Shopping for guns and votes in Tallahassee

Tallahassee, Fla – Gun issues have not played a
major role in the race for the Republican presidential nomination.
They are barely on the radar this go around. At the Tallahassee Gun Show,
attendees ranked Second Amendment cbelow issues like the
economy and “the Constitution.” Only two of the four remaining
candidates mention the Second Amendment prominently on their sites:
Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum. 

From Gingrich’s site:

The right to bear arms is a political right designed to
safeguard freedom so that no government can take away from you the
rights which God has given you.

From Santorum’s site:

Coming from Pennsylvania, a state with a rich heritage of
hunting and fishing, Senator Santorum understands
firsthand the importance of preserving our constitutionally
protected rights found in the 2nd Amendment.
Senator Santorum fights to preserve this tradition, and
will work to ensure these rights are not infringed upon.

Most of the voters I talked to at this show were supporting
Santorum or Ron
Paul
. Nobody liked Romney but all said they would probably end
up voting “against” President Obama. The organizers of the event
barred me from talking to people or taking pictures inside the
actual show so we talked in the parking lot. 

Who's got two tickets to the gun show? THIS GUY!

Dave Young, 52, of Tallahassee said he struggled between Paul
and Santorum before eventually going with the latter. “Definitely
not big government Romney or Newt. Both of them are self confessed
progressives and progressives are just slow-motion socialists. I
agree with what Dr. Paul says but I liked what Santorum said about
the Constituion,” he said. 

“It’s nice to see that gun sales across the country are way, way
up,” said Young, adding that gun issues comprise about 80 percent
of his political decision-making. 

One gentlemn, who professed his love for Reason but declined
give his name because he is a lobbyist, said he was pretty sure he
would vote for Paul.  “I can’t freaking stand Gingrich. I
would fucking voting for Obama before I’d vote for Gingrich. He’s a
disgraced, failed politican,” he said.  

The lobbyist said the Second Amendment was not a factor in the
primary because so many states have liberalized gun laws. All
the
talk about Obama coming to take everyone’s guns away
 was a
non-issue. “I’ve seen no indication of anything in that direction,”
he said. 

Not everyone voting for Paul said they were voting because of
his economic policy. 

“I don’t think we need to be involved in everyone’s business,”
said Charles Fogg, a Vietnam Vet and gun collector.

“We got people here we could be spending money on. Like health
insurance. I believe that universal health care should be done in
the United States,” he said. 

Not exactly something you hear from your typical Paul
voter.Â