Buttigieg: O'Rourke playing into GOP hands with mandatory gun buyback comments

[left-of-center2012]

Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg said on Sunday that he agrees with critics that fellow 2020 White House hopeful Beto O'Rourke played into the Republican Party's hands with his comments about a mandatory gun buyback proposal. (O'Rourke: 'Hell, yes, we're going to take your AR-15, your AK-47')

CNN's Jake Tapper asked Buttigieg Sunday on "State of the Union" if he thinks the former Texas congressman played into the hands of the GOP when he said at Thursday's primary debate, "hell yes we're going to take your AR-15, your AK-47."

"Yes," Buttigieg responded.

Buttigieg, the mayor of South Bend, Ind., said the majority of Americans have shown support for universal background checks, so-called "red flag" laws and a ban on the new sale of assault weapons. "This is a golden moment to do something, we've been arguing about this for as long as I've bene alive" he said. "Let's get this done," he added.

https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/461453-buttigieg-says-orourke-is-playing-into-gop-hands-with-mandatory-gun-buyback

[brooklynite]

1. Agree

“Mandatory” is not politically saleable.

[ebbie15644]

2. Not going to play well in PA

My own family always say Dems want to take all guns away and I've argued for years that this isn't true. It's damaging here

[liskddksil]

10. It will definitely play well in the Philly suburbs which are the key to winning PA nt

[ebbie15644]

19. I hope your right

[dalton99a]

3. AR-15/AK-47 fetishists don't vote Democratic.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

7. But they come out in droves during elections.

Suppress our turnout by telling people you ain’t gettin’ anything and piss off their base = 4 more years of trump.

[dalton99a]

12. So? Outnumber them.

[JI7]

25. exactly, they will come out anyways. they always do.

so we have to try to get others to come out.

[abqtommy]

4. Oh boo hoo! Is Beto giving the reTHUGS a sad?! I love it!

[calguy]

5. The NRA will raise $$$millions$$$ off of Beto's words.

[liskddksil]

9. Who gives a crap. They aren't going to vote for us anyways no matter what we propose.

Lets instead mobilize the millions of young people whose daily existence is defined by active shooter drills and fear.

[brer cat]

21. Exactly! nt

[JI7]

6. anyone who has a problem with what Beto is saying is not going to vote democratic anyways

[liskddksil]

8. Show some spine Pete and Sen. Coons

The American people are on our side. Lets act like it and stop being scared of special interest groups. 52% already support mandatory buyback, and that number should only grow with newly registered 18 year olds marched for our lives and walked out of school. The generation who's daily experience is active shooter drills and fear.

[Politicub]

11. Beto was bold and brave. What a contrast to the coward in the Whitehouse.

I am glad he did not moderate what he said during the debate. And fuck what the NRA or the GOP thinks. If we're going to run from sentences because they may be used in an ad, then perhaps the nominees should only communicate in written form, with statements vetted by a committee.

Sounds dumb, right?

People want and reward authenticity. We are never going to get the votes of gun absolutists anyway. They already believe that the Democratic Party is coming for their guns. Big whoop.

I want to see assault rifles gone. Even if we collect 10 percent of them through buybacks, that's 10 percent fewer on the streets.

This will be a multi-generational struggle. We must start somewhere.

[rogue emissary]

13. This is the exact reason I didn't trust this proud "gun owner."

[LincolnRossiter]

14. He's right.

1. It's political poison.
2. It's never going to happen.

So why propose it. We've made headway on expanded background checks, red flag proposals, and bans on new sales of certain weapons. The only people who really think the government is ever going door to door to try to confiscate weapons are the gun nuts themselves. And they will vote and donate in numbers because of this.

[Celerity]

18. +10000

[andym]

15. Buttigieg is correct that politically Beto's statement will hurt in the short term, but long term

getting this key idea out there may move the needle of public opinion enough to get something done. I applaud Beto for his statement.

[essadaw]

16. Suburban moms are more important demographic to win over than assault weapon fanatics

and they will prefer Beto's message over Pete's. A recent ABC poll had 52% of Americans supporting Beto's position of mandatory buybacks

Link to tweet

?s=20

Also-- I thought Pete said in the debate something like we shouldn't let Republicans define our positions-- I guess he only thinks that when trying to make a point about socialism

[liskddksil]

17. Yep! nt

[dalton99a]

23. +1

[RLG]

20. How nice LOL!

Instead of knocking O'Rourke's comment, what are you offering, Mayor Pete?

Methinks Mayor Pete didn't like the positive cover O'Rourke got after the debate. But isn't he ahead of him in the polls?

He lost my vote.

[RLG]

22. I guess Mayor Pete forgot what he said previously:

Link to tweet