A smart piece in U.S. News by Andrew J. Rotherham, co-founder of the think tank Education Sector, explains why it would be wise for Obama to make inroads with the "hook and bullet" voters -- also known as "Cabela's voters."

For years, the sportsman's vote was assumed to be mostly impenetrable for Democrats because of cultural issues and the volatility of the gun issue. Yet the political terrain has shifted during the last eight years, putting the "Cabela's vote" more in play. [snip]

Today's hunters and anglers face problems that have little to do with gun control and a lot to do with clean air and water, access to land to hunt and fish, and challenges like global warming. These issues can help reshape traditional political alignments.

With swing states like Virginia, Colorado, Ohio and Pennsylvania playing leading roles in this election, Rotherham writes, the massive force of Cabela's shoppers is one Obama cannot afford to write off.

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