So, the President had his picture taken shooting a shotgun

[MineralMan]

at Camp David. Why is this big news and why are there threads all over the internet about it? Camp David has lots of recreational opportunities, and multiple Presidents have no doubt shot at clay birds while there, along with their guests. It's a rural retreat, and that's a popular activity at such places.

The New York Times even made a mistake and called the shotgun a rifle. That's no big deal, either, since the press that deals with following the President around and reports on what he does are more likely to know about international affairs and political matters than they are about brands of shotgun or skeet and trap shooting.

The bottom line here is that the President shot at some targets while at Camp David. How is that even news at all? Does the news report when he plays cribbage or pinochle while he's at Camp David? Does it report on the walks he takes around the grounds there?

By the way, the shotgun the President is using appears to be a Browning Citori 12 ga. over-and-under shotgun. The Ruger Red Label series of over-and-under shotguns also look a lot like that. Both are very nice shotguns for that type of shooting, and cost about $3000 to buy. I'm betting it's there, along with some other shotguns for the President and his guests to use if they feel like busting clays to pass a little time. It's no different from playing golf.

Does the President do this a lot? I doubt it, based on the position of the butt of that shotgun on his shoulder. I think he was just trying it out, and is a novice at that recreational activity.

It doesn't make him a gun nut. It does not mean that he is somehow opposed to firearms control. He is neither. He was taking advantage of one of the recreational activities available at Camp David. Let the man have his down time.

[Pirate Smile]

1. He was asked in an interview if he had shot a gun & he said he had. A bunch

of fools accused him of lying. He wasn't. They released a pic showing he wasn't. The usual freaks go nuts and the media does its standard thing - which the White House was obviously expecting. No big deal. The over-the-top reactions are what's interesting.

[MineralMan]

2. Right. It's the reactions I'm talking about.

Everything gets blown all out of proportion. We make far too much of insignificant things, and too little of important things a lot of the time. It's frustrating.

[cthulu2016]

3. The man is seeking a law that would ban some currently legal shotguns

(The AWB limits shotgun capacity)

I, for one, am glad that he has some modest familiarity with the general subject being regulated.

I have never fired a shotgun, so he is one up on me.

[kudzu22]

5. To be fair - DiFi is seeking the ban

I suspect Obama supports it but I don't think he's said one way or the other what should be banned.

[cthulu2016]

9. Restoring the original AWB was in the platform. I imagine Obama has spoken in favor at some point.

I think the DiFi bill expands the 1990s AWB, but I don't know much about it.

The 1990s AWB limited shotgun magazines, hence my comment.

[wandy]

4. The president is also a fairly good vocalist....

The thing here is that a goodly portion of the country isn't near to coming to blows as to weather a bass guitar used in the backup band has 4 or 8 strings. Nobody would much care if said bass were a Fender or a Rickenbacker.
The subject of guns has become a national hot button.

I do most defiantly agree with you. "Let the man have his down time".

[TwilightGardener]

6. Just as unimportant as can be. I think his office should have let it go, but

no big deal.

[RebelOne]

7. So big dea;, he wasn't shooting at a person or an animal. Just clay pigeons. n/t

[Kalidurga]

8. The RW reactions are hilarious.

And expected. Got the photoshopped meme right here at DU courtesy of some RW nut job site.