Remember when Obama was a “moderate” on guns? When he spent a couple of years trying to show Americans he wasn’t that kind of Chicago pol?
Yeah, I didn’t either.
In 1994, the backlash against Clinton’s raft of gun laws was a key part of the Republican Revolution that swept the country; the likes of Newt Gingrich wanted us to think it was all “Contract with America”, and that was the marquee event to be sure, but for a whoooole lot of people, it was the Democrats voting for (and some GOPers caving to) the anti-gun panic that drove votes.
Remember Rod Grams’ defeat of Ann Wynia?
Does Al Franken remember it?
Based on the number of union slaves, with 2012 and Obama-Biden bumper stickers on their pick ups that I’ve seen at some gun stores over the past few weeks, I’m guessing that even their masters won’t be able to get them to vote DFL next time. According to my union brother, the one that actually gets it, many of his IBEW co-workers that voted that way, are pissing and moaning about it now. He’s been able to laugh at them and congratulate them for not getting the full story as to where candidates would actually stand.
Being “one of those”, I attended the relatively small gunshow in Bloomington this past weekend. I arrived around noon and the place was packed. Plus, many in attendance were not the usual attendees. More women, families with kids, and older patrons were well represented.
An old friend is a stocking gun dealer who always does a brisk business. He told me that they had to open 20 min. early to accomodate the pre-event crowd which was overflowing into the surrounding areas. He sold all (about six) of his “black guns” (the evil ones) within the first half hour of opening.
Aside from one joker and his wife who were sitting behind a stack of Magpul high-capacity magazines priced at $40 each (they usually sell for $14), other prices still seemed reasonable.
What I find interesting is that most “black guns” sell for over, some well over, $1000. Even though rumors of confiscation, outright bans, and soccer mom disapproval abound, people are buying them as fast as they can be offered for sale.
This behavior could lead to some rather interesting possibilities if President Obama, Governor Dayton, or any of the other gun haters out there try to take them away – either directly or indirectly (taxation, onerous regulations, limitations, etc.). People don’t make that type of investment planning to surrender them easily if requested. I’m not sure what to make of this and hope there is no violence involved when this plays out. However, the above entities are hopefully factoring this behavior into their long term strategy.
As previously posted, many who could be counted among Obama’s loyal followers must be among those who are not in favor of negative gun laws. This will be a very interesting situation as it unfolds.
I had a similar debate with someone on FB a few months ago. He claimed to be a firearms owner/user/2nd amendment supporter (and also knew several left of center people who were). I responded “Explain to me how you and your friends could really be in favor of guns when you keep voting, repeatedly and universally, for politicians who constantly put forth policies to make it more expensive/difficult to own/carry firearms, who demonize gun owners, and who, if given the right political climate, would confiscate every last firearm in private citizens’ possession.”
His response was essentially “well, you Republicans keep voting for politicians who say they are fiscally conservative but then turn around and spend like Democrats!”
One of my numerous head->desk moments on FB.