Then, this is a rather dubious and head scratching comment on Walt’s campaign page in response to an NRA questionnaire.
https://waltmaddox.com/walt-maddoxs-response-to-nra-questionnaire/
Wait, what? The majority restricting rights of the minority is antithetical to American values. It’s why we had the WHOLE civil rights movement.
He specifically says "
ensure the pursuit of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness by all."
"All" is the keyword there. Civil Rights wouldn't be a proper analogy as a specific group of individuals were being discriminated against. What's quoted seems to be a formulation of the actual process for amending the Constitution. Unfortunately, he's right about that. If the required number of people decide they want to repeal the 2nd Amendment they can do so. That's Constitutional whether we like it or not.
From what the link says, it indicates he believes that all Constitutional rights should be protected and that they are all equally important (or at least this suggestion is implicitly made). That's the best you are going to get from a candidate trying to thread the needle between potential liberal campaign supporters and they need to appeal to a broader base. No candidate is going to tell you what they actually believe. They just don't do it.
I can also tell you with 99.9% certainty that Maddox didn't personally write that answer, and he may not have even done anything more than speed read a draft of it. Staff always handles these surveys. You get a bucketful. AARP, NRA, NAACP, WWF, NFIB, etc. The surveys often contain unanswerable questions or traps to give the interest group something to complain about. It's easy to tell this is Maddox's first statewide campaign. Don't allow your staff to answer the surveys, Walt. It won't get you any votes. Decline to answer surveys. Say that you prefer to speak face to face to voters, and that due to the overwhelming amount of surveys you received it isn't possible to reply to all of them. Out of fairness, you are going to decline to respond to any more surveys in the future as you don't want to exclude any organization no matter their size or importance.
I've personally answered these surveys myself on a gubernatorial campaign. We only answered the ones we thought would endorse us. I think that's not the best policy, but some groups won't endorse unless you fill out their freaking 8 page survey. It is a poor use of campaign time and a major PITA.
No matter HOW you answer the questions your opponent or an interest group will use it to attack you.
Here's a strategy for you, Kory. Email Ivey's campaign and ask for their position on the NFA and the Hughes amendment. Don't tell them what you believe. Simply ask: As it pertains to the 2nd Amendment, what is Governor Ivey's position on the NFA and the Hughes amendment. They'll either ignore you, handle you (oh, that's a federal issue and we are focused on state level issues we can affect), or make you cry (by giving an incompetent word salad answer or saying Ivey supports the NFA/Hughes).
The Alabama legislature isn't going to send anti-gun legislation to the Governor's desk. So, Maddox's position on guns is irrelevant. Oh, you might say, what about pro-gun legislation. He wouldn't sign that! After years and years of the GOP having the courts, the legislature, and the Governor's mansion - - we've made only incremental progress on guns. If you believe that the legislature and Ivey, are going to suddenly pass and sign gun legislation that we want - - then you've been snookered by them. There will even be talk of the wonderful bill they will pass and Ivey will sign if we just re-elect them this one time. If that's not in the form of an ironclad written promise (or recorded verbal promise) with a guarantee to pass it using the BIR process then they're scamming you.
I hate to be so negative and jaded, but I know how this stuff works. I used to do it myself and lived in Montgomery.
Ivey has 4.2 million sitting around. Now that she's avoided a runoff, she's about to dump a significant portion of it on Maddox's head. If you believe what they're going to say that's your right. Just understand that they don't plan to tell the truth, they are going to play extremely dirty, and hundreds of millions of dollars are at stake. The Big Mules have a major investment in Ivey, and they are going to protect that. Actually, even more so than usual because their people are the staffers and aides surrounding Ivey and running the State Government. This is a very unique opportunity for them, so if a transvestite hooker needs to accuse Walt Maddox of having an affair then they'll get one to do it.
