'The NRA is in grave danger': group's troubles are blow to Trump's 2020 bid

[babylonsister]

‘The NRA is in grave danger’: group's troubles are blow to Trump's 2020 bid
As the NRA faces a New York inquiry and internal power struggle, analysts say it will not have the financial resources to match its 2016 election magic
Peter Stone
Mon 6 May 2019 02.00 EDT
Last modified on Mon 6 May 2019 11.11 EDT

snip//

“The NRA has been a very important ally for Trump, and going into re-election it’s a critical group to have firing on all cylinders,” said Saul Anuzis, a lifetime NRA member and an ex-Michigan Republican party chairman. “It would be logical for the president and his campaign to have concerns moving forward about how effective an ally the NRA will be because of the infighting and legal threats from the New York [attorney general].”

Former NRA spokesman John Aquilino agreed that NRA support for Trump could be crucial in 2020, but may be endangered by all the turmoil.

“The reality is that the NRA absolutely helped Trump get elected, and probably to an extent greater than most people realize,” Aquilino said “The strongest NRA states are the swing states. Trump realizes that NRA support in those swing states is more important than political party affiliation for winning.” Trump’s tweet, he added, amounted to “telling the children to stop throwing food across the table at each other and get down to business”.

snip//

Trump’s 2020 political prospects are expected to turn in part on the NRA repeating what it did in 2016 to back his then long-shot candidacy. The NRA spent a record $30m-plus on ads supporting Trump and mobilized its field operations in critical midwestern swing states where the gun lobby has strong grassroots, helping Trump prevail despite losing the popular vote by 3 million.

The NRA reported that it spent $54.4m on the 2016 elections to the Federal Election Commission (FEC). But two NRA sources with ties to the organization’s board told McClatchy last year that the NRA’s total spending in 2016 was at least $70m, a figure that includes spending on its field operations to mobilize voters and online ads, neither of which have to be reported to the FEC.

Outside analysts who have tracked the NRA and gun issues are dubious the organization will now recover enough from its current crisis to spend as lavishly and have a similar impact in 2020.

more...

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/may/06/nra-trump-2020-campaign-new-york-investigation?utm_term=RWRpdG9yaWFsX0d1YXJkaWFuVG9kYXlVUy0xOTA1MDY%3D&utm_source=esp&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=GuardianTodayUS&CMP=GTUS_email&fbclid=IwAR2BrpQisO4_-1CMz8NXqTgfPuH6srv679SIU44sr2QrhOVN5d7z15ildKY

[saidsimplesimon]

1. Will Sheldon Adelson or

another Russian backer of rump show up with the green in 2020?

babylon, thanks for sharing an article from The Guardian. You reminded me, I haven't read Der Spiegel or La Monde today.

[lindysalsagal]

2. So, would gun manufacturers just pay directly for GOP ads?

I wonder?

[Leghorn21]

3. WRONG, sister!! The NRA is getting stronger & stronger!!!

Heading to Indianapolis to speak at the big NRA
Conference. Love being in Indiana. The @NRA is
getting stronger & stronger and doing some really
great and important work. Having their powerful
support has been vital to #MAGA!

Link to tweet

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

6. And there's our proof that the NRA is collapsing.

If Trump says it's up, it's down.

[awesomerwb1]

4. Nothing a few russian checks can't solve.

[gratuitous]

5. Too many people watching right now

Any sudden, big, cash infusions are likely to draw unwelcome scrutiny. It's going to take some time and unaccustomed finesse to pump up this leaky balloon again.

[The_Counsel]

8. I'd Love to Believe That, But...

...there's also too many people breaking the law in plain sight these days.

That and too many people in position to do anything about it who are all-too-willing to look the other way.

[pwb]

9. Yep

.

[Historic NY]

7. Wouldn't it be funny if they had tax liens outstanding....

[mopinko]

10. awww, why, and election w/o nra money is like an election w/o

touch screen vote grabber machines.
whatever will america do?

[Caliman73]

11. Oh no! Who will the Russians launder money through now?

I am glad that they are going through this. It is a corrupt organization that hired the likes of LaPierre and elected Oliver North as president.

[meow2u3]

12. NRA SCAM ALERT!!!

I'm not buying one bit of their BS that they're about to fold. That's just a con job aimed at fundraising.

[inwiththenew]

13. Not buying it

They use scare tactics to fund raise off of. During President Obama's term they were talking about how Obama was going to take everyone's guns away so send money immediately to help stop this. Now what are they going to fund raise on? Trump taking your guns away? Now they just invent some financial crisis that requires you to send money right away or else their will be dire consequences.

[Hekate]

14. Just ask Uncle Vlad for more?

[KatyMan]

15. I have a feeling

They're playing the victim here for more grass roots donations (because money).

The Spectacle is now out in full view and nobody seems to know or care (beyond the good people in DU etc).

[pecosbob]

16. Now House Dems need to begin investigations of Republicans' campaign money laundering

and as much as it might ruffle feathers, a few Democrats as well.