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Pro v. antigun count
At the Volokh Conspiracy, Dave Kopel has an early-evening count of the electon impact on gun issues. Net result: a tiny loss in the Senate (1.25 votes), a larger but not disasterous loss in the House (14 votes). It's interesting how many major races involved essentially a pro-gun and anti-war Demo vs. a pro-gun and pro-war Republican. (Virginia and TN being clear examples, with the Demos running conservative, pro-gun types who are Demo in little more than oppositon to the war in Iraq).
· Politics
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I don't think that is true.
The Democrats have lost massively
due to gun control.
The House in 1994 and possible the White House in 2000.
You see the Democrats talk much about gun control now? No.
PA was similar - both Casey/Santorum were on the pro-gun side and Altmire/Hart both have A ratings from GOA
You all know as well as I do that the democrat leadership is eventually going to attempt to run their gun control playbook one play at a time regardless of what a few dissenters in their party might think.
They will probably be assisted by the inaction or outright support of a few Republicans who don't give the 2A much thought.
You don't know that.
The Democrats remember their losses.
Did they make gun control a big issue in 2006?
No.
Did they drop it after 2000? Pretty Much.
Wait and see I suppose. I personally think that with the worst of the worst in the judiciary committees of both houses, it will be impossible to not see gun control bills at least hit the floor.
The newly elected dems probably want to avoid gun control legislation like the plague if they have any brains. On the other hand, the entrenched anti-gunners in the dem party who have no fear of losing their seats may be unable to restrain themselves from pushing their agenda even harder than before, now that they have leadership positions. It will make for some hard choices for the freshmen.
Anybody who thinks all those "new conservative democrap electees" won't drop trou the first time pelosi says "squat" is living in La-La land.
The big difference between then and now is that they have control of congress. In my opinion it is wishful thinking to believe they aren't going to move on their core issues now that they are in that position, and their party leadership is full of gun control advocates.
What Dave said. You have to look and see who is IN CHARGE of the Democratic Party. To those in charge, gun control is still in their bag of tricks. Yes, most of the newly-minted Democratic Representatives and Senators were NOT gun control advocates, but just how far do you think that they will put their backs up against the leaders in their own party when said leaders decide it's time to get back on the gun control wagon?
Short answer, they won't resist.
For you and I, finish your wish list of weapons, prioritizing those most likely to be banned first, and include ALL the high-cap magazines you will ever need for anything you own or will own. Buy those VERY SOON.
There is upward pressure on prices NOW, and there will be downward pressure on supply SOON.
Do you think the Democrats want to go into 2008
with American gun owners pissed off about a MUCH hated gun ban we hated for 10 years coming back to ravage us again?
The Politics of gun control has changed folks.
Schumer, Pelosi, and Feinstein may not have changed but the rest of the Democrats know they will face a groundswell of voter hatred should they renew that damn gun ban.
Marc
The gun grabbers are just going to go back to one tiny step at a time. Their failure in 1992 was the result of over confidence.
They are going to go back to the old trick of passing a law without enforcing it for a while so people will be off guard when it is enforced.
Possible method of getting the law passed? Attach something that's not much, by it's self, to some bill. Same as earmarks.
The clock is ticking on how quickly we see the AWB re-introduced and passed. There is nothing to stop it now?