But the president’s high-profile stand on gun control sparks fear. Gun rights groups say that firearm owners are rallying against the president’s agenda: “It helps everything, fundraising, recruiting, getting people active, I’m really shocked that he [Obama] would do this in an election year,” said Erich Pratt, the executive director of Gun Owners of America, a gun-rights organization that advertises itself as “the only no-compromise gun lobby in Washington,” a quote the group attributes to libertarian icon Ron Paul.

It’s not just the president feeding that fear. After Obama’s executive actions debuted this week, Republican presidential contenders leapt to denounce them with angry rhetoric, casting the gun control push as proof of an overbearing White House intent on destroying individual liberty. “OBAMA WANTS YOUR GUNS,” the Ted Cruz campaign proclaimed against the backdrop of an image of an ominous-looking Obama decked out in military-style attire. The homepage of Gun Owners of America broadcast the message: “Obama Declares War on Gun Owners.” The NRA suggested that Obama was attempting to trample on the Second Amendment rights of American citizens, calling the executive actions “ripe for abuse.”

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