This is in line with what I've been thinking.

On the need of keeping in fresh blood and attracting more people to Gun Rights.

My generation is fascinated with guns, but completely ignorant of them. The tight-jeaned hipsters and smelly hippies think guns are cool and mysterious but don’t understand that “assault weapon” is a truly meaningless term. Many of us (myself included) were so young when the original “assault weapons ban” expired that it didn’t affect us, not even a little.

Yeah,  the first AWB "missed" me as well.  I was in university at the time and living in New York, so the expiration of it didn't really impact me.  Not until I moved.

It's also smart long term to avoid being pigeonholed with a specific party.  This is why I point to focusing on getting new shooters and teaching people about guns.  And keeping the other politics out.

And as Linoge writes:

Finally, if the Republicans could ever bother to get off their "ZOMGABORTION", "ZOMGDRUGS", and "ZOMGGAYS" kicks, they would probably sweep the polls wherever they competed… Just like the Democrats would probably sweep the polls if they ever got off their "ZOMGGUNSAREEVIL" kick. Bear that in mind. 

A'yup.  For example in Indiana, the Senate Race came down to a "ZOMGABORTION", "ZOMGDRUGS", and "ZOMGGAYS"  Republican versus a...  "ZOMGABORTION", "ZOMGDRUGS", and "ZOMGGAYS" Democrat.   For the latter that he was in good standing with the NRA was surely a boon.  

Hell the previous occupant was primaried in large part because he was a "ZOMGGUNSAREEVIL"  Republican (for reference Lugar voted for the Assault Weapons Ban in 94, and supported its reinstatement).

Guns are at least easy to have someone grok.   And it helps that most examples of gun control are either boneheaded (things that ban certain cosmetic features or guns made after a certain date), are out and out unequal and corrupt (letting the police/mayor pick and choose who can and cannot have a gun),  or easily shown to be false by data (Shall Issue will result in blood in the streets!).