Total Recall
That headline does not refer to the movies based on Philip K. Dick's short story "We Can Remember It For You Wholesale," but rather to this week's successful recall elections in Colorado. Two Democratic lawmakers were just kicked out of office for voting for gun control legislation. And two for two is, in this case, total recall.
Beyond cute phraseology, though, the Colorado recall shows once again why many Democratic politicians consider gun control legislation so politically dangerous. Back in the 1990s, gun control (the assault weapons ban in particular) proved to be a motivating factor in many Democratic politicians' defeat at the polls. The pro-gun side is well-organized, well-funded, and fervent in its beliefs. The anti-gun side, not so much (even with Bloomberg's new organization). For many voters, guns are a litmus test in voting. But only really on the pro side -- for antis, it may be an important consideration, but it is rarely a deal-breaker when it comes time to vote.
Of course, there is also a rural/urban split on the issue. And many Democrats hail from safe urban districts that are heavily anti-gun, so they feel free to push for gun control legislation. Indeed, California is doing so this week (even as Colorado recalled two Democrats), showing that the gun control issue isn't dead in the water everywhere. Other states have passed gun control laws this year without recall elections happening as well.
But what just happened in Colorado is going to have a sobering effect on Democratic politicians in the near future -- especially those from "purple" or heavily-rural states. Gun control legislation is all but dead on the national level already, as was proven earlier this year. There simply aren't enough Democrats in safe-enough urban districts to pass meaningful gun control legislation in either the House or the Senate. The state level is where the focus has shifted, and several states have indeed toughened their gun laws in various ways. But it's a piecemeal effort, and the Colorado results will be a stumbling block from now on.
Previously, Democratic politicians had to worry about gun control being used against them in their next campaign. Now they know that an entire campaign can be successfully waged against them in a recall election, on the gun issue alone. That's going to make an already fearful issue downright radioactive for many Democrats.
Pro-gun control pundits will point at polling which indicates that vast majorities of the American public favor commonsense reforms to our gun laws. But this doesn't really tell the whole story. While one of the Colorado elections was close (51 percent to 49 percent), the other was a lot more lopsided, at 56-44. Special elections like recalls generally have incredibly low turnouts, which means that only the people who feel very strongly about the issue at hand are motivated to make it to the polls. And elections are the only polls which really count.
Democrats at the national level shied away from gun control after losing control of Congress in the 1990s. They have only reluctantly held votes on it since then. They know it is not exactly a winning issue for them, no matter what the opinion polls say. Maybe Bloomberg's group can counter this trend and balance the money spent by the National Rifle Association in elections, but even leveling this playing field a bit may not matter. Bloomberg put a significant amount of money into Colorado to defeat the recall, unsuccessfully.
What this likely means is that the state-level push to pass gun control is likely to slow down over the next year or so. Solid blue states like California may still manage to reform their gun laws, but in states that aren't so fiercely Democratic (or those, like Colorado, who have only recently become blue), gun control efforts may now stall. Until another shooting tragedy outrages the public enough, the political trend is going to be away from gun control, not towards it.
-- Chris Weigant
Follow Chris on Twitter: @ChrisWeigant
@CW,
I have to apologize for this beforehand, but I have difficulty finding any consolation in the fact that michael bloomberg has injected himself into yet another issue he does not understand, and probably never will. education, nutrition, the list goes on. the man meddles in things because he can, because he's rich, because he thinks his money knows better than all the people who have more experience than he himself.
Gun control legislation is all but dead on the national level already, as was proven earlier this year.
Who could have predicted that Gun Control legislation would go nowhere??
Oh wait.. :D
As to the rest, you nailed it. Americans want COMMON SENSE laws for guns..
It's NOT common sense to take guns away from law-abiding citizens.
It's NOT common sense to blame guns when a psycho goes on a rampage..
Common sense is the key..
When guns laws are less restrictive, violent crime goes down..
When gun laws are more restrictive, violent crime goes up..
When you have a "Gun Free Zone" you might as well hang a sign that says "PSYCHO SHOOTING GALLERY". Just as trailer parks seem to attract tornadoes, gun free zones seems to attract gun-toting psychos.
It doesn't take a rocket scientist to realize the common sense here.
Guns aren't the problem... Guns have never been the problem.
It's people that are the problem..
I have to apologize for this beforehand, but I have difficulty finding any consolation in the fact that michael bloomberg has injected himself into yet another issue he does not understand, and probably never will. education, nutrition, the list goes on. the man meddles in things because he can, because he's rich, because he thinks his money knows better than all the people who have more experience than he himself
Ditto...
And that also describes MANY on the Left who make asinine comments regarding firearms...
Like that one totally moronic comment that gun owners will eventually run out of clips and magazines, having expended them all...
I could go on and on (and often do!! :D) but ya'all get the idea...
I could respect the position of the Left on this (and many other) issue(s) if the position(s) was borne of logic and common sense. Instead these issues are based on nothing by ignorance and fear-mongering.
I saids it befores and I'll says it again...
Any position on an issue taken in emotionalism is usually the WRONG position to take...
Ditto...
And that also describes MANY on the Left who make asinine comments regarding firearms...
Or alleged independents on the same subject?
Actually, I find it hilarious that capitalism has done to guns what laws haven't been able to. There has been an ammunition shortage the last few years. Part of it is the US government uses a lot of ammunition in training/operations and part of it is just lots of people buying guns due to NRA fear mongering and needing ammunition (well, at least it's good to know they are practicing) mixed with the same fear causing existing gun owner to stock up. I have heard tales of many gun shops holding back ammunition stock to make sure that if you buy a new gun from them they can sell you a couple of boxes of bullets...
Actually, I find it hilarious that capitalism has done to guns what laws haven't been able to.
Do you honestly think that the ammo shortage has reduced the number of guns?? If you do, I have some swampland in FL I wanna sell you! :D
A LOT of gun owners roll their own anyways so they would not be affected by ammo shortages...
I won't bother pointing out that ammo shortages are having no effect on violent crime.. :D
Do you honestly think that the ammo shortage has reduced the number of guns?? If you do, I have some swampland in FL I wanna sell you! :D
Yawn. Logic fail. Guns are just fancy pieces of metal without bullets to put in them. When you say "A LOT" of gun owners, got anything to back that stat up in relation to total gun owners?
When you say "A LOT" of gun owners, got anything to back that stat up in relation to total gun owners?
It's one of those personal experience things...
But if you want to believe that lack of bullets = less guns out there, I really can't do anything to prevent it..
Nor would I...
But if you want to believe that lack of bullets = less guns out there, I really can't do anything to prevent it..
And if you really think this is my point (it isn't) not much I can do for you...
As for your "personal experience", so, you got nothing?
And if you really think this is my point (it isn't) not much I can do for you...
So, we're agreed...
The availability of bullets has absolutely no effect on guns vis a vis availability or ownership.
Since limiting availability and ownership of guns is the goal of gun control fanatics and the reason behind all the completely useless laws that said fanatics push, your statement that ammo availability is "succeeding where the law is failing" is not logical and not supported by the facts..
As for your "personal experience", so, you got nothing?
Considering it's me that has the personal experience and you don't, I would say it's YOU that "has nothing".. :D
Finally, it was bandied around here in Weigantia a few months back about how gun control is now a winning issue for Democrats..
I point out again, as I pointed out at the time, that it's not... Democrats who try to limit the freedoms of law-abiding gun owners do so at their own peril...
Maybe if Democrats actually had some common sense about guns instead of nothing but hysterical fear-mongering, the majority of Americans would listen.
But they (Democrats) don't so they (majority of Americans) don't...
Michale
The availability of bullets has absolutely no effect on guns vis a vis availability or ownership.
Lack of ammunition reduces the effectiveness of guns in general. One of the gun nut arguments is they need guns to protect the country or be able to mount a revolution if government gets too oppressive. In such situations it's not how many guns are available but the amount of ammo. Every man, woman and child could own multiple guns each and without ammo, they are just hunks of useless metal.
Considering it's me that has the personal experience and you don't, I would say it's YOU that "has nothing".. :D
Well, first I did not make the point. You made the assertion that there are "A LOT" of ammunition reloaders out there. I am waiting for you to back it up that their numbers are not a mere drop in the bucket for total gun owners. So far you have come up with nothing, nada, zilch beyond "trust me, I'm right".
Second, why do you assume I don't have experience? I have had reason to be in that section of a gun store. It's always been empty compared to the customers buying guns and boxes of ammo at every gun store I have been to. More of a niche hobby in line with home gunsmithing than a main stream pursuit of your average gun owner...
Lack of ammunition reduces the effectiveness of guns in general.
Really??
So.. If I can put 2 in the 10-ring at 30 yards, how is the effectiveness of my weapon reduced but only having 2 12-round clips instead of 4?????
Second, why do you assume I don't have experience?
Because you didn't know that a lot of gun owners roll their own... :D
So.. If I can put 2 in the 10-ring at 30 yards, how is the effectiveness of my weapon reduced but only having 2 12-round clips instead of 4?????
And if that's all the ammo you have and 40,000 troops are coming at you? You know, the rest of the paragraph...
Because you didn't know that a lot of gun owners roll their own... :D
They don't. Only a small amount of gun geeks reload their own ammo. Prove me wrong with numbers rather than pretension...
CW,
Bashi & Michale are missing the point.
The issue is that of recall. I remember a book from about 1905 by Elihu Root, saying what a bad idea the recall was.
I'll have to go back & re-read it.
And if that's all the ammo you have and 40,000 troops are coming at you? You know, the rest of the paragraph...
As my mom used to tell me..
"If the dog hadn't stopped he would have caught the rabbit. The reason he stopped was to go to the bathroom."
To this day, I really have no idea what it means.. :D
They don't. Only a small amount of gun geeks reload their own ammo. Prove me wrong with numbers rather than pretension...
You're the one that is contesting the fact.
You prove me wrong. :D
DB,
Bashi & Michale are missing the point.
Wouldn't be the first time..
The issue is that of recall.
Well, that may be true for you. But for me, the issue is WHY the Dems were recalled.
They were recalled because they were stupid and tried to use a national tragedy to further a political agenda that doesn't have a snowballs chance of hell of succeeding unless coupled with a national tragedy.
THAT right there should tell ya'all something..
Michale,
"They were recalled because they were stupid and tried to use a national tragedy to further a political agenda that doesn't have a snowballs chance of hell of succeeding unless coupled with a national tragedy."
Or in other words,
They were recalled because an outside interest group(s), narrowly focused on a single issue, were able to pour millions of advertising, organizing, dollars into Colorado.
I assert:
1. Money plays a greater role the "lower" one goes in the political level. i.e spending $10m in the Presidential Campaign is chump change, spending it in a Congressional Race is major, & spending it is a State legislative district is monumental.
2. Narrowly focused interest groups can, by virtue of internet, sympathetic corporations, or cooperating Billionaires, raise literally uncountable money.
They were recalled because an outside interest group(s), narrowly focused on a single issue, were able to pour millions of advertising, organizing, dollars into Colorado.
You say "potato", I saw "Eskimo"...
It is morally and ethically wrong to use a national tragedy to further a political partisan agenda that the majority of Americans oppose...
1. Money plays a greater role the "lower" one goes in the political level. i.e spending $10m in the Presidential Campaign is chump change, spending it in a Congressional Race is major, & spending it is a State legislative district is monumental.
2. Narrowly focused interest groups can, by virtue of internet, sympathetic corporations, or cooperating Billionaires, raise literally uncountable money.
No one around here seems to complain about this when it benefits the Leftist agenda..
Gee, I wonder why that is!!!??
-Kevin Spacey, THE NEGOTIATOR
db [13] -
As I recall it (I should read up on it myself), the recall was part of the Populist/Progressive movement, so 1905 sounds about right.
-CW