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Dan Cooper Answers Questons About Canceled Orders
By Bill Schneider, 11-07-08
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If you’ve been following the Cooper Firearms story (202 comments so far), you might be wondering who was telling the truth. Did Cabela’s and Sportsman’s Warehouse cancel orders following the controversy, as I originally reported--or not, as the representatives of the mega-retailers claim.
Well, I finally tracked down Dan Cooper this morning, and we had a little chat--and the answer is: Everybody is telling the truth.
As normal procedure between large retailers and vendors, there is a steady flow of orders and reorders, sometimes standing orders canceled and replaced by updated, expanded orders for new models, increased quantities, etc. For example, in the book publishing business, where I spent most of my career, large accounts constantly did this. It was SOP. Now, after talking to Cooper, I see it also happens in the gun biz.
So the bottom line is: Cooper Firearms does indeed have canceled orders from Cabela’s and Sportsman Warehouse, but these cancellations had nothing to do with Dan Cooper’s public support for President-elect Barrack Obama.
That’s really what the representatives of the retailers were saying, too. They don’t stop doing business with a vendor because of political views expressed by one of its employees or owners.
There was some “bad timing,” as Cooper admits, which may have looked like orders had been canceled because of the controversy, but now he knows it was not related to the uproar. “We look forward to continuing our business relationship with Cabela’s and Sportsman’s Warehouse,” he said, “and as far as I know, they are planning on continuing to do business with us.”
He followed up our phone conversation with an email containing a more detailed statement, which follows in its entirety.
“Cabela’s and Sportsmen’s Warehouse have both expressed their desire to continue carrying the Cooper line. I personally believe this is in no small measure based on the response from your supporters. We acknowledge that our receipt of the cancellations was bad timing (for us) but we are also now convinced that neither (Cabela’s or Sportsman’s Warehouse) did do so in reaction to the USA Today article. We will continue to work with them and they will continue to carry our line and work with us. No one has put anyone out to dry, no one lied, and what you and your supporters have done is great thing and extremely helpful. Cooper Arms manufactures America’s most accurate factory rifles, made here in Montana. We are proud of what we do and where we do it. We ask that everyone support all of our dealers this Christmas season.”
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Comments
Mr. Cooper's judgment is suspect.
He is certainly free to say whatever he wants. And the other 300 million of us are free to respond. (Is this a great country or WHAT?!!)
HOWEVER... a person whose livelihood depends on the good will of other citizens should exercise discretion in sayin' what he's thinkin', if he's thinkin' something that might alienate a large percentage of his customer base. (Did he learn NOTHING from the Dixie Chicks?) So either Cooper was really DUMB to endorse a political candidate with a track record of being anti-gun, or it was a cold, calculating move, under the assumption that the resultant good will would outweigh the resultant ill will.
Cabela's and Sportsman's Warehouse will NOT order guns that are not being purchased, rest assured of that. So it will be interesting to see if Cooper's move pans out, and his supporters put his rifles under those Christmas trees.
Petty politics. Get over it and grow up. Were all Germans...
Five years later, Natalie Maines has nothing to be ashamed of, and most of her critics have crawled back into their holes.
Time tells us who the real heroes are in this world, and who the cowards are.
Would Maines be feeling ashamed today, if she'd just kept her opinion to herself, instead of telling those Londoners what she thought of her president? I don't think it's shameful to occasionally stay OFF the soapbox, for strategic reasons. Perhaps that's a cowardly attitude.
Music fans are a fickle bunch - their tastes change overnight. By contrast, "gun nuts" (and I might be considered part of that group) have long memories for perceptions, right or wrong, of their rights being threatened.
Time will tell if they'll forgive Cooper, or if new customers will fill the void.
Bewildered by bumper stickers?
Convinced by campaign slogans?
Had you ever considered simple reason and logic, waypasthadenough?
I always have preferred to make my own judgements as to whether a post is or is not a threat. (I can always report a threat to the authorities if I consider it serious.)
The Rangers--or one of them, at least--appear to have gotten softer as middle age approaches.
Censorship sucks..!
As for Dan Cooper, the fact remains, I see him as a turncoat. I mean, if Cooper had been shown to be financing David Duke, the same apologists here would be HOWLING for a boycott.
And I would probably join them there.
As for now, looks like Dan is still with the company. As long as he remains so, I'm not interested in a Cooper.
if you disagree with their arguments then just defeat their assertions instead of attacking them personally. it is much more effective in the long run. i get carried away myself at times and it never reflects good on me when i do. many gunowners feel strongly that the right to bear arms needs to be vigilantly protected.
i do also. but where i disagree with them is their assertion that obama threatens this right in any way. i personally feel that obama knows enough to stay away from this just like bush stayed away from his stated political goal of overturning roe vs wade to get the votes of right to lifers. there is just too much opposition to touch either of these issues and obama is smart enough to know that. everyone should just calm down and give cooper his right to choose who to support. dave- equating obama with david duke is just too ridiculous to even consider it seriously.
You see, Dave, power IS an aphrodisiac. No question about it. And these boys are horny for guns. By banding together with other losers, they feel empowered in lives that otherwise have little sense of empowerment. It's true, most people "lead lives of quiet desperation." Hence, if they find a good issue to cling to, they can finally feel like somebody. As their desperate little lives careen outta control, they can fondle their guns and feel some comfort. It grounds them in a simpler time, when things weren't so complicated, and wrongs could be righted with a couple'a well-placed shots. Well, them days are over, Dave. But hey, we all understand. We ALL feel that way sometimes. I, TOO, like to take out my guns and hold'em. Nuthin' wrong with that. But for God's sake a guys gotta know when to put'em away and get ON with life!
You see, the problem with belonging to ANY group is that it can become pathological as when group's concern becomes the sole focus of one's life to the detriment of the bigger picture. A prime example are the hate groups. Hate takes over their lives. What happens is the gun nuts, who should know better, forget the bigger picture. They start voting agains their OWN best interests. And that's where lots of single issue gun voters currently are. They would rather vote for candidates that would ruin the country and their futures out of a misplaced fear of gun control, than to vote for someone who will actually IMPROVE their lot in life.
That's why I can't stand with the gun nut crowd. They're just to unsophisticated to vote smart.
The same can be said of members of most mobs, zealots of all kinds, as well as rightwingreligiouscrazies. Badmouthing serves little purpose, as you say; but preparing descriptive sobriquets for such folks is undeniably satisfying...
There are kooks on both ends....and I would especially expect you to recognize that. After all, weren't you in some kind of "environmental militia" or some such a few years back?
And Jedster, how would you describe someone who feels the entire Bill of Rights, ALL our civil liberties, need to be vigilantly protected? I hope not "crazy."
I am a gun owner who is more likely to buy a Cooper should Dan stay on because he is a real american who is willing to exercise his right to vote and his right to free speech right along with his right to keep an bear arms.
I would suggest that the reporter interrogate his source(s) for this story a bit more, and also learn a lesson for the future.