In the post-Newtown rush towards civilian disarmament, Democratic politicians are scrambling to position themselves as gun control champions. Forgetting the fact that voters spanked them in the post-Assault Weapons Ban mid-term elections of 1994. But good. “For the first time in more than a decade, Democratic presidential aspirants see a political advantage in championing far-reaching restrictions on guns,” washingtonpost.com reports. New York Governor Cumo, Colorado Governor Hickenlooper, Maryland Governor O’Malley and Vice President Joe Biden—all of the four leading contenders to replace Barack Obama are staking their political future on gun control. About that . . .

Reuters—republished by The New York Times—raises the warning flag re: the current President’s plans to ram gun control legislation through Congress and impose firearms-related Executive Orders:

By signaling on Monday that he will ask Congress to ban military-style assault weapons, Obama is embarking on a high-risk strategy that is likely to further inflame tensions with Republicans at a time when feelings already are raw because of a series of running budget battles . . .

The Democratic president essentially is betting that any blowback from an assault-weapons plan would not doom other proposals that some Republicans may find more palatable.

At the very least, Obama’s plan could make life more difficult for gun-friendly Democrats who are less enthusiastic about an assault-weapons ban.

The “gun control may be toxic” meme is picking up steam. CBS is running with it, giving prominence to Senate Majority Leader [and NRA A-rated pol] Harry Reid’s comment about the possibility of an Assault Weapons Ban:

“Let’s be realistic. In the Senate, we’re going to do what we think can get through the House. And I’m not going to be going through a bunch of these gyrations just to say we’ve done something because if we’re really legislators, the purpose of it is to pass legislation,” Reid said. “Is it something that can pass the Senate? Maybe. Is it something that can pass the House? I doubt it.”

The WaPo is so nervous about the possibility of gun control blowback that columnist Greg Sargant felt obliged to craft a go-team-go piece entitled Why gun politics are no longer dangerous for Democrats:

It’s unclear why Dems need to worry about the politics of the ban, however. That’s because new polling shows that opposition to the assault weapons ban is driven almost entirely by non-college males, a constituency the Democratic Party continues to rely upon less and less. Meanwhile, the constituencies that form the pillars of the emerging Democratic coalition — minorities, young Americans and college educated whites, particularly women — support the ban, in come cases [sic] overwhelmingly.

There’s no question that voters who cherish their Constitutionally protected right to keep and bear arms will punish these anti-gun politicians come the mid-terms. And beyond. Call them “those who fail to learn from history.”

Or maybe “the irony-free folks.” To wit, this quote from the national coordinator of the fringe group Faiths United to Prevent Gun Violence.

“People’s feelings are so raw on this and they’re going to stay raw for a long time,” DeMarco said.

Ain’t that the truth.

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100 COMMENTS

  1. If you have stated unhappiness about this whole situation and you don’t go vote during the midterms in 2014, then you are only contributing to the problem, please contribute to the solution.

    • +1 Chewbacca Defense!! It’s up to every American who enjoys their Civil Liberties to stand up and be vocal on this. The gun control advocates have stated that their goal is to ‘break the back of the gun lobby’.

      Any perceived pro-gun victories in the coming weeks should not be treated as a signal that the silent majority can return to being silent.

      STAY IN FRONT OF YOUR ELECTED OFFICIALS! Write them, email them, leave voice messages! This is the easiest way to protect our freedoms.

      • absolutely! in addition, we have an even stronger tool that we can use to protect our rights, and that tool is the vote. Show anti-gunners that Americans do not approve of their attempts at disarmament by voting against antis. Maybe then the gun-grabbers will realize that the will of the people is not that there needs to be more gun control but less.

        • In my younger days I couldn’t really understand single issue voters. Today, I am one.

          As a voter I feel so disenfranchised on so many issues that this is the proverbial straw that broke the camel’s back. There are only a couple of rights enumerated in the BoR that have not been diluted or simply usurped. We are poorer as a result.

          No more. This is one area where I will no longer throw up my hands and say “whatever”.

          First, self defense is one of the most basic rights endowed to every living creature. It exists without government in every aspect of life. In fact, this right existed before governments and it exists today for creatures that can not even form a concept of government. The 2A simply recognized our pre-existing right.

          Second, human nature is such that the strong will always prey on the weak. It’s always been this way and no legislation will change human instincts (although it may be successful in the short run).

          Third, bad guys will always find weapons. If not guns, then knives, hammers, fertilizer or rat poison.

          Fourth, firearms allow us to defend our lives and property.

          Given the above, I fail to understand how disarming the general population will in any way reduce violent crime. The data, in fact, show that increasing access to firearms leads to reductions in crime. The data also show that absent firearms criminals will still be criminals.

          Therefore, I resolve to focus my time, energy and financial resources to protect one of the last rights the government has not usurped.

        • By the way, my post above encapsulates my now routine response to anyone interested in talking about about restricting the 2A. In some fairy-tale land of skittles-pooping unicorns where there are no bad guys I will gladly lay down arms. But there is no way that will ever happen given what we know about human nature.

          History shows that bad guys invariably continue to be bad guys until a good guy with superior force shows up. (This should be added to Paragraph #4.)

    • Every single gun owner in this nation who voted for Obama is part of the problem not the solution. I Don’t care if you own single shot 26ga shotguns or fully auto AR’s, anyone who values the RTKBA and voted for Obama is a fool.

      Thankfully in 2014 and 2016 those who did will have a chance to redeem themselves by voting for pro gun politicians.

      • I didn’t vote for either of them, but Romney had signed more gun control laws than Obama has. If you think Mr. Etch n Sketch would have done any thing different than Obama I have a bridge to sell you.

      • every single voter who played the dualistic romney vs obama game was party of the problem rather than the solution. shame on everyone who did. you reap what you sow.

    • I’ve already made my list – capturing which politicians said what; so that I and my family don’t forget come election time. That list is on my refrigerator. For any politicians that think they can slip one by us: we are watching you VERY closely. We will vote you out of office.

    • I haven’t missed an election since turning 18.

      I’ve written my representatives in the US House of Representatives, the US Senate, I’ve written the President for what it’s worth, I’ve also written to my state representatives and state senators, I’ve written the mayors, and city and county representatives of the various places I’ve lived, in addition to that, I’ve written letters to the editors of various local newspapers as well.

      I’ve showed up for jury duty, but I was sent home though.

      So, what would that be:

      Ballot box? Check.

      Soap Box? Check.

      Jury Box? Check.

      Cartridge Box? Hopefully never…

    • Election? WHAT ELECTION?? Obama announces his defense weapons ban at NOON TOMORROW, with turn-in requirements. WHY WOULD THEY BOTHER WITH FORMALITIES like elections anymore?

    • I have never voted for a Republican in my life before. I disagree with them on almost everything.

      I’m voting Republican in 2014.

      • +1. I despise Bible thumpers. But I despise Big Brother even more. Voted libertarian but might have to vote for R next time.

        • We told you that a vote for anything other than R was like a vote for D, but you didn’t listen. You had to show your independence, even if it meant giving the election to the worst D in history.

          Have you learned your lesson yet? “…might have to vote for R next time.” “MIGHT have to…” I wonder if it is possible to teach you anything. Stop being so damn theoretical, and try a little pragmatism for a change.

          If my words sting a bit, good. You deserve a good verbal spanking…

      • I’m headed this way myself. While I culturally support more liberal agendas, I’ll back the bible-thumpers in every election from here on out if they’ll step away from ‘Big Brother’ practices.

        • John,
          The democrats are just a “big brother” if not more.

          Biden WROTE the patriot act for goodness sake.

    • +1000.
      If you can’t run with the big dogs, get back up on the porch…

      Too many older Repubs stayed home on their rocking chairs on the porch, it appears, post-mortem in some districts probably because they got suckered by the numbers put out by the RNC,
      which itself got suckered by their own inept data management,
      and rolled by the high-tech geekery employed by the Obama campaign.

      Lies, damn lies, and statistics.

  3. It’s hard enough for northeastern Democrats to win their party’s presidential nomination, never mind the election. Cuomo’s actions on gun control have sealed his fate. He will not win the White House in 2016, or any other year.

  4. “That’s because new polling shows that opposition to the assault weapons ban is driven almost entirely by non-college males”…. Now imagine if a conservative wrote an assumption like that!! Well, I’m a college educated male, a nurse, and I oppose gun-control… Guess that makes me an anomaly. Most of my friends, also college educated males and females, oppose this too.

    • Im a white male about to receive a masters degree. In a scientific field no less. Guess Im right there with you in the outliers.

    • Same here. My wife has a Masters degree, worked for a Liberal University, and has her concealed carry permit. She votes pro-freedom/pro-gun. I’m a registered Democrat, but gun issues override any of my other left of center feelings. I ALWAYS vote pro-freedom. I guess I’m a Libertarian in my heart. Obviously, the media as are these anti-gun politicians are going to find themselves on the wrong side of this argument.

    • I’m with the rest of you. Masters degree here…. and I’m a teacher… I must really be off my rocker. What people don’t understand is that if one right can be attacked, they all are up for grabs.

    • I’m with the rest of you. Masters degree here. I’m a teacher as well so I must really be off my rocker. What people don’t understand is that if one right can be attacked, they all are up for grabs.

    • Another White male with an advanced degree, Here!
      I even work in “The Arts.”

      They don’t really have a clue. This is entirely a propaganda operation focused on CONTROL! (as Kira said.)

    • “Lies, damned lies, and statistics…” – Disraeli
      or read this book: http://www.amazon.com/Damned-Lies-Statistics-Untangling-Politicians/dp/0520219783/ref=pd_cp_b_0

      What we are seeing from the MSM- that I propose we of the Armed Intelligentsia might hereafter call “The Ministry of Truth”
      is the deliberate distortion of fact, that has been a part of politics for quite some time, taken to a new high-tech level coordinated by those in the inner circle of Journolisters within the Ministry who fully believe the ends-justify-the-means.

      House organs like the NYT and WAPO should here after be known as Pravda, and Izvestia, for their long documented knavery toeing the state line. Google Walter Duranty for one example.

      Lets apply Alinsky Law #4 and simply ridicule them.
      And lets hope the pols over-reach, or to paraphrase Lenin,
      lets us hope they hang themselves with their own rope.

      Thats my personal read of the wind, judging by the desperation you read under the surface of this reporting, vs the real-world tea-leave reading today by the most cunning survivor of DC;
      Dirty Harry Reid.

      But YMMV, and keep your powder dry.

    • White, male, engineer with a college education, and firmly against most forms of gun control legislation. So are most everyone else in my circle of firearms acquaintances.

    • I graduated cum laude B.S. Aerospace Engineering and I oppose gun control… must be a statistical anomaly

    • BA in Economics and BS in Biology. I use neither since I run a family business.

      anyways, i dont get bent out of shape over generalizations. Im more successful than any of these financially broke ass “minorities, young americans and college educated whites, particularly women”. dont worry, im a good little citizen so ill keep picking up everybodys tab.

      if you want a personification of Boxer (the cart horse from Animal Farm), I guess i am just that. I was naive and gullible in my younger years. and these bastards will ensure people like me work harder until we die, taking and taking more from us while promising just vague dreams.

    • I have 2 bachelors degrees, oppose gun control, and even better yet……I run a gun store and teach handgun carry classes! Eat it grabbers.

  5. After a total of 8 years of BO, any D is going to have trouble, period. Many will be so tired of BO that they’ll vote for anyone but, just like they did with W. Assuming the Rs don’t put up another RINO they should have a decent shot at regaining the WH. Although, I suspect they nominate another “moderate” conservative that will lose, not only because of the libertarian wing staying home again but also because of the ever increasing number of takers who will continue to vote for goodies at the expense of makers.

    • And the cycle will continue. Meet the new boss, same as the old boss. As long as people vote, the government will always win.

        • Elections are what give government its facade of legitimacy. Why do you think they still claim a “mandate from the people” when the “winner” only received ~27% of eligible votes?

          They cannot legitimately exist without your participation.

        • Really Ralph? Then please explain the 108% – 147% wins in precincts for Obama. How do you claim we need to vote when the government cannot even attempt to tell us the results are legitimate?

        • So, Henry. Nobody turns out for an election and the government magically dissapears? We still pay our taxes and go to work and keep the economy running but the guys in DC are going to slink away in shame cause nobody voted?

    • Wish that were true. Sadly, I think our country has reached the tipping point. Way too many Obama-Phone/low information voters, who have no understanding of our history, Constitution or logic. All they know is that they are owed free shit.

    • Let’s hope the Rs put up a candidate that actually wants the job. From what I’ve read Romney wasn’t exactly mad about the idea of being president.

  7. “opposition to the assault weapons ban is driven almost entirely by non-college males”

    non-college males? non-college-aged males? males not in college? non-college educated males? uneducated males? rednecks? dumb rednecks?

    I see what you did there.

  8. I am a college educated male professional (Electrical / R & D Engineering in Rapid Prototyping) and I find that their assumptions on Pro-Gun Demographics to be lacking truth elixir.

  9. These traitors should feel lucky if the worst that happens in ’14 is they are voted out of office. True justice would demand a harsher penalty.

  10. I will be swearing as a US citizen July 4th this year and both my wife and I are one issue voters… no points given for guessing that one issue.

  11. Are we really getting commenters now saying Cuomo or any D doesn’t have a chance in 2016? The Traitor in Chief isn’t even re-inaugurated yet and you already forget that such a staggeringly failed president won a second term because he bought off a stupid, selfish, and mentally/morally weak public?

    Exactly what makes you think the public won’t be this stupid, morally-deficient, and uncaring about their rights in 2016? What makes you think the R’s won’t pick another crappy candidate?

    Talk about short memory. I hate to break it to you normalcy-biased individuals, but the country is done. Freedom is done. Nothing can bring it back now and it’s only going to get worse until we’re a full fledged tyranny and the earth as a whole becomes no longer a place worth living, with the last bastion of freedom destroyed. All because we ignored our founding fathers’ instructions and let it happen.

    • The MSM was able to reelect President Obama. The truth simply could not outdo their slavish adoration of him.

      It was a pure “cult of personality” election, created by the MSM.

    • It is called getting started and getting involved. Biden and Cuomo and others are going to start campaigning and so is Hillary. In order to prevent a crappy R to run, you must get involved. We need a centerist R in order to win and we need the emotion — for example “your children will be poorer than their parents and so too their children due to national debt created by Obama” Emotions not stale facts will win the day. We need someone who socially in the center and we need the Rs to propose something for immigration reform before Obama does.

    • The difference is that those who insisted Obama would come after guns were basing this primarily on a hunch, and the claim wasn’t persuasive to a large number of pro-gun Democrats or independents. Then you have Romney, who was historically anti-gun, and it’s not surprising that Obama didn’t lose because of the gun vote. In contrast, Cuomo will be on record as having instituted the most severe gun control measures in American history. He will get hammered with that in a way that Obama could not be hammered.

    • The Traitor in Chief isn’t even re-inaugurated yet and you already forget that such a staggeringly failed president won a second term because he bought off a stupid, selfish, and mentally/morally weak public?

      This statement describes both of the two most recent presidents.

      • “This statement describes both of the two most recent presidents.”

        I see someone is trying to justify their vote for Obama in 2012.

    • Now some of them are starting to get the bill for this mess and are seeing the error of their ways. Funny how everyone is charitable right up until it hits their take home pay and then they get all conservative. We’ll see if they are still happy with the redistributer-in-chief after paying for it for 4 years.

  12. The mid term elections will be a blow out… Send your firearms to free states till the rescue party arrives…

  13. The demographics are changing in America. Males are less members of the democrats all the time. Yet women and minorities are increasing the base of democrats. I really don’t have an opinion yet on how much those democrats will be punished by their evolving support base much of which is fine with banning ‘assault weapons’. If the dems go too far and ban handguns etc then they might have a problem.

    In Gun Control Debate, Several Options Draw Majority Support
    http://www.people-press.org/2013/01/14/in-gun-control-debate-several-options-draw-majority-support/

      • Ralph,

        True, we are almost there. The trend is self-destructive for our society, economy, and country. Males Y-chromosome carriers are the creators of industries and the inventors. We are natures wild-card. Male intelligence is more extreme than female intelligence. There are more males who are idiots and there are about 6x the number of male geniuses than females ones. Keep destroying masculinity and traditional male values transforming more men into behaving more like women and what do you get? It’s quite an answer. As a general rule, men (and boys) understand the concept of actions and consequences far better than women (and girls). Modern womyn keep supporting the politicians with their anti-male pro-womyn programs and policies that are draining the life-force out of men. Womyn don’t care if they get promoted over more qualified men (or are favored during divorce by the courts) because they are female yet those same women want men who can financially contribute to their personal lives and are vibrant lusting partners not emasculated angry metrosexuals.

    • Every time I see a poll of this sort, I think they ought to include questions like:

      “In your own words, describe what it means to say a firearm is ‘semi-automatic’.”

      “In your own words, describe what distinguishes an ‘assault-style’ weapon from one that is not ‘assault-style’.”

      “In your opinion, what is the maximum number of rounds a magazine may hold before it can be considered ‘high-capacity’?”

        • The simple fact that there could be more than one bad guy is the most direct argument to allow for guns with more than 6 or even 10 rounds. Of course that presupposes a continued right to keep and bear arms.

        • So if you carry 10 pistol mags with 7 rounds in each it doesn’t make much of a difference, 70 rounds instead of 100 .I think there must be more to that little law that we don’t know about.

  14. I will go one further, we should also register for the primary for the opposition and put in votes to allow weak candidates to compete against the candidates we want. In some states you do not even have to register with a party to vote the primary.

    As far as I am concerned, it is a full on war at the ballot box.

    • My wife and I have done that (“register for the primary for the opposition and put in votes to allow weak candidates to compete against the candidates we want”) for years.

  15. Since the re-election of Obama the left has been out of control. They would have been out of control without Sandy Hook but that only emboldened them to believe they now have the emotional issue they need to bring red state, traditional America to heel. To deal us a body blow that will put us down for good.
    In any event, on this issue we are the eight hundred pound gorilla and these bastards are so overextended, they are ripe for defeat. There were 4.7 million guns sold in November and December 2012. Americans are not rejecting the second amendment.
    Obama’s arrogance is out of control. This is a perfect opportunity to hand him a stinging, humiliating defeat. 2014 will be an opportunity to teach the rest of them that this is still a constitutional republic. They didn’t just win the final election.

    • If I can get in a word before you come completely unhinged, let me point out that more than a few of those guns have been sold to liberal voters, including folks who are in demographic groups that are Democratic strongholds.

      Sorry for the interruption. Flame on.

      • While true, there’s a difference between a gun owner and a gun rights advocate. The vast majority of gun owners, especially new gun owners, will fall into line and hand them over at the first demand, or vote in the same tyrants based on other issues. Just because a voter – whether left or right – buys a gun doesn’t make him a 2A champion.

        • Silver, I’m not sure I agree with you. I think many recent gun owners made the decision after a fair amount of deliberation, at least in my circle.

          These are people who have seen our government ignore some of the most blatant criminal behavior and outright theft ever perpetrated.

          These are people who understand there is a growing divide between the haves and the have-nots, and are increasingly worried that the world may not be such a safe place.

          These are people who fear for the safety of their families and realize that help may not be available when needed, particularly after reading headlines about police force reductions.

          These are (even!) people who never really paid attention to their rights until they started to realize that their rights are being stripped away.

      • Not sure why you feel the need to make this personal but thank you for the concern.
        Liberals buying guns is great. Not sure where you are going with that but in my opinion they are potential converts.
        But face it, the far left, and that includes our president, is at war with traditional America and the constitution. On guns, they have thrown out any pretense of “reasonable”, “common sense” or “compromise”. They are going for the whole enchilada and they need to lose this one badly to teach them a lesson about the limits of their power. They need to be chastened.
        Twenty four hours ago, eleven was high capacity. Today eight is. It should be obvious by now that there is no compromise with these people.
        In 1994 the democrats were defeated and humiliated. That changed the political dynamic in this country overnight. I’m sorry if I don’t sound like sunshine and lollipops to you for saying it but we need to teach politicians to fear us again.

  16. In regard to the pillars of that Democratic coalition, I would remind Mr. Sargant that women can be fickle, young people eventually grow up, and that even members of carefully bespoke racial minorities, such as myself, cannot be entirely taken for granted.

    • Every semester that passes, people graduate and arent able to find a job. After a decade or more of that, these ‘young, college educated people’ will grow tired of the Dem’s promises that arent being kept.

      • the trend of 50% college degree unemployment and increasing tuition costs will break a population. its a matter of time.

        keep pursuing those useless arts degrees you dolts. its okay, us producers will be forced to pick up the tab.

  18. “That’s because new polling shows that opposition to the assault weapons ban is driven almost entirely by non-college males.” aka: white guys with jobs.

  19. Well looks like many progun Dems are walking away from this so far this is Obama
    ‘s and the Media’s campaign to ban guns which will bring disaster for even trying to the mid term elections.

  20. First they grab out guns, then they grab our retirement, then they grab our homes. This disarming of the population is directly related to the financial train wreck that washington has created. The money will come from the peoples pockets willingly or not. This is intended to take away all avenues of defense from the population. The entitlement class vs the people who value independence and self achievement. I’m older than average here and it is heartbreaking to see what is being accepted by our population.

  21. I have voted in every election I could vote in since I turned 18 over a decade ago. I started off a democrat because that’s what my parents were so it seemed like the way to go. Then mid way through college I started looking into things and realized that I was mostly on the side of republicans.

    And then I became a gun owner… and then an avid shooter and this issue has galvanized me. I will never vote for a member of either party that has ever voted for any sort of gun control period.

  22. HELP!!! Im in NY, and Im unhappy.. Lets make a stand together. Steve Hawley is the assemblyman that is voting for my district in NY later. Please help us and email NO to bill s 2230. Here is his email…

    [email protected]

  24. As a “young minority”, I hate any and all gun control laws. They cause more harm than good, affect only the people who weren’t going to commit a crime anyway, and is a feel good way to make it seem you have done something. But all these laws are cures that are worse than the disease.

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