Illinois Council Against Handgun Violence reports that the NRA is a paper tiger:
Obama proved you can talk about having reasonable regulation of firearms without fear of a backlash at the ballot box. The fact of the matter is that Obama is where most Americans are on the gun issue, which is supporting a person’s ability to own a firearm while also supporting policies like criminal background checks on all gun sales.
Voters are tired of hearing the same old rhetoric from the NRA, and the election results proved that its bark is worse than its bite.
And it’s worth noting that Obama ran from groups like ICAHV as fast as he could once he secured the nomination. Gun control was simply not an issue in this election, and that plays against the NRA as much as it plays against gun control groups.
To say that people from PA don’t care about gun rights because Obama won doesn’t really look at all of the fact. It’s a pretty heavily Union state and the unions coming out in favor of Obama is likely what tipped things in his favor. People cared more about having jobs and having the money to buy the guns than they did about him trying to take them away. Not to mention some people being a little on the fence about the whole “reasonable gun control” thing (I’ll admit that I waffle a bit. There are some that think violent felons should be allowed to own guns after time is served. I’m not sure I’m with that, but I also see the slippery slope argument.)
The anti-gun community (and the left in general) are reading a little too much into the election results. I say let them. Let them bring up another AWB (their definition of ‘reasonable regulation’ on firearms) so they can take a beating at the polls again.
As you rightly stated, Obama ran from his anti-gun record, just like he ran from every other left wing position he took as state senator. He knew he could not win as a Chicago politician. Obama worked very hard to assure Reagan Democrats that he would not go after there guns.
Mav, I agree they are interpreting the results, but I’d rather do without a new assault weapons ban :)