Rep. Paul Ryan, the avid hunter who is Mitt Romney's running mate, is warning that President Obama in a second term will advocate for gun control, one of his passions before running for president in 2008.
"What I worry about as a hunter, as a person who believes in the Second Amendment, as a gun owner, is knowing that President Obama - in his earlier career, prior to his presidency - was an advocate for gun control. I worry about what his attitude will be once he never has to face voters again," Ryan, a Wisconsin bow hunter, told Outdoor Life.
"That to me is a concern just as a gun owner, that this is somebody who has a history of being hostile to the Second Amendment. He hasn't, for political reasons I believe, done much to go after the Second Amendment, but his history, his party, lead me to be concerned about what he would be like in a second term," he added.
Obama has largely avoided the gun issue in his first term, especially after his 2008 presidential campaign gaffe in which he said bitter, rural Americans "cling to guns or religion."
But the National Rifle Association and other gun groups are worried that once Obama doesn't face reelection, he will revert to gun control as a key issue.
In the interview with Outdoor Life, Ryan also addressed key issues as a new deer season begins: the design of camo, tree stands and arrow broadhead he prefers.
OL: Now to more important political matters: Realtree or Mossy Oak, which camo do you prefer?
PR: I use Advantage as probably most of my camo, so Advantage is Realtree, isn't it? You know the brand Advantage, it's a type of camo?
OL: Yeah, that's Realtree. What about ladder stand versus climber?
PR: I have ladder stands because I take my kids ... I have those River's Edge ladder stands, they're the two-seaters ... I have the River's Edge two-seaters for my kids, and then for myself I use lock-on stands. For my bowhunting, I just put screw-in steps with lock-ons.
OL: Fixed blade or mechanical?
PR: Fixed. I don't use mechanical. I've had some problems with mechanical.
