I’m hardpressed to think of a reason why anyone who is the least bit intellectually honest would support New York Governor Andrew Cuomo’s actions against the NRA.

It’s not that I necessarily think that people who are intellectually honest are inherently pro-Second Amendment. Some are, some aren’t.

No, the reason I find myself hardpressed is that Cuomo’s actions are more akin to an extortionist threatening someone’s business unless they pay up than an American governor discussing policy.

I’m not the only one who sees this, either. Not only have many of our readers noticed the similarities, but it’s also in the pages of the New York Post.

What had really set Cuomo off was Republican opposition to his gun-control measures. He was infuriated that, after Sandy Hook, some objected to tightening already-strict New York gun laws.

Fair enough, one might say. The governor of New York is entitled to have a view on guns, to differ with the NRA and to join robustly in the debate over what to do about gun violence.

In April of this year, though, state regulators told insurers and banks they oversee to look at their relationships with gun rights groups. They warned of “reputational risks” in their “dealings” with the NRA.

“Nice little business you have here,” the state seemed to be saying to banks and insurers. “It’d be a shame if something happened to it.” The state has left little doubt that it was loaded for bear.

Sounds familiar, right?

The truth is, Cuomo’s administration there in New York is warning businesses not just to insure Carry Guard members, but also to avoid doing business at all with the National Rifle Association. This is one of the most overt acts in the war to stigmatize and “other” the gun owners of America, one that may have deeper repercussions.

The pathetic thing is that Cuomo’s not even trying to hide the political motivation involved here. He claims that Carry Guard insures “intentional wrongdoing,” which is a load of crap, but if that’s where it stopped, that would be fine. A point of contention, sure, but one where debate could be had.

Instead, Cuomo has declared open war on the NRA and isn’t being shy about trying to dictate politics to an industry.

What’s particularly shocking is that state regulators have failed to confine themselves to financial matters. New York’s financial regulators are lecturing financial institutions on politics.

“Passionate, courageous and articulate young people,” the state Department of Financial Services wrote to insurers after Parkland, “can no longer be ignored.”

What’s next — David Hogg for state superintendent of financial services?

No wonder the NRA is arguing that it’s being subjected to viewpoint discrimination. And no wonder Cuomo & Co. want the NRA’s lawsuit to be dismissed without being heard.

The truth of the matter is, these objective facts make it clear that New York and Governor Cuomo aren’t going to be happy with anything short of destroying the National Rifle Association and they are using their power to do so.

Frankly, anyone on the left who is the least bit intellectually honest should be terrified of what happens if Cuomo is permitted to get away with this. After all, once the gloves are off on something like this, only a fool would believe that the NRA would be the first and last target of this kind of thing.

Today, it’s Cuomo going after the NRA and trying to make it impossible for them to do business.

Tomorrow, it could be something else entirely, and there’s no guarantee it’ll be a pro-gun group by any means.