Received an oversized postcard mailer today for PA Sen candidate Tom Smith with the sole message being that he is pro-gun, rated "A" by the NRA and "will fight to protect our 2nd Amendment Rights". It is paid for by Republican Federal Committee of Pennsylvania and has return address of Republican Party of Pennsylvania.
Second Amendment Voters Guide "contrasts" GOP's Smith and incumbent Dem Sen Bob Casey:
Tom Smith
"A" rating from the NRA
Lifelong NRA Member
Supports our Constitutional right to keep and bear arms
Bob Casey
Supports President Obama's agenda
Supported the confirmation of anti-gun judges to the Supreme Court
Supported legislation that would threaten the privacy of NRA members
Two thoughts - (1) not sure what impact this will have on suburban Phila swing voters. Has to be targeting the GOP base - but even the GOP base voters here in the suburbs are not as devoted to 2nd Amendment / NRA issues as the GOP in rest of PA.
(2) reminds me of mailers sent by GOP and NRA in behalf of pro-gun, pro-AK-47 assault weapons late Sen Arlen Specter in his campaigns 1980-2004. He always ran as the pro-guns candidate, though he tended to do that in the rest of PA and not so much in the southeastern PA suburbs and Philadelphia.
I still get GOP mailings because I registered as GOP years ago to be able to vote in a hot GOP primary when the Dems effectively had no primary.