U.S.A. –-(AmmoLand.com)- In an unusual analysis by Washington Post Congressional Bureau Chief Paul Kane, Democrats now have a glimmer of hope “that they can limit some of their potential losses and outperform expectations, especially in statewide races for the U.S. Senate and governorships.”
All they must do is run on “culture war” issues: gun control and abortion.
It’s something of a cinch they cannot run on their economic record. Kane appears to acknowledge this by leading his essay noting, “The top lines for Democrats continue to be brutal heading into the November midterm elections: Voters are furious about inflation, they overwhelmingly believe the country is heading in the wrong direction, and President Biden is not at all a popular figure.”
Underscoring this observation is Rasmussen’s Daily Presidential Tracking poll from Aug. 5, showing 21 percent of likely voters “strongly approve” of Biden’s job performance, while 44 percent—more than twice as many—“strongly disapprove” of Biden’s performance. It’s been that way for months, with the Presidential Approval Index rating bouncing up and down from about -22 percent to -30 percent.
The situation got worse for Democrats over the weekend with the 51-50 passage of the so-called “Inflation Reduction Act,” with Vice President Kamala Harris casting the tie-breaking vote.
Republicans, who have a nasty habit of snatching defeat from the jaws of victory, “heaped scorn on Democrats” for passing the legislation, according to Fox News.
So, since they can’t win on the economy and seem to be distancing themselves from Joe Biden, it’s got to be emotional issues on which Democrats hope to retain power in the Nov. 8 midterms.
Clearly, from reading Kane’s analysis, Democrats must fire up their troops with rhetoric about guns and abortion. There appears to be “a surging interest among Democratic voters and many independents toward gun control and protecting abortion rights.”
But wait a minute. Gun rights activists have no less an interest in protecting their rights against anti-gun Democrats, who just narrowly passed (217-213) a ban on so-called “assault weapons” in the House, though the establishment press predicts the ban will go nowhere in the Senate.
There is more. Recent high-profile actions by armed citizens, at an Indiana shopping mall and a California liquor store, reinforced the importance of fighting back and having a gun. Like it or not—and anti-gunners don’t—the public cheers when good guys with guns win.
The Second Amendment community is eager to recapture Congress and rescue the right to keep and bear arms from ban-hungry Democrats. Among the more than 1,300 responses to the WaPo article was this observation:
“There are two problems for the Democrats using gun control as an issue.
“First there is little to no evidence that a lot of the proposed measures would really work. Comparing so-called ‘firearms homicides’ with certain other countries ignores the fact that plenty of countries with strict gun control have much higher murder rates than the U.S. Likewise it ignores the fact that some of the most pro-gun American states have some of the lowest murder rates. In short guns are not the operative variable in murder rates.
“Second, when support for increased gun control is a mile wide much of it is only an inch deep. At the same time support for the Second Amendment goes all the way to the bottom of the Marianas Trench! The pro-gun side is much more committed and that is without the support of billionaire donors and the mass media!”
The Associated Press reported, “The Supreme Court ruling expanding gun rights threatens to upend firearms restrictions across the country as activists wage court battles over everything from bans on AR-15-style guns to age limits.”
Gun rights advocates are quick to respond that the high court’s ruling in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen did not “expand” anything. It simply restored the right of New Yorkers—and citizens in a half-dozen other states with similar laws—that a law-abiding citizen cannot be required to provide a “good cause” to exercise a constitutionally-protected right.
The AP story included a complaint from Jonathan Lowy, chief counsel and vice president of the Brady gun control group that, “We will see a lot of tax dollars and government resources that should be used to stop gun crime being used to defend gun laws that are lifesaving and wildly popular.”
He may believe such laws are “wildly popular” among the gun ban crowd, but that is hardly the sentiment of the firearms community.
If Lowy were to poll Ammoland News readers, for example, whether they support a ban on so-called “assault rifles,” he’d likely get a unanimous thumbs-down.
Kane’s analysis acknowledged the narrow focus of Democrat voters when he noted those in so-called “battleground” states “now rank abortion rights as, far and away, their most important policy topic.” It’s not the economy or foreign policy.
Kane subsequently concedes, “If Biden and congressional Democrats cannot blunt some of the inflation anger, voters are likely to tune out their appeals on guns and abortion.”
Heading into the midterms, gun owners—who are also consumers and taxpayers—have been handed something of a road map. Continue focusing on the economy, and support legal actions against local gun control laws by supporting the groups filing those challenges. It’s easy to remind neighbors, in-laws and hunting and shooting buddies they’re paying $2 more for a gallon of gas than they were when Biden took office. It’s easy to remind them they’re paying more for groceries, and will be paying higher taxes if the horribly misnamed “Inflation Reduction Act” passes in the House; the same House that just passed a ban on the most popular sporting rifle in the U.S. today.
Bill Clinton, who was no friend to gun owners, had it figured out: “It’s the economy, stupid.”
It has become more than that, however. It’s constitutional freedom as well, and that’s what is really up for grabs in November. If you’re not registered to vote at your current address, fix that and prepare to vote in three months.
RELATED:
- While Gun Ban Bill Passed House, Odds Are Against Senate Passage
- Following NYSRPA Victory, Other Gun Laws in Jeopardy?
About Dave Workman
Dave Workman is a senior editor at TheGunMag.com and Liberty Park Press, author of multiple books on the Right to Keep & Bear Arms, and formerly an NRA-certified firearms instructor.
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