More attempted turd-polishing from gun controllers

[friendly_iconoclast]

Also posted at GCRA, but reposted here for some non-"amen chorus" discussion:

http://www.newrepublic.com/article/120236/2014-midterms-boosted-gun-control-and-hurt-nra

Republicans Won the Midterms. The NRA Did Not.

For example, note what's buried amidst the happytalk glurge in this paragraph:

And it wasn’t just the governors. Remember the successful recall in September 2013 of two Colorado state senators who had voted for the comprehensive gun-law reforms in that state? That victory for gun-rights supporters was taken as yet further proof that the gun control movement was incapable of protecting its allies, and was doomed to failure. I argued at the time that this reading overlooked the flukish nature of the recall—a special vote two months before election day in which Coloradans would not be able to vote by mail, as many are accustomed to doing, just the sort of low-turnout contest that favored the highly motivated minority of gun-rights activists in the state. And look at what happened last week: even in a big Republican year, when Republicans won the majority of the Colorado state senate, the Democrats won back both of those recalled seats with candidates who favor sensible gun laws—including one candidate who used to be employed by Bloomberg's previous group, Mayors Against Illegal Guns. With the election back on conventional terms, with the moderately good turnout of a regular midterm election, the ardent gun-rights minority in those districts was swamped by the broader mass of voters.

"Yeah, we got...back to where we started in two districts and lost overall-but it's a VICTORY!"

Yeesh...

[kioa]

1. I do agree with the part of the premise of the article...

After all, the author is linking the electoral consequences of 2014 to gun control.

I'm confident that most people, including the Party, will do exactly the same while coming to a much different & more realistic conclusion.

In any case, the "gun control doesn't lose, just look at all these losses!" thesis is an interesting tact.

[DonP]

2. Gun control was a big winner, haven't you heard?

I know because Shannon Watts told me so, in her Post Election press release.

It must be, otherwise Bloomie might decide he pissed away enough money on it and choose new hobby.

Besides Gates and his buddies are writing big 7 figure checks now (funny how all that "money in politics" didn't seem to bother anyone, huh?) so now Bloomberg can go back to attacking soft drinks again and randomly stopping and frisking minorities that come within 50 feet of his armed security team.

[kioa]

4. I find the article particularly ironic because

the gun controllers outspent gun rights supporters 7-to-1, and all they bought is a convoluted 18 page mess of a law that has already increased gun sales in Washington state & has people saying that they will engage in civil disobedience...all for a law that won't impact gun crimes one iota.


594 is the Ford Edsel of gun control.

[Eleanors38]

3. The consequence of special elections, recalls & referenda is

the creation of a motivated, more militant campaign group that doesn't necessarily fold up shop at the end of an instant election, nor is it limited to just one district or issue. It can continue to exist and consolidate with other broader issues in the future. Don't let recalls and such catch your ass; even if you win and beat back the group, they are a new force which before was not there.

[The Green Manalishi]

6. No kidding

In California, the anti-immigrant prop 187 ended up doing more to involve Hispanics in politics than anything before or since. What was a quasi racist dumb idea brought millions of voters into the system, and they were pissed.

[Eleanors38]

7. Works both ways.

[The Green Manalishi]

8. Yep. Payback is a female canine, indeed

Someday the racists, homophobes and sexists in the Tea Part will get theirs. It won't be pretty, but the "underclass" will get it's vengeance.

In my observation both sides of the RKBA issue have ideological blinders making it hard for them to see common sense.

he gun grabbers often are given voice by people who *HATE* guns and gun owners. there are people who consider anyone even wanting to have a gun, or someone who feels it perfectly appropriate to use lethal force to defend their life as sick, twisted, incapable of being a progressive, an NRA shill or some combination thereof.

The RKBA enthusiasts, of which I consider myself one, are often damned insensitive to the fact that most normal people to not want drunks, the mentally unstable or the habitually violent to have firearms, regardless of what the constitution does or does not say. Period.

You beat your wife or kid, or used violence against any other person, sorry, asshole, no gun for you, ever.

Plus, I've lived in San Francisco, NO ONE should have a high capacity high powered rifle (outside of a shooting range)loaded there except maybe one or two hostage rescue types- there is just about no place you can aim the thing where you are not going to hit somebody or something that you should't, and that includes what happens to the projectile even assuming a perfect hit on the target. Same in New York; I don't care how damned cool one thinks a tricked out AR-15 is or what you think your rights are. Someone who has lost a family member or neighbor to gang violence in the inner city does *NOT* care about what a bunch of white, mostly slaveholders who have been dead for 200 years our so had to say about me or anyone else owning a firearm.

[friendly_iconoclast]

10. Endorsing local interpretations of enumerated civil rights is playing with fire

Haven't we all seen what the right wing has done and is doing with the Constitution
in general?

[The Green Manalishi]

11. Yes, but

There are places where high powered high capacity firearms shouldn't be. And peole who shouldn't have them. Period.
All rights have limitations.

[friendly_iconoclast]

12. Attitudes like that give top cover to right-wingers

Last edited Sun Nov 16, 2014, 05:09 PM - Edit history (2)

See what it sounds like when some words in your posts are changed:

"There are places where mosques shouldn't be. And people who shouldn't have them. Period. All rights have limitations."


"There are places where same-sex marriages shouldn't be. And people who shouldn't have them. Period. All rights have limitations."

(Got Proposition 8?)

"There are places where peaceful demonstrations shouldn't be. And people who shouldn't have them. Period. All rights have limitations."

Once you start deciding that "Rights enumerated under the X Amendment don't apply to
(insert activity we don't like)", your opponents can and will do the same.

[Nuclear Unicorn]

13. "high capacity"? Standard issue is 30 rounds. High capacity would be 50+ and those

are mechanically unreliable.

[quadrature]

5. sympathy vote......nt

[sir pball]

9. There's a good case to be made for my state's (NY) Senate flipping..

..because of the SAFE Act. North of Poughkeepsie this is actually a rather red state..

[badtoworse]

14. A number of upstate sheriffs have stated they won't enforce the SAFE Act.

It's hugely unpopular in the Adirondacks

[GGJohn]

15. Same in Colorado,

most of the Sheriff's have said they won't enforce the mag limit.

[DonP]

16. Remington just announced a big manufacturing move too

They decided to expand their plant in the South (Mississippi?) instead of adding to the plant in Ileon NY as originally intended.

The CEO said; "the instability of the regulatory environment in New York and the fact that many of the products we produce can not be sold to our own workers had a major impact on our decision".

Now we wait for Cuomo to say his SAFE act had nothing to do with those lost jobs. So just ignore what the guy that actually made the decision said and listen to what Cuomo "thinks" he really meant.

[pablo_marmol]

17. Check out Hickenlooper's attempt at damage control

Absolutely excruciating to listen to -- good luck.

These clowns have no clue to the extent to which they damage the credibility of the Democratic Party, and sickenly, never will.

http://denver.cbslocal.com/2014/06/18/gov-to-sheriffs-im-sorry-about-how-gun-legislation-was-passed/