Governor hopefuls boost gun rights

In a bit of good news for Buckeye State gun owners, Democratic candidate for Governor Ted Strickland has come out in favor of gun rights legislation. Hat tip to the Buckeye Firearms Association.

In a March 15 interview in The Other Paper:

Q: The Ohio House has passed a bill that would nullify the assault-weapons ban approved by Columbus City Council last year. Would you sign it?

A:Yes, I would sign that because I believe that there is a constitutional issue here. I believe that law-abiding people have a right that is granted to them under the constitution.

And on a more practical level, I believe uniformity in a state’s laws regulating the ownership and use of firearms is much desirable over a patchwork of laws that could occur throughout a state as big and as diverse as Ohio.

And in a Toledo Blade interview, Strickland acknowledged a weak gun rights message hurt Sen. John Kerry in his 2004 Presidential run:

Q: Democrats often ask you about your support of gun rights. Is the party wrong on gun control?

A: I don’t know that the Democratic Party has a particular position on gun control. If it is different than mine, I would say I disagree with them.

Q: Do you think John Kerry lost Ohio in 2004 because of the gun issue?

A: I think that was one of the major factors, yes.… I don’t think he had a consistent message. I think he had a ‘theme of the week.’ I also think John Kerry didn’t know how to fight back.

It looks like a win-win situation for Buckeye gun owners. With Strickland and Republican gubernatorial candidate Ken Blackwell on record as being strongly in favor of gun rights, there's a real chance for improvement in Ohio's Second Amendment picture. Attorney General Jim Petro's gun rights position has been somewhat foggy: he has applied the concealed carry statute as written, but has not been a vocal proponent.

Either Strickland or Blackwell, and Petro, for that matter, would be an improvement over the current governor, Republican scum-weasel Bob Taft.