It’s no surprise the top vote getters this year were celebrity board members. The surprising thing to me is that Ollie North took the top spot and not Ted Nugent. I’m not reflexively opposed to celebrity Board Members, provided they are bringing something to the table, but I am of the opinion that the NRA Board has too many celebrities who aren’t brining anything, and who actively push contributing members off the Board. Often times losing Board members have skills the association needs. Joel Friedman comes to mind as a Board member who has been struggling to win another three year term.
This is not to say that none of the celebrities contribute. Susan Howard, of 1980s TV “Dallas” fame shows up and chairs a committee. R. Lee Ermey has been to every Board meeting I’ve attended, and has long been a competitor in NRA programs. Ollie North also shows up and participates on the Board. But how many people even know Karl Malone is associated with NRA? I’m not sure he’s even been sworn in.
These are some things to consider when it comes to well known names on your ballot. We’ll never endorse celebrities, mostly because they generally don’t need any help, but we’re happy to have the well known on the NRA Board of they participate.
“we’re happy to have the well known on the NRA Board of they participate.”
Information such as you have provided above would be useful to voters. I confess to being too reflexively dismissive of celebrities, especially when their name recognition has not come directly from the struggle for gun rights. Of course, I would like to know, if possible, what “participation on the board” consisted of. If it was in the process of urging the organization in directions I don’t agree with, I’d like to know that too.
“The surprising thing to me is that Ollie North took the top spot and not Ted Nugent.”
I think North has had a lot more and better self-promotional outlets with Fox, et al, than Nugent. I suspect there are a lot of youngsters today who don’t remember how he came into the public eye, in the first place.
I can’t help wondering if any of our kids, or kids of our allies, will ever wind up facing weapons he helped sell to Iran, and where his celebrity status would stand today if the ACLU hadn’t helped to get his convictions vacated.
If I may make a humble remark on behalf of those who put on a firearm every day in protection of this country… somehow you have missed the movement NRA Life of Duty, sponsored by Pete Brownell and headlined by Ollie North. It’s not an exaggeration to say that Ollie has done more to bring in servicemembers than any other current “celebrity” on the board(thanks to the Brownell’s sponsorship and other sponsors too). Please check out the deep work Ollie has done before you lump him in with other celebrities. NRAlifeofduty.tv He has stood in the line of fire, he knows what it is like to wear a gun every day for your job.
Olie North who sent guns to the enemy just like Eric Holder sent guns to the drug cartels says nice things about soldiers and suddenly he is the darling of soldiers everywhere. How soon before Holder is the patron saint of American war fighters too?
The closest I ever came to voting for a celebrity was Willie Robertson of Duck Dynasty. However, in spite of the beard and hair and TV show, he is also the CEO of a growing company and would bring that to the board.
I did not vote for him, but when I heard from folks some of the stuff he has really done for the issue, I came to regret that decision. If he runs again, I’m going to loudly endorse him as the kind of celebrity worth a seat.
He was on the ballot for the 76th Director. Who won that vote?
You need to speak with Kelly Grayson – A Day in the Life of an Ambulance Driver – about the Robertsons. He’s from SW Louisiana and knows them personally. He has good things to say about them.
Joel Friedman (again) won a one-year term as the 76th Director.
I assumed Joel Friedman would win when I saw someone bring a flyer in for him at the member meeting. (tsk, tsk for campaign materials in front of the voting booth) But, that was confirmed when I saw Joel at the Board meeting and not any of the others during the roll call.
Thanks for the info. This must the one case in which the non-celebrity actually did better.
I do hope that Willie Robertson will be renominated again next year.
I’m from the Monroe-West Monroe area, where Duck Dynasty is filmed. In a previous career, I trained a retriever for Phil Robertson, back when only locals and Louisiana duck hunters had heard of Duck Commander.
I’ve never met the rest of the bunch, but I know that Phil Robertson is a stand-up guy. I’d bet that his sons are, as well.
Personally, I would like to see Ted Nugent as the next Secretary of State. That should shake things up a bit.
That said, I think the NRA would benefit with more reps like Sandy Froman, and fewer celebs.
When I fill out my ballot, I look for diversity that can appeal to our broad base, and actually work to represent us in a favorable national light.
Like any election, it is not a crime to vote for less candidates than you are allowed. I try to stay up on local, regional, and national issues, but most of my ballots contain a few “did not votes”.
To paraphrase: It’s better to submit a 75% complete ballot, and be considered a slacker, than to mindlessly turn ia a 100% ballot and be proven an idiot.
I always check to see who Col. Brown of Soldier of Fortune is backing then see who else I like. If someone is going to be on the Board they need to contribute their time and energy.
“Like any election, it is not a crime to vote for less candidates than you are allowed.”
Not only isn’t it a crime, it actually is smart voting in a multi-candidate field. If there are candidates you really want, casting votes for candidates you don’t really care for dilutes the vote, and you may be giving votes to candidates who will defeat someone you really support.