Bush and Kerry hold fire on gun ban issue

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If "gun control" is such a "win-win" issue (as has been suggested here many times), why hasn't Sen Kerry spoken out more on the issue?


"Bush and Kerry hold fire on gun ban issue
By Alex Halperin in Washington
Published: August 11 2004 05:00 | Last updated: August 11 2004 05:00

On paper, both John Kerry and George W.Bush support the extension of the US assault weapons ban. In practice, neither has done much to make it happen - thanks to the power of gun politics in the US.

The 10-year-old ban expires on September 13, highlighting an issue both men have avoided.

In 1994 Mr Kerry backed the law prohibiting sales of various types of semi-automatic weapons. But, like all Democrats, he and his aides know the price of tangling with the gun lobby. Former president Bill Clinton has said that the assault weapons ban cost 20 Democratic members of Congress their jobs and helped the Republicans sweep Capitol Hill in 1994.

The National Rifle Association, for its part, boasts that it mobilised gun owners in such key states as Arkansas, Tennessee and Missouri, rallying enough votes for Mr Bush to win in 2000.

So Mr Kerry has hardly mentioned extending the ban even though the Democrats' election year platform calls for it. In a symbolic Senate vote to extend the ban this year, Mr Kerry voted in favour, but since then he has courted gun owners by posing for photographs with a shotgun and in hunting gear.

Tom Diaz, a senior policy analyst with the anti-gun Violence Policy Center, suggests the gun control lobby is complicit in the Democrats' soft-pedalling, keeping relatively quiet in the hope of minimising gun-rights fervour directed at Mr Kerry."

More...


And in a related story...

"Kerry Works to Attract Gun Votes"

Focused on winning the votes of gun supporters in swing states, Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry is promoting himself as a "lifelong hunter" and Second Amendment supporter. The approach has led the National Rifle Association (NRA) to step up its efforts to challenge Kerry's stance, the Washington Post reported Aug. 9.

Kerry has been using as many occasions as possible to show voters that he supports responsible gun use. A flier from the Laborers' International Union describes the candidate as a hunter. In a campaign commercial, Kerry is pictured with a shotgun. And at a recent stop in Wisconsin, Kerry shot at clay targets at the Gunslick Trap Club".

8<------- Snip

"While the NRA is trying to depict Kerry as anti-gun, the Kerry campaign is taking steps to fight back in order to win swing votes in key states.

The approach appears to be working. A recent NRA poll finds that Kerry has support from 42 percent of gun owners in states that Bush won in the 2000 presidential election".

More...

Good thing JFK isn't following the advice of or playing the 'anti-gun' card that the gun-grabbers are pining for.

[David Dunham]

1. Gore's pro-gun control stance hurt him.

[TX-RAT]

2. Really?

How would a person go about proving that?

[MrBenchley]

3. Notice none of our "pro gun democrats"

ever point out that the scummy right wing gun lobby is doing any harm to Democrats....although the shitbirds are currently lying their asses off day and night.

[MrBenchley]

4. Let's see....

It couldn't be that Kerry is focusing on more urgent issues...like Iraq and the economy? Or that the ball is currently in Chimpy's court?

By the way, it's interesting to see what you left out of the second story...

"The NRA plans to spend $20 million this year on commercials and telephone, e-mail and door-to-door canvassing to depict Kerry as "a Second Amendment phony."
"We're going to be very active," said Wayne LaPierre, executive vice president of the NRA. A commercial that the NRA plans to run in September will show people from Kerry's home state of Massachusetts describing him as an elitist rich guy who hunts occasionally but doesn't support gun-owners' rights.
Another ad, currently airing in the key states of Tennessee, Arkansas, West Virginia, Michigan, Minnesota, New Mexico, Nevada, Pennsylvania. and Iowa shows Kerry appearing to doubletalk on the issue."

Yeah, that's our "pro gun democrats"....lots of "pro gun," next to no "democrat"

[-..__...]

12. Without a doubt.

"It couldn't be that Kerry is focusing on more urgent issues...like Iraq and the economy?" I'm reasonably certain that he's placing more urgency to those particular issues.

Anyhow, I am confident that JFK is more than capable of addressing more than two (or, three, or four, or five, etc), issues at a time. If the anti-RKBA issue is as "winnable" position as you suggest, then Kerry
could at least spend a fraction of the time he's spent pheasant hunting and clay shooting stating that position. But he hasn't now has he.

"By the way, it's interesting to see what you left out of the second story...".

Maybe because that same tiresome screed has been played over, and over, and over again...ad nauseum?

Or... maybe because it had little or nothing to do with the point or purpose of my post? That is "If "gun control" is such a "win-win" issue (as has been suggested here many times), why hasn't Sen Kerry spoken out more on the issue?"

[MrBenchley]

19. Gee, in case you hadn't noticed

the ball is in Chimpy's court....

Can't see how you missed it...you "pro gun democrats" have been cheering for the unelected drunk and Tom DeLay for months now....

[enfield collector]

27. damm I actually agree with you on this.

Kerry is rightly focusing on more urgent issues, let's face it the AWB is such a worthless piece of crap that it doesn't deserve his attention

[GOPFighter]

5. "Gun-grabbers"!

"Good thing JFK isn't following the advice of or playing the 'anti-gun' card that the gun-grabbers are pining for."

All hail the almighty GUN. By jove, we mustn't offend the paranoid and insecure voters whose only security in this world is being able to buy another assault weapon at a moments notice. When terrorists kill 3,000 innocent people we go to war. When 3,4, or 5 times as many innocent men, women and children get shot to death every year, we must do nothing for fear of upsetting the might gun lobby.

I have no respect for those single issue voters who care not when their government invades another nation without provocation, but sh*t a brick at the thought of having the government having a record of their gun purchase, or try to find a way to keep guns away from the bad guys.

[MrBenchley]

6. You'll find a lot of that down here....

Notice it doesn't offend our "pro gun democrat" that the scummy gun lobby is lying their butts off about the party and our candidates....in fact, they omittted that part of the story.

[GOPFighter]

7. the pro-gun zealots....

...have always held the lowest rung in my personal ladder to hell.

[MrBenchley]

8. Ditto....

We regularly get open attacks on Kerry and cheerleading for Republicans down here....

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13. Uhhh, maybe that would be true if I didn't include a link to the story.

"in fact, they omittted that part of the story."

:eyes:

[MrBenchley]

14. Gee....and yet you didn't post it....

So it IS true....

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15. Yeah, ok.

Next time I'll post the parts you want to read or think that are pertinent.

:eyes:

[TheRovingGourmet]

23. I think you misunderstand pro-gun voters. nt

nt

[MrBenchley]

24. No, he pegged the dishonest sumbitches exactly right...

[TheRovingGourmet]

26. No, he did not even come close.

[MrBenchley]

30. No, he pegged them correctly...

We see it here pretty much every goddamn day...

[TheRovingGourmet]

31. New Jersey must be a different place then

[goju]

9. I wonder

Why no one has addressed the original question:

If "gun control" is such a "win-win" issue (as has been suggested here many times), why hasn't Sen Kerry spoken out more on the issue?

And, how exactly did the NRA and other gun lobbyists vote so often in 2000 and 02? With a relatively small membership, I just dont see how we can give them THAT much credit. Dollars might influence but, last I heard, dollars cant vote. People can though!

Hmm, I guess I will think more on this pro gun democrat issue, kinda like Kerry is doing.

[MrBenchley]

10. Simple answer...

The ball is in pResident turd's court...

Kerry's smarter to let the Chimp pander to the scum of the earth by not renewing, then bash him good and hard afterwards....

"how exactly did the NRA and other gun lobbyists vote so often in 2000 and 02"
Money given to the Republicans by the gun lobby....$2.62 million in 2002; $3.8 million in 2000

"last I heard, dollars cant vote. People can though!"
And figures can lie and liars can figure. And dishonest attack ads don't much care who pays for them...

[FeebMaster]

16. If gun control is so popular

and 78% of the people want the AWB renewed, shouldn't Kerry be more vocal about any gun control he might want to pass?

[MrSandman]

17. Warning...

Logic in the Gungeon

[MrBenchley]

18. Nope...

No wonder gun nuts think Mary Rosh is a scientist....

[library_max]

36. Logic?

Conflating the AWB with gun control generally isn't logic, it's a fallacy.

[MrBenchley]

11. I wonder why

none of our "pro gun democrats" seem in the least perturbed by the NRA's dishonest attack ads....

I guess I had this "pro gun democrat" issue pegged correctly all along....

[gatlingforme]

20. Kerry is doing what Gore should have done. I could care less

if Kerry rides the fence on this. If this gets more votes for him I am all for it. I have to pinch myself sometimes when I hold politicians to the same standards as regular people- I forget they are politicians for a reason. I admire Kerry's shrewdness in his campaign.

[MrBenchley]

21. And Kerry is still getting lied about by the gun lobby...

just as Gore was....

Always amazing that none of our "pro-gun democrats" want to admit what scummy playmates they have...

[gatlingforme]

22. LOL, I think Kerry is doing an excellent job with all the BS the NRA

pulls. So you would be happy if pro gun dems just admitted they have scummy playmates? LOL

[library_max]

25. I can't recall anyone ever saying that gun control generally

is a win-win political issue. I think I have seen that said about the AWB specifically - and lo and behold, both Bush and Kerry support the AWB, or say they do. Bush is the one trying to have it both ways. You'd have to wonder why, if the AWB is as unpopular as some posters here seem to think. As for Kerry, it seems to me I can recall several threads by our own Gungeoners expressing dismay over things Kerry has done supporting or attempting to resurrect the AWB. But anyway, Kerry ain't exactly Master of the Senate these days - he's kind of busy running for President.

[goju]

28. I dont blame Kerry, he's playing it just right

The "reason" he is not talking more about the AWB or gun control in general is the question. I doubt his senate schedule has anything to do with it. He has plenty of opportunity to mention it on the campaign trail, he just chooses not to. I think the reason is, he knows its a losing issue. Smart move!

I dont understand why some anti gunners wont acknowledge that. Ive heard alot of excuses, but the fact that the AWB "could" be a hotbed issue to attack bush on says alot. If Kerry thought he could do some damage by reminding voters that bush "isnt" pushing for the renewal, he would do it, wouldnt he?

[library_max]

29. How?

Bush and Kerry have done exactly the same thing. How does it help Kerry to attack Bush for doing what he himself has done? Nor does it help to remind voters that Bush has the power of the Presidency and Kerry doesn't.

[goju]

33. What I meant was

Since Kerry has been vocal in the past on issues of gun control, it might be a benefit to him now to remind voters that bush isnt a supporter of gun control, and will allow the AWB to sunset. If Kerry thought gun control was a winning issue, he would do that. I just dont see it happening.

[derby378]

34. That 78% approval for the AWB is looking a little shaky

Hopefully, the AWB will sunset, and Kerry will realize once he takes office that he's got more pressing issues to deal with than restricting law-abiding citizens' access to certain firearms. There's Iraq to consider, then our crappy job market, then Medicare, then health care in general, then rebuilding our crumbling research and science infrastructure, then our dysfunctional energy policy, then job outsourcing, then...shall I go on?

[MrBenchley]

35. Says who?

"There's Iraq to consider, then our crappy job market, then Medicare, then health care in general, then rebuilding our crumbling research and science infrastructure, then our dysfunctional energy policy, then job outsourcing, then...shall I go on?"
Do go on...and then tell us how putting assault weapons in the sweaty shaky hands of loonies and criminals helps in any way....

[Vladimir]

32. Because in an election year

where poll after poll have shown that Kerry leads Bush handily on economic issues, it would be silly bordering on stupid to waste time going after an issue where the two candidates have an identical position. Pretty much the same reason why Kerry is so lukewarm on Iraq or gay marriage. He is going to hit Bush where it hurts, and where the public trusts Bush the least - in the jobs.

PS The only way to attack Bush on the AWB anyway would be to attack him for not spending enough time trying to get Congress to stick it on his desk. Anyone voting Kerry after that speech was voting Kerry before it too...