NJ NRA Questionnaire Ratings: Belgard Leaves It Blank?

By Matt Rooney | The Save Jersey Blog

belgardI’ve been asked by more than a few readers where this year’s New Jersey federal candidates stand on the critical Second Amendment question.

The NRA-PVA isn’t infallible (they endorsed Harry Reid in the past before “breaking up” in 2013) but the organization does important work; here are this year’s ratings for our Garden State races from its official questionnaire.

Four candidates received formal endorsements: Frank LoBiondo (R, NJ-02), Tom MacArthur (R, NJ-03), Scott Garrett (R-NJ-05), and Leonard Lance (R, NJ-07). Lance and Lobiondo were the only recipients of the “Solidly pro-gun” A rating (the NRA’s second-highest designation).

Guess which candidate in a major contest sat on her hands and refused to answer?

Aimee Belgard.

Apparently, every other Democrat answered (or has a voting record) other than her. Kind of disconcerting for a strongly Pro-2A district loaded with military families and sportsmen? You bet!

Give her some credit for consistency. As the Courier-Post noted in its Sunday endorsement of Tom MacArthur, Belgard’s campaign has boiled down to “talking about talking.” I described it as a “click and paste” campaign back in June. Her issues page doesn’t even mention the Second Amendment and she’s made very few 2A-related public comments.

Overall, four candidates received “AQ” ratings reserved for “a pro-gun candidate” based on his or questionnaire answers but one who lacks a voting record on Second Amendment issues: Jeff Bell (R-NJ), Garry Cobb (R, NJ-01), Tom MacArthur (R, NJ-03) and Alieta Eck (R, NJ-12).

Incumbent Rodney Frelinghuysen (R, NJ-11) got a B- for being a “generally pro-gun candidate” during his time in the House, and Chris Smith (R, NJ-04) earned the only C+ for a “mixed record” on gun legislation.

Every New Jersey Democrat, incumbent or challenger, received the F rating (reserved for a “[t]rue enemy of gun owners’ rights”) except, again, for Belgard who doesn’t have a record and didn’t bother to answer.

One Republican – Dierdre Paul (R, NJ-09) – received an F rating. Three Republican challengers in blue districts – Anthony Wilkinson (R, NJ-06), Jude-Anthony Toscornia (R, NJ-08) and Yolanda Dentley (R, NJ-10) also apparently failed to submit responses.

 

Matt Rooney
About Matt Rooney 8390 Articles
MATT ROONEY is SaveJersey.com's founder and editor-in-chief, a practicing New Jersey attorney, and the host of 'The Matt Rooney Show' on 1210 WPHT every Sunday evening from 7-10PM EST.

17 Comments

  1. Sadly the NRA does not ask third party candidate what their positions are. It simply disgusts me that no one speaks about the third party alternatives to the main party lines. If you don’t like the way things are in Washington why send another person with the letter D or R behind their names? Become an informed voter, learn about the candidate and vote who you believe represents you best into office. My vote is for Frederick John LaVergne!

  2. Do we need anymore proof Dr. Obamabot is a self-serving liberal who has no place being our candidate for anything?

  3. Uh OH where is Freddy on that list??? I mean we know she is a taco shy of a combo plate but Matt he has said that he HAS endorsements of everyone. Poor guy fat drunk and stupid is no way to go thru Life.

  4. @ Richard Douglass – Freddie has no clue what he would do if he got to Congress, and worse yet; couldn’t handle the criticism from those of opposing views. The proof? He blocks those people from making pertinent comments. Now, tell me what a “D-R” is and what does that person stand for? Or, is it someone that can’t make up his mind as to what set of guiding ideologies such a candidate would operate under. I mean, voters deserve to know this stuff. They can’t be expected to vote for a wishy washy person. I’ll tell you what, if I lived in that district, I wouldn’t be able to be an informed voter as far as Freddie is concerned. No one know what he stands for because he doesn’t have a campaign website or platform. All we see are the ramblings of a dilettante trolling on various Facebook pages

  5. Jim people like Richard have the right to their choices. Does not mean they are SMART. I am going to laugh so hard when Freddie gets slammed. He and his merry little band of supporters will slink away we hope

  6. I called the NRA and asked them why I never received a questionnaire – after all, I joined their organization as a Cub Scout in 1972. Tom can hit a golf ball 250 yards…I can hit a golf ball AT 250 yards.

    Their answer? We endorsed Tom because Democrats historically vote against us.

    By the way – TOM publicly endorsed Mayor Bloomberg’s position on the Second Amendment. Video exists.

    And, as to Granelli and the Threston quintuplets, you know nothing – all you do is troll. You’re just pissed off because I treated you the same way your dear leader treated me. I wouldn’t let you crap on my living room carpet, either.

    Where are the wheelchairs, Jim? Lisa Threston, aka Sadie Rosen, et al….is your husband a double-dipper? BY THE WAY – NEITHER of these MacBOTS even live in District Three. Neither ONE.

    Tom and Aimee got their asses handed to them in the debate, Friday, so naturally let’s talk about the NRA endorsement. Call THIS number and ask why no survey for independents…202-651-2568 WHen you get the answer, you’ll know the fix was in.

    After Friday night, one Lonegan backer told me – “Never had so much fun watching baby seals getting clubbed” – rude, but to the point.

    Another former candidate’s response was even better. “When you got through with them, one needed a stiff drink, and the other, a box of tissues and a hug. I wonder what Aimee had to drink?”

    Tommy – “playing outside” doesn’t make you an outdoorsman – and anyone with a real respect for the outdoors wouldn’t demand we drill in the Alaskan Wilderness.

    Go play with your train set. Back Home. IN Randolph.

  7. Yes – I AM “Shrimp Boat Captain” – it’s a running joke from the Famous Trenton Shrimp Boat and the role it has had in local Mercer Politics.

  8. I called the NRA and asked them why I never received a questionnaire – after all, I joined their organization as a Cub Scout in 1972. Tom can hit a golf ball 250 yards…I can hit a golf ball AT 250 yards.

    Their answer? We endorsed Tom because Democrats historically vote against us.

    By the way – TOM publicly endorsed Mayor Bloomberg’s position on the Second Amendment. Video exists.

    And, as to Granelli and the Threston quintuplets, you know nothing – all you do is troll. You’re just pissed off because I treated you the same way your dear leader treated me. I wouldn’t let you crap on my living room carpet, either.

    Where are the wheelchairs, Jim? Lisa Threston, aka Sadie Rosen, et al….is your husband a double-dipper? BY THE WAY – NEITHER of these MacBOTS even live in District Three. Neither ONE.

    Tom and Aimee got their asses handed to them in the debate, Friday, so naturally let’s talk about the NRA endorsement. Call THIS number and ask why no survey for independents…202-651-2568 WHen you get the answer, you’ll know the fix was in.

    After Friday night, one Lonegan backer told me – “Never had so much fun watching baby seals getting clubbed” – rude, but to the point.

    Another former candidate’s response was even better. “When you got through with them, one needed a stiff drink, and the other, a box of tissues and a hug. I wonder what Aimee had to drink?”

    Tommy – “playing outside” doesn’t make you an outdoorsman – and anyone with a real respect for the outdoors wouldn’t demand we drill in the Alaskan Wilderness.

    Go play with your train set. Back Home. IN Randolph.

  9. lol and Fred has the nerve to complain about other people having multiple names – I will be laughing and sharing when in two weeks time you will see what the voters really think of you. It will be Sweeeeet

  10. To repeat my comments on the Facebook page: I know NOTHING Freddie? That means you are an elitist and elitists are half of our problem.

    And WTF do wheelchairs have to do with your race their Freddie?

    Who are you talking about as Dear Leader Freddie?

    Got their asses (Belgard & Mac) handed to them in the debate? That’s not how the media portrayed it. That’s YOUR delusional opinion shared by about 3 other delusional people.

    Crap on your living room? That’s rich.

    I’ll tell you some things I do know Freddie.

    1) You don’t have a ghost of a chance of winning. 2) You have no campaign. 3) You pout and block people who disagree with you, like a little child. Hence, you are not qualified. 4) You have no platform. 5) You don’t know what you stand for with the DR crap. 6) You are delusional. 6) BECA– USE YOU STUPIDLY CALLED YOURSELF A DEMOCRAT REPUBLICAN, the NRA assumed you were a Democrat and obviously wouldn’t send you one. So much for the Independent canard above 7) You are “STUCK ON STUPID” because of # 7 8) Talk about trolls? Who goes from Facebook page to Facebook page and news article dumping BS because you couldn’t raise even enough money to fund a website which even I could do with $25 and Yola. 9) You are just throwing temper tantrums because people from out of your district have the cohones to expose your little game. You know Freddie? I DO applaud people who go out and run against adversity. Just not people like you in tin foil hats running their campaign from behind a computer screen.

  11. Just reading on the other board that Fred is shrimp boat captain with another alias?? Also Jim Granelli he keeps making these disgusting comments about Tom giving away wheelchairs to vets and families in need and he keeps calling him a liar for it. I agree with the people who have said what a pig he is and void of any compassion; how dare he make fun of what Tom and his Family have gone through. To me this is a person who does not care about anyone but himself. I too will be laughing when he loses and tries to blame everyone else for it

  12. If this is the kind of silly stuff we would see from a Congressman (shudder) Lavergne, then it is right that he should be thrashed verbally about his nonsense.

Comments are closed.