NRA's political influence dwindling ahead of the election

[IronLionZion]

https://www.axios.com/nra-spending-election-216cafe9-ccbe-4160-863c-7160b812dfed.html

The National Rifle Association has spent $9.2 million on political expenditures this cycle, about one-sixth of the $54.4 million reported in 2016, according to Federal Election Commission data tracked by Open Secrets.

Why it matters: While the group has vowed to support President Trump's re-election, mounting fees from fights with regulators, internal infighting and the pandemic have devastated its finances — and could mute its future influence.

By the numbers: The NRA has spent less than one-fifth on TV ads this year compared to what it spent in 2016, according to data from Advertising Analytics.

So far this year, it's spent $4.7 million on TV ads compared with $27.34 million through the end of 2016.
It's spent about $3.7 million for online ads this cycle, mostly Facebook and some Google ads, per Advertising Analytics. The group doesn't track digital advertising dating back to 2016.
NRA spokesperson Amy Hunter told Axios that given that it's still September, it "wouldn't be fair to compare where we are now with our spending with what we spent total in 2016."

To her point, about 56% of the NRA's television ad spend last cycle occurred in October. But according to Advertising Analytics, the group hasn't booked any ads yet for October or November.
And it still spent more than $10 million through September 2016. It's spent less than half of that so far through mid-September 2020.

Remember when Obama came to get your guns? Me neither. So that nonsense might be less effective this time when they claim BLM/Antifa/immigrants/Muslims/etc. are coming to kill you.

[Chainfire]

1. Maybe we should give Wayne a medal!

for ripping off their membership and partying the money away.

[OAITW r.2.0]

2. Have to wonder how their fundraising is going these days...

not sure who would want to send their money to a group that funnels their contributions into their executives' pockets.

[napi21]

5. You might be surprised. MOST NRA members are fanatic 2nd Amendment supporters. They're

every bit as nuts as the extreme RWers. They'll still donate to the NRA to keep the organization alive 'cause they believe that org. is protecting the 2nd amendment.

[Indykatie]

3. We May Yet Learn Where the NRA Got $50M + to Spend on Trump's Campaign in 2016

It certainly wasn't from their $50 annual membership dues.

[llmart]

4. I think we already know the answer to that.

Putin probably.

[IronLionZion]

8. They got it from Russia. It's public information.

https://www.finance.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/The%20NRA%20%20Russia%20-%20How%20a%20Tax-Exempt%20Organization%20Became%20a%20Foreign%20Asset.pdf

[llmart]

6. Let me go look to see if I can find that tiny violin to play for them.

First it was Bill Clinton coming to get your guns. Then Al Gore. Then Hillary. Then Obama.

These people are too stupid to realize they've been had.

[LakeArenal]

7. Time to send out free stickers for the infants.