Sierra Club Drills Palin/McCain Politics, NRA Fires On Obama: Who Do The Outdoor Enthusiasts and Sportsmen Trust To Lead??

John McCain or Barack Obama.  Biden or Palin?  Which of our Presidential candidates represents the best possibility for a clear-cut future to our Outdoor heritage?  Which candidate will fight for our outdoor rights, fight global warming, get our nation away from foreign oil, and represent the “new” direction that each party is spewing towards a different government?

I thought it might be a good time to check in on two of the leading outdoor and conservation organizations in America.  The National Rifle Association (NRA) and The Sierra Club are both big advocates of legislation geared towards each of their agendas.  They are both very similar in some ways, while vaguely differing in others.

The NRA prides itself on second amendment rights-for those of you that don’t know, that’s the right to bear arms.  It is a highly controversial stance, but one the NRA takes pride in protecting.  This year, the NRA has promoted gun rights in Washington D.C., which recently helped to overturn the complete gun ban in our nations capital.  They have also promoted opening up our National Parks to less stringent gun laws-making it legal for citizens to carry guns in our National Parks, with a valid permit.  The NRA also promotes conservation, and views hunting as a way of stabilizing wildlife populations.

The Sierra Club believes in protecting our natural resources, finding ways to improve upon the enjoyment and protection of our environment, and also in providing a sustained effort to fight for America’s endangered species.  They believe in non-destructive outdoor recreation.  They are currently against initiatives to allow oil drilling in our National Parks and coastal areas, banning guns in our National Parks, and look down upon hunting as a means to sustain and enhance certain wildlife species.

These two organizations both believe in certain conservation measures, yet, they also have a very different outlook on what they do.  They both encourage the outdoors enthusiast or sportsman to take action by getting involved in the voting process.  Each organization has a vast network of chapters, represented in all 50 states, that are easily accessed for those willing, and they both look for volunteer efforts by their memberships.  The NRA is definitely bigger and more represented, but The Sierra Club carries the same type of government persuasion and backing.

Now that we have each of their agendas down, let’s take a look at some recent headlines from each organization.  The following headlines and links come directly from recent news releases from the National Rifle Asociation:

• Alaska Voters Shoot Down Predator Control Initiative–8/27/08
• 76% of Sportsmen Say They Prefer To Elect A President Who Hunts or Fishes–8/22/08
• State To Vote On Plan To Scale Back Cougar Hunting –8/13/08

To top things off, here’s three headlines recently published by The Sierra Club:

• The Palin Doctrine–9/03/08
• Hurricanes: Three Years Later-Five Truths–9/02/08
• Denver 2008:  “America We Can Not Turn Back.  Not With So Much Work To Be Done”–8/29/08

If we take a look at these recent headlines, by both organizations, we can quickly come up with each organization’s prospective Presidential candidate.  The Sierra Club’s stance is a bit more than suggestive.  With Sarah Palin taking the nomination to be Sen. John McCain’s vice-presidential running mate on Sept. 3, 2008, The Sierra club quickly had an anti-Palin message as it’s leader.  This message, “The Palin Doctrine” seems to try to align Mrs. Palin’s political stance with that of Barack Obama, while also suggesting that Palin is for some of the very issues that John McCain has fought against Obama’s camp about, namely, oil and oil drilling.  The Sierra Club is against John McCain and Sarah Palin.

The NRA’s headlines are a bit more obtuse and less suggestive, but if we look at he bigger picture, we can quickly se their side, as well.  Take their second headline:  76% Of Sportsmen Say They Prefer To Elect A President Who Hunts Or Fishes.

It is a well-known fact that Sarah Palin is an avid sportswoman.  She hunts and fishes, and her parents own a sporting lodge.  Her husband is a world champion snowmobiler—three times.  She frequently goes on hunts or charter fishing trips and is a huge second amendment backer, as is war hero John McCain.  The National Rifle Association is against Barack Obama and Joe Biden.  Don’t believe me?  Check out this headline from the NRA:  On The Second Amendment, Don’t Believe Obama!.  Enough said.

Here’s my dilemma:

I support BOTH of these organizations.  I am all for gun rights, protecting the environment, conservation, and protecting our wildlife heritage.  I believe that, if used responsibly, hunting and fishing can benefit the environment and even promote growth of certain species populations.  I am undecided on the oil drilling issue.  If it were proven that there could be an added benefit, that wouldn’t take 10 years to produce–I would be all in.  That’s not the case, though, and in fact, many suggest that the oil drilled in our National Parks would equal less than 3% of our country’s needs.  If that is the case, than I have to ask…why bother??  The money could be used in a better fashion..say solar and wind power initiatives or even clean coal technology.

Much of the 2008 Presidential race is shaping up to be based on these exact issues.  Barack Obama is against gun rights.  McCain is for.  Obama is against Drilling in our National Parks, McCain is for.  The confusion over some of these issues has many people focusing on both candidates and doing their own research.  Sarah Palin is an avid sportswoman—so is over 40 million Americans.

People who play in the outdoors are more likely to vote for outdoor initiatives, yet, Palin is also for drilling in our National Parks.  Barack Obama’s gun rights record speaks for itself-he is definitely an ‘anti’, yet believes that global warming is one of our biggest issues.  John McCain actually agrees on this issue.

I think from an outdoors and sportsman standpoint, that John McCain and Sarah Palin represent the most likable duo.  Their records and persona leave little in question other than the fact on oil drilling.  Digging deeper in to the Republican basis for outdoor initiatives, George W. Bush, whom many say that John McCain’s policies will follow, has done little to promote the outdoors.  He has established a couple more areas of protected land, yet, he is currently trying to change the Endangered Species Act.  One, that I might add, that could result in dire consequences for species such as the wolf and Florida Panther.

So Who Is My Candidate Of Choice?

From gun rights to global warming, John McCain and Sarah Palin, hit all the right issues.  Oil drilling may be a long shot solution to a growing problem, but if they stay on track, can provide the other areas with results, I might be able to deal with one inconsistency in my personal beliefs.  Sarah Palin is also from Alaska, where the oil drilling in our nation’s parks has become the battleground.  Being an outdoors enthusiast, it would be very hard for me to believe that she would do anything to harm this land that she covets.  For the outdoors enthusiasts and sportsmen, McCain and Palin’s track records are undeniably hard to find fault with.  I think I have my choice for President in 2008, how about you?

sources:  NRA, The Sierra Club  Photos: courtesy of Moose’s Wild America

All Logos represented do not suggest the backing by that organization, nor are they implied.  Each logo is copyrighted by their respective owners:  The National Rifle Association, The Sierra Club.