Q & A
Whenever some one says to me: Uncle, why are you so certain that gun control is a political loser?
I say: Because Jesse Jackson thinks it’s a good idea.
Via email from Tom.
5 Responses to “Q & A”
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May 11th, 2004 at 2:24 am
I don’t think gun control is apolitical loser. It’s more like a political non-issue. It’s not useful as a wedge issue. It’s true that there are people who have intense feelings on gun control, but it’s not a core voting issue to enough people to make it worth the effort/cost of taking a strong stand on it.
At the federal level, donkeys will protect their base by showing up for the AWB, but their efforts to pass new gun control bills consists solely of lip service. And elephants will let the AWB sunset and oppose new legislation, but they haven’t exactly been screaming about rolling back the Brady Bill.
Neither side really gains from widespread attention to their position on this issue. I doubt it will be more than a minor issue this election season.
Unless, of course, something crazy happens.
May 11th, 2004 at 8:44 am
I tend to disagree based on two words: al gore. Gore did not win TN and West Virginia, which he could have won several years before. I think his vote deciding the tie on the AWB cost him.
It’s all speculative, of course.
May 11th, 2004 at 11:28 am
I can’t speak to WVa, but I can think of a few reasons Gore lost TN, but I agree gun control might have been one of them.
I think the biggest reason Gore lost TN was poor organization in the state. The state Democratic party apparatus did not do the field work necessary to turn out votes for him. They did the minimum necessary to be able to say they did their job.
Another indicator of Gore’s lack of effort in the state is that he really didn’t campaign in TN much at all, while Bush made a lot of stops there.
All of this resulted in a lot of core Dems staying home on election day. Turnout in TN was pretty low compared to the nation overall.
That’s why Gore just gave a bunch of money to the TN democrats and why he has spoken publicly of mending fences with them. He needs their support. But he hasn’t changed his tune on gun control.
Maybe Gore could have won without the ground support, but I think he certainly would have won with it. And maybe gun control would have tipped the balance too. As you say, it’s all speculative. 🙂
Regardless, I agree that if gun control is political issue to some degree. I just think it’s a relatively small one that will matter only when things are close – i.e. when a lot of other issues/factors are big enough to tip the blanace too.
May 11th, 2004 at 11:32 am
I agree other reasons contributed to his loss in TN because he basically made veep and abandoned his homestate. He never looked back. It’s one reason his concession speech said something about mending fences at home.
May 11th, 2004 at 5:09 pm
I frankly doubt his stance on gun control would have made any difference at all. The vast majority of gun advocates I know would never vote for a Democratic presidential candidate, no matter what he said about guns. It’s like an article of faith for them. If they don’t vote for the GOP candidate, they generally abstain or vote Libertarian.