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NRA-ILA Volunteer Kick-Off Tonight
By Greg L | 17 August 2009 | Prince William County | 2 Comments
NRA-ILA is hosting a free volunteer kick-off meeting on Monday, August 17th at 7:00PM at the Four Points by Sheraton near the intersection of Interstate 66 and Business 234. This can be an interesting group to work with, especially on those occasions when they decide to weigh in on state legislative races. An NRA endorsement is a pretty valuable thing for a campaign, and sometimes the NRA-ILA can field volunteers and even put some money behind the candidates they endorse.
I find it fascinating that the NRA-ILA is gearing up with local volunteer meetings at this point in the election cycle. Will they be more of a player in local delegate races, are they going to focus on state-wide races, and is the NRA going to try to follow the example of the Virginia Citizens Defense League and build their grass-roots base into an electoral powerhouse that impacts local elections, as well as national ones? Maybe at this meeting, local activists dedicated to preserving our Constitutional rights will have a chance to find out.
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I attended this event tonight, and it really looks like the NRA-ILA is fielding an army this election cycle. They’ve got some top-notch talent on their field team, are really turning their membership into a well-trained and well-lead grass-roots organization, and are already working some very nicely targeted lists to register new voters and get them active. Someone there really figured out that NRA members were a largely untapped resource at the state level and put together a strong plan to make the NRA as effective in Virginia politics as it has been at the national level.
I was wondering whether they’d be trying to target some districts, but it looks instead like they’re simply trying to get really big really quickly and let the electoral power develop wherever it happens to develop. Although this might not make a big difference in some districts where elections might be close this year, it has all the potential to become a really powerful organization in the outer suburbs and rural areas of the state where NRA membership tends to be higher, and of course statewide.
I’ve been disappointed with NRA-ILA’s actions at the state level in the past, but it really looks like they’re addressing those concerns now and putting some considerable resources into the effort. Instead of focusing on fundraising, they’re focusing on developing activists and providing them with the leadership and training needed to make a difference. This could end up making a really significant change in Virginia electoral politics, especially if this organization explodes into the tens of thousands of active grass-roots operatives it has the real potential to become.
Don’t be surprised if you start seeing a huge amount of NRA bumper stickers and yard signs popping up next to candidate’s yard signs this year. That might be the only overtly visible indicator that things have changed, but the impact will be pretty tremendous.
This past weekend NRA reps were at Guns and Ammo Warehouse promoting the event and their GOTV effort for gun owners this year. So far seems to be working.