saturday, November 03, 2012 7:59 AM
anybody that votes for romnywill regret it i am a fairly poor pperson, im a lot better off than i was with the eight yes of the bushes.it will take more than four years to get back for what they have distroyed
# dluster
Saturday, November 03, 2012 9:55 AM
Every four years we are told that the current election is the most important of our lives. This time it may be true. Obama has set this country on a course of "fundamental transformation", and with what I've seen so far, I'm not impressed. The entire relationship between citizen and state is being redefined before our very eyes. The most important influences of peoples lives and civil society: faith, family, private economy and property, are being walled-off by the sterile cinder block wall of statism. I cannot sit by and let my kids be enslaved by Obama and the rest of the faculty lounge collectivists!
# charles e spencer
Saturday, November 03, 2012 11:31 AM
I am going to be working one of Bassett Va. Election Polls,
on Election Day for.
ROMNEY/RYAN
ALLEN
GRIFFITH
P.S. A VOTE FOR VIRIL GOODE IS A VOTE FOR OBAMA !!!!!
-----------------------------------------------------
Go to the Polls and VOTE!
May GOD bless you .
# etaylor8
Saturday, November 03, 2012 3:39 PM
CCREECH
Your verbage, sentence structure, and comments lead me to believe you are handed everything you need from the "man who calls OUR White House, HIS House". It's not his house. He just lives there rent free. Your food, rent, utilities, car payments,medical bills and child support payments are probability furnished by him.
The other President,(waiting for Official Conformation), will give you those things also, AND YOU GET TO KEEP YOUR GUNS.
# BradPalmer2
Saturday, November 03, 2012 3:51 PM
Amazing! If you really read the "Sportsmen for Obama" quote it is amazing you don't see the obvious lie. Obama does not work with anybody in the private sector unless they are on the government payroll in some manner. He certainly does not work with farmers and ranchers to improve hunting and here they have the guts to say so but cloud their words. They work to conserve or in theit terms restrict and con those not on the Gov't of Dems payroll. If you think you can get more places to hunt you are very confused by what you want to hear instead of reality. This Administration lies!
# Weeble
Saturday, November 03, 2012 6:02 PM
Gary Johnson has my vote. It time for more options other than bad or worse. i cannot vote for someone I do not believe in , no matter how mich I do not believe in the other person.. I vote for the United States Constitution, and the only one that will honor that document is Gary Johnson (Libertarian) LIVE FREE.
# Glen_732
Saturday, November 03, 2012 8:00 PM
This just goes to show even further that the media no matter what will not bash Obama. I can't believe that it reaches thus far to nahc. Obama is going to do a lot worse things then take our guns if he is re elected. I wouldn't vote for him if you gave me 25000 a week for the rest of my life. The day the second amendment goes out is the day I declare civil war and take back whats rightfully ours as Americans I think people forgot what is ours freedom!!
# ericjames81
Saturday, November 03, 2012 9:09 PM
Web editor Josh, nice change, you said balanced and so it is! Happy Voting!
# ericjames81
Saturday, November 03, 2012 9:17 PM
Weeble, waste a vote if you want, but a vote for anyone but the two major/only candidates just pulls a vote away from them. Pretty much just chucking your 4 hours of vote time in the trash! All the presidents are just puppets, but at least they have some pull with what happens. I'm picking the lesser of the two evils and hopefully getting us back to the Republican side where my guns are!
# CCREECH
Sunday, November 04, 2012 9:30 AM
i dont care how much everybody dislikes obama.hes still are presadent.unless you are very rich.romny will help you he does not care for us poor people.i dont believe any president will take away are second amendment rights. if money is the only thing peopleworry about then we are all hurting.i survived better back in the 70s than i do now
# zgrimshaw
Sunday, November 04, 2012 9:55 AM
i dont care who wins the election , they all lie and say what they think the people want to hear. its all empty promises and bullshit. eithar way no one will ever get my guns
# zgrimshaw
Sunday, November 04, 2012 10:09 AM
my ? to all of you is how many gun owner do you think would just simply hand their guns in if they did abolish the 2nd amendment cuase i dont know any and the government knows there gunna make criminals out of law abiding citizens. i dont think the governments wants that
# Lock-time
Sunday, November 04, 2012 11:42 AM
I'm disappointed in NAHC. In reading your statement it is clear the Obama Administration has your favor even though you make a vane attempt at not endorsing. You make no mention of Obama's position on the second ammendment or his antigun voting record during his very short time as a legislator.

You got one thing right though. WE DO NEED TO VOTE ....... OBAMA OUT!!!
# bwelsh1
Sunday, November 04, 2012 2:11 PM
I only want to re-iterate my original statement, that it is foolish to believe that a President/Congress/Senate of either party will ever do away with the ownership of common pistols, rifles, and shotguns. The only firearms that are under scrutiny are automatic and semi-automatic assault weapons. The only organization I would like to add to this list is the Supreme Court. Common firearms will always remain in our possesion and to believe otherwise is foolish. If Republicans build a Canadian oil transport pipeline across 1000+ miles of USA soil and it leaks--goodbye wildlife. That is any wildlife that stayed around while their land was being deystroyed while Canadian workers constructed it. By the way, the Canadian oil transported across US soil will be loaded onto ships and then transported to China. But it is your choice. No regrets, is all.
# trapr58
Sunday, November 04, 2012 2:20 PM
no need to spell it out....you all know we can not have another 4 years the the last 4 years. and YES i want to keep my guns. romney will get my vote. got to love this country we have a choice who we vote for and not worry about getting be-headed! thank you vets for that!
# CCREECH
Monday, November 05, 2012 9:04 AM
i dont want to here all the crying when all the rich get richer and we ge poorer there wont be any middle class. i might as well sell because i believe romny will take what ever i have left
# ericjames81
Monday, November 05, 2012 9:47 AM
We're in this mess because 9-11, everyone wanted revenge,gov. spent all our money on war,economy crashed!Bush started the bailout CCREECH so if your gonna thank anyone for doing better now it should be him!Once we were at war everyone blamed bush,because 95% of America forgot too quickly how they felt on 9-11 afternoon, wanting resolve until our troops started to die.
# bpiper
Monday, November 05, 2012 10:04 AM
It's time to crack down on assault....
vehicles. We all know speed kills and the speed limit is normally in the 55 to 70 mph range on federal highways. In the interest of safety, I expect the government to ban assault vehicles ( those who can exceed the speed limit). There is no legitimate need served by high-capacity (magazines) cars. And we cannot stop with cars that are actually assault vehicles; what about cars which look like assault vehicles. No more spoilers, low-profile tires or even cars painted red. These are dangerous, people! People don't cause accidents, access to assault vehicles causes accidents. We need more government agencies looking out for us and we can save hundreds of thousands of lives each year. And dont fall for the propaganda by the all those people who cling to their ambulances and their firetrucks, people cannot be trusted with anything that can be unsafe.

P.S. Mr Obama did claim he is a firm supporter of the 2nd amendment, he just believes that it only applies to active members of the national guard as a part of a well-run militia.
# lturley
Monday, November 05, 2012 2:57 PM
Read the comparative piece in the latest NAHC. If you can read the difference between the Republican and Democrat stance on our 2nd Amendment rights and are unable to read between the lines and still compelled to vote for the Socialist that resides in OUR House right now, then there is nothing further I can say to change your mind... you are then apparently beyond HOPE!
# dluster
Monday, November 05, 2012 3:48 PM
Some comments above raise red flags with me. First of all, there are plenty of things government can do to restrict firearm rights in this country. U.N. treaties and Supreme Court justices are just a start. Suppose the CDC or NIH decree that gun ownership is "unhealthy". The HHS secretary has already crossed the first ammendment in attacking religious liberty. Imagine a new health insurance mandate on gun owners that raises fees (read:taxes) on premiums. As far as the oil pipeline goes, given the number of pipelines criss-crossing the US and Canada, it's hard to imagine that this particular pipeline would destroy habitat and wildlife. Let's face it,this was a "shovel-ready" project that would have created private-sector jobs sans massive government spending we ,and our kids and grandkids ,cannot afford.
# mbolton4
Monday, November 05, 2012 6:17 PM
I have yet to overcome the flagging of the "Sportsman for Obama" logo when this blog first started. I'm a life member of both the NAHC and NAFC but I'm having doubts. It seems to me that the operators of this website are pushing their Obama bias.
# charles e spencer
Monday, November 05, 2012 7:41 PM
Some people go thru life with thier eyes closed.They will
vote party line come HELL or high water.Please open you eyes and look at facts.Think about what you doing.If you do you will go out vote for Romney.May GOD bless you.
# dcarter11
Tuesday, November 06, 2012 12:35 PM
I am to young to run for president by a year and 17 days however if I was to run for president in the future the first thing I would do in regard to gun law as a campaign would be to say that if you are a law abiding citizen Of the United States of America you will have the right to purchase any handgun rifle or shotgun you wish to own without restriction so long as you are willing to take a one time firearm safety class if you are an adult who had either graduated High school or have a ged before this law if in effect. After the law is in effect all high schools will be mandated to provide a hands on firearms safety class for seniors, there will be no need for a permit to carry a concealed weapon. Some other things I would change would include: the will be no restriction on magazine size, Capacity or function, and no restriction on how many loaded magazines a person could possess or have have on their person. There will be no limitation to how much ammunition a person is allowed to own because to limit or prohibit any thing in relation to guns, rifles knives or ammunition is a direct infringement on our right to keep and bare arms which per the second amendment of the Constitution of the United States of America is illegal.
# dp54
Tuesday, November 06, 2012 3:35 PM
The current President is the best thing that ever happened to the gun industry. Guns sale are through the roof.It up because silly people are fearful of what pundent saywas going to happen. Cabela's stock Is up over 300%. You can vote for someone who is going to protect the land we huint or you can vote for a group that will turn it over to big oil and coal.Once they get it,it is no longer wild! It's your choice. I am going Obama!
# charles e spencer
Tuesday, November 06, 2012 4:34 PM
FOOLISH PEOPLE DOES FOOLISH.
# Davros11
Tuesday, November 06, 2012 11:06 PM
Just wanna say, living here in chicago! To many illegal immigrant votes, stood in line for over an hour with election people showing none english speaking how to vote, also voter fraud in general, we all have to live with this! Hope we can hold this country together.....
# walkin
Wednesday, November 07, 2012 7:26 AM
Ya 4 more years of paying NRA SAF and the rest will be calling thanks to uninformed or what ever voters. I said if it was the young voters who got Obamma back in. I hope they get a real good job to pay for there mistake. Any firearms you have with no paper trail hang onto them!
# bwelsh1
Wednesday, November 07, 2012 2:00 PM
"An online poll in 36 countries found that 35 want Barack Obama to be reelected. Only residents of China chose Mitt Romney." MSN Headline. Would that be because of how many jobs he's sent them over the years? Jobs which might now stay in the USA? Thank God the Fools were suppressed in this election. The Government is never going to come into your house and take your guns. Well, maybe under the Republican initiated Patriot Act. Now if the teapublicans in the House will stop obstructing and let things get done, people might get back to working and prospering. Normal people, not the already wealthy.
# ericjames81
Wednesday, November 07, 2012 8:20 PM
Uggg, let the 35 countries have barack!

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