Brady Center Says Obama Has Failed on Gun Control.

[USAFNoDak]

http://www.politico.com/politico44/...n_f_4e52b8a5-4d03-44ce-9f5c-adbad49ed0bd.html

They give him an F, but the overall violent crime rate has declined, despite a large increase in the purchase of guns and ammo since Barack Obama became The President. So what are the folks at the Brady Center really looking for? It doesn't seem to be related to a real reduction in violent crime, but more related to how they'd like gun control to be, regardless of it's effect, or lack thereof, on violent crime rates.

I wish we could get some reporter in the MSM to point out this failure of logic on the part of the Brady Center. Well, I can dream, can't I?

 

[Brian Pfleuger]

You can dream, yes.

You're right though. The agenda matters, results are duodenary, I think, maybe less.

 

[Doc Intrepid]

Obama indicated his intended actions regarding firearms quite clearly during his candidacy.

On the other hand, I do not recall him ever stipulating a time table for their implementation - and particularly not a time table that was ever run by the Brady Center for their review and approval.

Given the magnitude of other matters that Obama faced when he took office, it is unsurprising that "Appease the Brady Center" did not appear at the top of the list.

I suspect that the matter is not closed. In particular, President's who have been elected to a second term and thus cannot serve a third may often act with greater freedom than those who still desire to be elected to their second term.

Obama said what he would do, but he never said when.

Perhaps that gives the Brady's something to dream about...

 

[USAFNoDak]

peetzakilla posted:

results are duodenary

Wow, I like that. Good wordsmithing. It gives one a feeling of contentment to hear such prose.

It's like perambulating next to a cold mountain stream as it rushes across the cool rocks which are semi covered with ice.

Oops, that's not gun related. Let me adjust.

It's like perambulating through a gun show where there are collections of classical firearms, just waiting to be purchased by their next, caring owner.

 

[Tom Servo]

In particular, President's who have been elected to a second term and thus cannot serve a third may often act with greater freedom than those who still desire to be elected to their second term.

I don't see a second term happening. Remember that the Brady Campaign threw their wholehearted support in for him during the election runup. Now they're calling him a turncoat. They're not the only ones with buyer's remorse.

I do find myself agreeing with Sarah Brady on something, though I don't think she's as pleased with the results as I am. Still, I'd like to take a moment to say, "I told you so!"

OK, it's out of my system.

In just one year, Barack Obama has signed into law more repeals of federal gun policies than in President George W. Bush’s eight years in office. From the repeal of Reagan Era rules keeping loaded guns out of national parks to the repeal of post-9/11 policies to safeguard Amtrak from armed terrorist attacks, President Obama’s stance on guns has endangered our communities and threatened our national security.

That first sentence is somewhat telling.

Other criticisms from the Brady release:

• failing to intervene in the matter of the Thune Amendment, which would have allowed for national reciprocity of concealed-carry permits
• failing to overturn the Tiahrt Amendment, which prevents the FBI from compiling a database of individual gun purchases
• failing to close the fictional gun-show loophole (legislation has been proposed, but is floundering)
• failing to reinstate the Assault Weapons Ban
• quite tellingly, "[silencing] administration officials who spoke out in favor of banning assault weapons." Eric Holder went from calling for the renewal of the AWB to "looking forward to working with the NRA" in three days.

While I certainly expected to see him avoid gun control as a major policy issue, I figured he'd show at least some sympathy to it. Instead, he's done his best to tiptoe away from the whole thing altogether.

While our impact is hard to measure, the gun culture in this country certainly had an effect. We've made our voices heard, and the trick from here out is to maintain that vigilance and resolve.

 

[Brian Pfleuger]

Wow, I like that. Good wordsmithing. It gives one a feeling of contentment to hear such prose.

I don't know about all that! I just wondered what came after tertiary... so I googled. Duodenary (12th) is my new favorite word!

 

[ADB]

Given the magnitude of other matters that Obama faced when he took office, it is unsurprising that "Appease the Brady Center" did not appear at the top of the list.

Frankly I doubt "appease the Brady Center" is on the list at all no matter where you look. For two reasons. One, Obama's a smart man, and he knows that there's very little middle ground on guns--and the people on the pro-gun side are easier to make angry than the people on the side of the Bradys and Mike Bloomberg.

And even if he didn't know these things, he's got people there with him including Rahm Emanuel who were there all through the disaster for the Dems that the 1994 AWB helped create.

While I certainly expected to see him avoid gun control as a major policy issue, I figured he'd show at least some sympathy to it. Instead, he's done his best to tiptoe away from the whole thing altogether.

I would expect that to continue.

 

[Nnobby45]

LOL, O'Bama has come up short in the eyes of quite a number of the more left leaning groups who thought they had their own Sugar Daddy.

Oh yes, he's for plenty of gun control, but he doesn't have the right political climate, and he has other pressing matters on his agenda.

 

[Rangefinder]

and the people on the pro-gun side are easier to make angry than the people on the side of the Bradys and Mike Bloomberg.

Not necessarily---it's just easier to dodge a road-raged speeding Yugo sporting "green is great" bumper stickers, and us normally quite peaceful gun owners have them out-numbered by a fair margin...

Is he smart? Obviously smart enough to be in the Whitehouse. So he's probably also smart enough to trust his aids when they tell him "Mr. President--we have a very large population that not only owns guns, but know very well how to use them effectively. With a tanking economy, you really don't want to upset them directly any more than they already are..."

In which case the media steps in with their nonsensical drivel to continue the brainwashing of the masses who are unable to think unless they are told what to think... But that reaches into yet another category.

 

[Scorch]

Personal opinion, I think Obama is hesitant to try any new gun control laws due to the very recent Heller decision by the US Supreme Court. He is trying to avoid any major public opinion mis-steps, especially after a) sending more troops to Afghanistan after promising to have the troops home within 6 months, b) backpedaling on Iraq and Iran, and c) doubling the US National debt within 6 months of taking office after criticizing the Bush administration for deficit spending. He has taken a beating politically over health care reform and his administration's bashing anyone who dared speak against it, then scuttled the national health insurance portion as a political expedient to get it passed in the Senate, and now he is losing his majority control of Congress so it's probably dead anyway. He is a political animal, and right now he is feeling a little uneasy.

 

[teeroux]

They gave him an F. Good glad they are unhappy with him like everyone else, but it is sorta like the village idiot calling someone stupid.

 

[carguychris]

...Obama's a smart man, and he knows that there's very little middle ground on guns--and the people on the pro-gun side are easier to make angry than the people on the side of the Bradys and Mike Bloomberg.

+1. In today's political climate, IMHO gun control is lose-lose for the Democrats, and staying out of it is a win-win. Here's my take:

• Statistics show that the American population in general is more supportive of the RKBA than at any time in modern history.
• The percentage is high enough that the general support must cross party lines, pretty much no matter how you spin the statistics.
• Crime is near an all-time modern low point despite the worst economic downturn in generations. This takes the wind out of the sails of any organization trying to use crime control as an excuse for gun control.
• Shall-issue CHL laws and general loosening of gun-control measures on the state level have failed to produce the bloodbath that gun-control proponents had predicted.
• The expiration of the AWB has also failed to produce the bloodbath that gun-control proponents had predicted.
• Gun-control supporters are generally ideologically aligned with the Democratic Party on other issues, so they're likely to vote Democratic regardless, even if you do nothing substantial to help them. FWIW this is my personal explanation for the late-2008 appearance of the statement on the Obama website supporting renewal of the 1994 AWB- you offer lip service so the diehards say "Oh yeah, he's one of us!", they vote for you, and then you quietly tiptoe away from the issue. (At the risk of starting a fatal thread hijack, this approach worked swimmingly for the Reagan and GHWB administrations vis-a-vis the Christian conservative movement.)
• Hardcore gun-rights supporters outnumber hardcore gun-rights opponents, and we're better organized. (Really.)
• The Heller decision and the upcoming McDonald decision threaten to undo anything you attempt, which not only erects a serious obstacle to writing workable legislation, but also gives you a convenient excuse to do nothing while telling diehard gun-control supporters that you're still on their side. ("Ya know, I'd love to help you, I really would, but you see there's this SCOTUS case...")
• Last but not least, support for gun control could undermine recent gains by moderate Democrats in midwestern and western states where rural voters see gun rights as more important than voters in Democratic strongholds do.

All IMHO of course.

 

[ADB]

He is trying to avoid any major public opinion mis-steps, especially after a) sending more troops to Afghanistan after promising to have the troops home within 6 months

I think you need to listen to politics more carefully. He said 16 months, not 6, and was referring only to Iraq. He specifically campaigned on a stronger focus in Afghanistan.

doubling the US National debt within 6 months of taking office

Um, no. The current US national debt is 12,300 billion dollars. Of that, the amount Obama specifically pushed for is only about 800 billion.

and now he is losing his majority control of Congress so it's probably dead anyway.

59% is still a majority.

 

[Bartholomew Roberts]

In just one year, Barack Obama has signed into law more repeals of federal gun policies than in President George W. Bush’s eight years in office.

1. I don't think that statement is true.
2. Interesting that Brady would release the statement right now when they have zero to gain from it. It almost looks like they want to pump up Obama's pro-gun cred.

 

[ADB]

The percentage is high enough that the general support must cross party lines, pretty much no matter how you spin the statistics.

Of course. I forget where I read it, but something like two thirds as many Democrats own guns as do Republicans.

Gun-control supporters are generally ideologically aligned with the Democratic Party on other issues, so they're likely to vote Democratic regardless, even if you do nothing substantial to help them. FWIW this is my personal explanation for the late-2008 appearance of the statement on the Obama website supporting renewal of the 1994 AWB- you offer lip service so the diehards say "Oh yeah, he's one of us!", they vote for you, and then you quietly tiptoe away from the issue. (At the risk of starting a fatal thread hijack, this approach worked swimmingly for the Reagan and GHWB administrations vis-a-vis the Christian conservative movement.)

Bing! This is why I don't believe Obama really has any intention of following through on that sort of thing. +1 on the rest of what you said, too.

 

[M4Sherman]

He is a smart man that knows it is better to dodge a bullet you said you would take at risk of reticule of your friends than it is to take it at the risk of a horrible (political) death

(and bush set the 2010 deadline for pulling out of Iraq not Obama)

 

[carguychris]

Interesting that Brady would release the statement right now when they have zero to gain from it. It almost looks like they want to pump up Obama's pro-gun cred.

FWIW I think they're upset for the same reasons as other left-wing factions- Obama has not turned out to be their knight in shining armor, a liberal Superman who would arrest the nation's 3-decade swing to the right and return us to the halcyon days of 1973.

I think that the intent of the strongly-worded (wow is it ever!) press release is to try and garner media attention for their cause while motivating Democrats in Congress to pay attention to them.

I agree that it will backfire. I predict that it will be met by thundering silence on the part of the administration, which is currently preoccupied with a floundering health care bill and a stunning Senate loss, while the mainstream news media will remain fixated on the underwear bomber and the Haiti disaster. Meanwhile, gun-rights organizations can hold up the release for the faithful as proof that their tactics are working.

 

[Doc Intrepid]

The fact of the matter is that gun control is simply not a winning platform for the Democrats at this time.

Brown's win in Massachusetts only underscores the difficulties that Democrats will face in mid-term elections later this year.

For the Obama Administration to come out strongly in support of a platform which can offer him no significant political benefits, but completely energizes his opposition, makes no political sense.

And then there is that SCOTUS case hanging heavily off to one side...

The Brady's are going to need to chew on their frustration awhile longer...

(IMHO of course)

 

[Mike Irwin]

Why am I having trouble being depressed about this?

 

[Rangefinder]

The Brady's are going to need to chew on their frustration awhile longer...

Yup---it seems to me that their smoke and mirror tactics aren't working as well these days. The smoke is clearing and it's pretty difficult for them to hold leverage over the numbers that are showing. Numbers like..... "evil black rifle" sales are at an all-time high. High-cap magazine sales are at an all-time high. Ammo purchases are at an all-time high with demand still way over supply in most places. The number of general firearms purchases is up several whole percent points. And with all that, they would love to be able to say their cause-effect model that they've been preaching for decades holds true--that violent crime has magnified as a result of more firearms. BUT, they've found themselves holding an empty bag. Violent crime has decreased. Actually, it hasn't just decreased--the violent crime percentage is the lowest it has been in several decades.

OOPS! Sorry Brady Bunch---guess you'd better rethink your soapbox stance.