# I am 100% certain that the NRA is trolling by making Oliver North their President **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [May 7, 2018, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-100-certain-that-the-nra-is-trolling-by-making-oliver-north-their-president/813779 "2018-05-07T19:27:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2018, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-100-certain-that-the-nra-is-trolling-by-making-oliver-north-their-president/813779/21 "2018-05-07T20:51:31Z")
Picking a celebrity at all makes no sense. It tells me that the presidential job is just ceremonial and they don’t actually do anything. One celebrity might be a coincidence. But picking another one just proves it. You want to use a celeb’s power? Make them your spokesperson. You don’t make them your president. That person is supposed to actually have a job to do. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2018, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-100-certain-that-the-nra-is-trolling-by-making-oliver-north-their-president/813779/22 "2018-05-07T20:55:09Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > If they’re just looking for somebody famous, why not chose an actor, athlete, or singer who doesn’t have a criminal past? Perhaps because nobody reputable would be willing to have anything to do with the NRA, especially these days as they sink even further into the depths of extremism and lunacy. In that vein, I can’t say whether the NRA is “trolling” or intentionally being obnoxious, but it’s certainly a good fit: a reprehensible scumbag for a reprehensible organization. ---
**Author:** ![Buck\_Godot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/buck_godot/32/6573_2.png) [@Buck\_Godot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buck_Godot)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2018, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-100-certain-that-the-nra-is-trolling-by-making-oliver-north-their-president/813779/23 "2018-05-07T20:55:14Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > As I said in another thread, I feel it would have made more sense to go with a celebrity who doesn’t have North’s baggage. Pick somebody like Kurt Russell or Tom Selleck or Nolan Ryan. What you see as baggage, they see as credentials. The Right is going all in on the culture war card. They don’t actually care what effect any action they take actually has, all that matters is that it pisses off the Liberals, and that is something that few people do as well as Ollie. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2018, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-100-certain-that-the-nra-is-trolling-by-making-oliver-north-their-president/813779/24 "2018-05-07T20:56:15Z")
> [@Algher](#): > > Lets see - well known name, popular on TV as a commentator, successful author, military veteran, and his convictions were all vacated. His time in the spotlight during he hearings made him a hero to many, and those that hate him probably don’t like the right to keep an bear arms anyway - so no great loss there. All of that describes reasons to make him a spokesperson, not a president. ---
**Author:** ![DavidwithanR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3bc359/32.png) [@DavidwithanR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidwithanR)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2018, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-100-certain-that-the-nra-is-trolling-by-making-oliver-north-their-president/813779/25 "2018-05-07T20:57:00Z")
Jacquernagy, you’re wrong. The key is representation. Choosing a lying self-absorbed asshole to represent a group whose membership is 100% lying self-absorbed assholes is eminently suitable and correct. ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2018, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-100-certain-that-the-nra-is-trolling-by-making-oliver-north-their-president/813779/26 "2018-05-07T21:02:13Z")
> [@Jacquernagy](#): > > [Oliver North to become President of the National Rifle Association.](https://www.sfgate.com/news/education/article/Oliver-North-set-to-become-the-next-NRA-president-12894301.php) > > There is absolutely no way in hell that this is not a deliberate troll job to generate annoyance/outrage on the left. > > … Ollie North has all the honor necessary to be the president of an organization that has Nugent as a board member. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Borgia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/larry_borgia/32/156_2.png) [@Larry\_Borgia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Borgia)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2018, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-100-certain-that-the-nra-is-trolling-by-making-oliver-north-their-president/813779/27 "2018-05-07T21:06:25Z")
What, was George Zimmerman unavailable? ---
**Author:** ![Algher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Algher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Algher)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2018, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-100-certain-that-the-nra-is-trolling-by-making-oliver-north-their-president/813779/28 "2018-05-07T21:12:38Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > All of that describes reasons to make him a spokesperson, not a president. The President of the NRA is a spokesperson and fundraiser, two things North is pretty good at. ---
**Author:** ![Icarus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icarus/32/72_2.png) [@Icarus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icarus)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2018, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-100-certain-that-the-nra-is-trolling-by-making-oliver-north-their-president/813779/29 "2018-05-07T21:14:32Z")
The NRA has chosen as a strategy to be divisive, rather than pluralistic and inclusive. I see the choice of Ollie North to be consistent with that strategy. The OP may consider this to be “trolling”, but that is a rather simplistic assessment. ISTM that the role of President in the NRA is primarily as a public face and spokesperson. The administrative running of the organization is probably not the primary focus of the office, other people handle that. ---
**Author:** ![DavidwithanR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3bc359/32.png) [@DavidwithanR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidwithanR)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2018, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-100-certain-that-the-nra-is-trolling-by-making-oliver-north-their-president/813779/30 "2018-05-07T21:23:56Z")
> [@Larry\_Borgia](#): > > What, was George Zimmerman unavailable? Zimmerman doesn’t activate the same circuits. Zimmerman gives NRA members cause to cheer, but North gives them cause for secret boners. He’s aspirational: they’re a group of entitlement-hungry self-absorbed assholes; he’s one of the ones who managed to make a whole career - and book deals and speaking tours - out of being an entitlement-hungry self-absorbed asshole. How to do what you love and get paid for it. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Borgia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/larry_borgia/32/156_2.png) [@Larry\_Borgia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Borgia)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2018, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-100-certain-that-the-nra-is-trolling-by-making-oliver-north-their-president/813779/31 "2018-05-07T21:25:56Z")
> [@DavidwithanR](#): > > Zimmerman doesn’t activate the same circuits. > > Zimmerman gives NRA members cause to cheer, but North gives them cause for secret boners. He’s aspirational: they’re a group of entitlement-hungry self-absorbed assholes; he’s one of the ones who managed to make a whole career - and book deals and speaking tours - out of being an entitlement-hungry self-absorbed asshole. How to do what you love and get paid for it. I… I wasn’t being serious. ---
**Author:** ![D\_Anconia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@D\_Anconia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Anconia)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2018, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-100-certain-that-the-nra-is-trolling-by-making-oliver-north-their-president/813779/32 "2018-05-07T21:27:15Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > All of that describes reasons to make him a spokesperson, not a president. I’m sure the NRA will take your thoughts about their organizational structure under advisement. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2018, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-100-certain-that-the-nra-is-trolling-by-making-oliver-north-their-president/813779/33 "2018-05-07T21:28:39Z")
> [@Icarus](#): > > ISTM that the role of President in the NRA is primarily as a public face and spokesperson. This seems likely; Charlton Heston held the post from 1998 until 2003. ---
**Author:** ![Knowed\_Out](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/knowed_out/32/7380_2.png) [@Knowed\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knowed_Out)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2018, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-100-certain-that-the-nra-is-trolling-by-making-oliver-north-their-president/813779/34 "2018-05-07T21:37:54Z")
> [@Bayard](#): > > Thought for sure this was going to be Ted Nugent’s year. Maybe next time, Nuge! He already heads the National Composite Bow Association. ---
**Author:** ![DavidwithanR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3bc359/32.png) [@DavidwithanR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidwithanR)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2018, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-100-certain-that-the-nra-is-trolling-by-making-oliver-north-their-president/813779/35 "2018-05-07T21:38:41Z")
> [@Larry\_Borgia](#): > > I… I wasn’t being serious. I wasn’t serious at all about Zimmerman, though he was convenient at that moment because you mentioned him. Most Americans have somehow been brainwashed into taking for granted that the NRA belongs in their country. I think NRA members belong in the same basket as “Ethical Child Pornographers Of America” and “National Insider-Traders Protection Committee”. ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2018, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-100-certain-that-the-nra-is-trolling-by-making-oliver-north-their-president/813779/36 "2018-05-07T21:40:22Z")
> [@begbert2](#): > > I for one don’t know much of anything about this Oliver North person, but I would say that you can’t use horribleness as a justification for believing that the NRA wouldn’t honestly believe that a person represented them. I don’t believe that _satan himself_ would be too awful a person for the NRA to say “Hey, that guy looks like he’ll represent our interests! We like him!” North facilitated the sale of weapons to post-revolutionary Iran (the regime which held hostages from the American Embassy five years earlier) in order to supply funds to the Contras in blatant violation of the Boland Amendment. His convictions were overturned only on the basis that his prior congressional testimony may have influenced witnesses. He’s a criminal, a sociopath, and a general asshole of whom even his compatriots can’t trust. So, really, I guess he’s a perfect choice to lead the NRA. Stranger ---
**Author:** ![Try2B\_Comprehensive](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/try2b_comprehensive/32/65_2.png) [@Try2B\_Comprehensive](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Try2B_Comprehensive)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2018, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-100-certain-that-the-nra-is-trolling-by-making-oliver-north-their-president/813779/37 "2018-05-07T21:48:53Z")
He thinks the 2nd Amendment should apply to _Iran_. That’s hardcore, man. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2018, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-100-certain-that-the-nra-is-trolling-by-making-oliver-north-their-president/813779/38 "2018-05-07T21:51:07Z")
> [@Bayard](#): > > Thought for sure this was going to be Ted Nugent’s year. Maybe next time, Nuge! Ted’s too young and is merely crazy. Maybe in a few years he will develop the balance of crazy and senile the NRA seeks. ---
**Author:** ![Bone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bone/32/407_2.png) [@Bone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bone)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2018, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-100-certain-that-the-nra-is-trolling-by-making-oliver-north-their-president/813779/39 "2018-05-07T21:56:50Z")
This is more of a rant than a debate. Moving from GD to The Pit. [/moderating] ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2018, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-100-certain-that-the-nra-is-trolling-by-making-oliver-north-their-president/813779/40 "2018-05-07T22:10:31Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > Perhaps because nobody reputable would be willing to have anything to do with the NRA, especially these days as they sink even further into the depths of extremism and lunacy. Nolan Ryan and Tom Selleck are both NRA board members. They’re both better known than North and have much less negative reputations. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-100-certain-that-the-nra-is-trolling-by-making-oliver-north-their-president/813779.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-100-certain-that-the-nra-is-trolling-by-making-oliver-north-their-president/813779.md?page=3)