The positive reaction of the gun control crowd to Obama’s executive orders frankly astonishes me. It would seem that Elliot Fineman of the National Gun Victims Action Council is the only group that’s willing to see this for what it is. When you don’t have a seat at the table, what have you got to lose, really?
Headlines like this are now spread all over the media, “Obama closes gun background check loopholes with executive action.” I can point to dozens of other stories talking about how Obama is now requiring background checks at gun shows and with Internet sales. The media has fallen for this maneuver hook, like and sinker. It’s not surprising, because understanding the truth requires knowing a thing or two about federal gun laws, a topic with which most non-gun people have little or no familiarity.
Word is spreading like wildfire that Obama closed these background check loopholes, when in reality all he did was have Loretta Lynch wag her finger and issue vague threats of prosecuting people selling guns for being engaged in the business without obtaining an FFL. As Volokh Conspirator Jonathan Adler pointed out at the WaPo, “In other words, it is — as the document says — a guidance, and not a substantive rule. It has no legal effect.”
People are being deceived into believing there’s been substantive reform on background checks. That can only serve to dampen enthusiasm among the general public for further measures, “Didn’t Obama fix this problem? It was all over the papers.”
President Obama may have done himself a tremendous favor, in terms of pleasing certain parts of the Democratic base who will cheer these headlines, completely unaware this represents no substantive reform, but he’s done the gun control movement no favors. If I had to bet, the gun control groups probably realize this, but are concerned about the consequences of not seeming to enjoy their bone. Beggars can’t be choosers.
The problem as I see it, is that the real meat of his executive orders is the part he isn’t talking about. He has everyone all excited and distracted with the background checks, that very few are paying any attention to NFA Trusts, HIPAA, and the Social Security gun grab.
Which fits the rope-a-dope style he’s pretty good at.
In a way it’s darkly fitting that the “solution” to the largly made up “gun show loophole” is itself a lie.
as for the other gun control groups… what does this mean for all of Bloomberg’s past and current efforts at banning private sales?
As you say Sebastian, if even the gun control advocates think this could have been /fixed/ via unilateral executive action…. then why all the sound and fury at the state level?
Why the whole post Newton push in congress?
If you buy into the premise that Obama “closed the loopholes” then why didn’t Obama do this years ago? Why aren’t gun control supporters angry that he waited until now?
Awesomesauce. Every time someone says the phrase “loophole” to me, I will throw a bunch of articles at them showing how there’s no loophole, Obama closed it!
This. We can finally say a nonexistent hole is closed. Next.
Barack is, was and always be in it for #1 and #1 only. He doesn’t give a flying damn about anyone else. He’s the worst combination of an empty suit and a rampaging narcissist. And what’s worse none of his supporters have even the most vague inkling of that…
So he hasn’t done anything to actually advance gun control, but he’s made some of his supporters think he has (so they’ll sit home thinking the job is done) and he’s frightened a lot of pro-gun people (who are in the majority) into action.
I really have to wonder if he isn’t actually poisoning the well for Hillary with this. His narcissism could be so strong that he would gladly see the D’s lose the next 3 elections just so he, the “first black president”, is not followed by the “first female president” thus lessening the impact of his “first-ness”
(side note, its ironic that Hillary is about as feminine as Obama is black)
I find one of the only realistic scenarios where the actions and timing make sense… Is exactly that, to burn Hillary.
I think there is a hatred there. Obama has access to the best polling, the most resources, the biggest group on analysts, and he’s using it seemingly to make sure Hillary gets burned.
His actions simultaneously have almost no real bite, but goes rather than anyone would in an election year. It’s done wonders to sell guns and rile people into action. Hillary has no choice but to double down on gun control in the campaign – but remeber not even Obama was dumb enough to campaign on it.
I seriously think he’s burning her. We already know the email scandal came from the White House, this may be the most genius plan ever to say FUCK IT AND FUCK HER…. Or he’s an idiot that thinks he’s building a legacy.
All said and done, I don’t think he’s an idiot.
I agree he’s not an idiot. I do think that he’s a narcissist and can be easily blinded by hubris.
The guy spends seven years bitching about how inadequate our gun laws are and then holds a press conference where he recites current law and then pats himself on the back. Bravo, Mr. President.
The actions, or lack thereof, on changes to existing law and new laws was NOT the purpose of the event yesterday. Obama spent his entire speech positioning legal gun owners as potential murderers, definitely mentally ill, with nothing but ill will towards other people. He moved the goalposts of the gun control debate from rights and laws to demonization of guns and social pariah status for law abiding gun owners.
This will continue unless stopped HARD, much like anti-smoking efforts, until legal gun owners are required to hide their activities from the vast majority of society, or be immediately attacked as anti-social malcontent misfits who should be regulated into oblivion.
He defined the repudiation of his policies by Congress as holding hostages. He is an evil man.
Perhaps the pro-gun strategy now should be to publicly tell Obama, “Wow – you win, big guy. I guess you showed us the power of your will and the power of the pen. Since you’ve now solved the gun violence problem; does that mean you and your anti-gun compatriots in Congress are done with the gun law thing now?”
Plenty of gun control advocates and Democrats are gleeful with the press conference lies, which says a lot about their vaunted intelligence.
“In other words, it is — as the document says — a guidance, and not a substantive rule. It has no legal effect.â€
Lots of ATF rules are not law. Just like the rule in PA where I should be able to take my LTCF to a gun shop and leave without PICS, especially if it is down (and it probably is at any given moment).
But, you and I have to spend lots of money, set aside our lives and jobs, to prove that it isnt a law and get an arbitrary guidance letter overturned.