http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com...show-paradise/

LADSON, S.C. (AP) — White House hopeful Fred Thompson called his trip down aisle of rifles, shotguns and pistols at a gun show "a day in paradise," and said he wished he could come back to spend more time and money.

It was the former Tennessee senator and "Law and Order" actor's second trip to a gun show since launching his late bid for the GOP nomination in September.

He reached out and picked up an old M-1 Garand rifle and raised an over-and-under Winchester shotgun suitable for the skeet shooting he's been known to do as he made his way through the 200 vendors at The Land of the Sky Gun Show at a fairgrounds just outside of North Charleston, S.C.

"It's a beautiful day in paradise," Thompson said when greeted by one of the people packing the show's aisles.

Thompson was a hit with James Hill, 65, from Summerville. "It's absolutely important to come to gun shows," Hill said. Thompson, he said, wins his support because he's strong on Second Amendment gun ownership rights. "He's right where our strength is."

Anthony DiPaolo, 22, said he wasn't ready to settle on a presidential candidate yet, but said he'd narrowed his field to three Republicans — Thompson, former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney. "I like Fred Thompson's stance on firearms," he said. "I don't want to see anymore assaults on my Second Amendment rights."

But DiPaolo added that he also liked Giuliani's handling of the terrorist attacks in New York and Romney's "business plan." And, he has doubts about Thompson's ability to win the nomination.

"I just think he got in too late," DiPaolo said.

While mingling with the crowd, someone else mentioned the late entry and Thompson responded that he got in at just the right time.