Sanders' gun votes are again a potential liability among Democratic base

[highplainsdem]

Just heard a segment about this on Morning Joe, so I searched for the NBC article that was about...

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2020-election/sanders-gun-votes-are-again-potential-liability-among-democratic-base-n999326

WASHINGTON — Sandy Phillips, who lost her 24-year-old daughter, Jessi, in the mass shooting at a movie theater in Aurora, Colorado seven years ago, can’t forgive Sen. Bernie Sanders, now a top-tier candidate for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination.

Sanders, in the House at the time, supported a 2005 law backed by the National Rifle Association granting gun manufacturers broad legal protections and was one of 59 Democrats to vote for the legislation in the GOP-led House. Sanders and Rep. Tim Ryan of Ohio are the only Democratic presidential candidates to have voted for that bill, which Phillips said nearly bankrupted her family.

Phillips says she called Sanders during the 2016 presidential primary campaign when he was competing against Hillary Clinton, asking for an explanation of his vote.

“He was like ‘I’d love to talk to you about this, but I’m really busy,’” Phillips told NBC News, describing him as “extremely dismissive and arrogant.”

In early 2016, days before the Iowa caucuses, Sanders, a Vermont independent, announced he would co-sponsor a repeal of the law as he faced criticism over his position. Weeks later, he contradicted himself, saying gun crime victims should not be able to sue — only to reverse course again days later during a debate by saying, “They have the right to sue.”

-snip-

[lark]

1. Sanders is very conflicted about guns.

One more reason I wouldn't vote for him ever again, I believed his revised story the first time, but now, not at all. The need for effective gun regulations, especially regarding background checks on ALL purchases, outlawing military style rifles, limiting gun & ammo purchases per year, requiring safe storage and mandatory gun locks, are very important to me.

[efhmc]

2. He is conflicted about a lot of things I care about.

nt

[beachbum bob]

3. single issues should never be considered the sole issues

all we will see and hear from now on is info meant to breed dissent among democrats. The idea of the democrats taking back total control is terrifying to the elites and the media is owned by them, the social media is owned by them.

democrats have proven time and time again to fall for the messaging scams like 2000 and 2016

[mcar]

4. If I had lost a child to gun violence, I'd be a single issue voter

But I otherwise agree with you.

[Skya Rhen]

5. Is there a reason that Bernie voted against this gun control law?

[George II]

7. He has a reason why he voted against a number of gun control laws over the years.

[marylandblue]

10. As far as guns are concerned, he's a right winger.

I guess the gun lobby in Vermont is pretty potent.

[Baclava]

18. Vermont is a rural state, he has to appease the moose hunter voters, and the NRA

How the National Rifle Association helped get Bernie Sanders elected

https://bluenationreview.com/nra-spent-thousands-to-get-bernie-elected/

[George II]

6. Then there's this:

https://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/dem-primaries/276402-sanders-i-dont-owe-sandy-hook-victims-families-an-apology

Sanders: I don't owe Sandy Hook victims' families an apology

[ProfessorPlum]

8. really - when the alternative is Biden who sold everyone into the tender mercies of the

credit card industry? We need to fix economic imbalance before we can fix our broken political system, including the grip that weapons manufacturers have over the legislature.

[SidDithers]

9. But Bernie said that Vermont guns are different from Chicago guns...

but that's not a racist comment...

Sid

[dalton99a]

14. +1. "Guns in Vermont Are Not the Same Thing As Guns in Chicago or Guns in Los Angeles"

[George II]

15. "Guns In Vermont Are Not The Same As Guns In Chicago Or Los Angeles"

https://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2015/07/07/sanders_guns_in_vermont_are_not_the_same_as_guns_in_chicago.html

Transcript:

BERNIE SANDERS, VERMONT SENATOR: I come from a state where there is virtually no gun control. But the people of my state understand, pretty clearly, that guns in Vermont are not the same thing as guns in Chicago or Los Angeles. In our state, guns are used for hunting. In Chicago they are used for kids killing other kids or gang members shooting at police officers, shooting down innocent people. We need a sensible debate about gun control, which overcomes the cultural divide that exists in this country, and I think I can play an important role in this.

He neglects to recognize that the gunshot death rate per 100,000 people in Vermont is 140% that of California and only 5% lower than that in Illinois. In fact, the gunshot death rate in Vermont is HIGHER than each of the neighboring states of New York, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire and is the highest of all six New England states.

VT - 11.1 per 100,000
CA - 7.9
IL - 11.7
NY - 4.4

New England:

VT - 11.1 per 100,000
NH - 9.3
ME - 8.3
CT - 4.6
RI - 4.1
MA - 3.4

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Firearm_death_rates_in_the_United_States_by_state

[highplainsdem]

11. MSNBC covering this story again now.

[George II]

12. "Bernie Sanders's record on gun control, explained"....

https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2019/3/4/18236537/bernie-sanders-gun-control-president-campaign-2020

[highplainsdem]

13. Thanks for the link!

[flamin lib]

16. There is no perfect candidate. Everybody has warts.

When the dust settles and we have have a candidate we must not let the perfect be the enemy of the good. Every candidate has some single issue history that can disqualify them but there are lots of other policy positions to consider.

Let us try to not to poison the well . . .

[WeekiWater]

17. I believe he has evolved a bit on the issue. NT

[MineralMan]

19. Just vetting...just vetting...

It's the current craze, it seems.