2016 Postmortem
Related: About this forumHillary Clinton’s push on gun control marks a shift in presidential politics
In her standard stump speech, Hillary Rodham Clinton talks about fighting income inequality, celebrating court rulings on gay marriage and health care, and, since the Emanuel AME Church massacre, toughening the nations gun laws.
That last component marks an important evolution in presidential politics. For at least the past several decades, Democrats seeking national office have often been timid on the issue of guns for fear of alienating firearms owners. In 2008, after Barack Obama took heat for his gaffe about people who cling to guns or religion, he rarely mentioned guns again neither that year nor in his 2012 reelection campaign.
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Mark Glaze, a longtime gun-control advocate who until recently oversaw former New York mayor Michael R. Bloombergs gun-control efforts, argued that Hillary Clinton should embrace her husbands record.
The Clintons pulled off the almost-impossible by giving us the background-check system and banning assault weapons, Glaze said. Thats something President Obama wasnt able to do. Their political interest lies in owning, rather than obscuring, that accomplishment.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/clinton-makes-big-gun-control-pitch-marking-shift-in-presidential-politics/2015/07/09/4309232c-2580-11e5-b72c-2b7d516e1e0e_story.html
hack89
(39,171 posts)I still support HRC. Smart political move on her part - and if she is smart about it perhaps she will be able to get UBCs passed.
arely staircase
(12,482 posts)morningfog
(18,115 posts)blm
(113,136 posts)Common sense gun control was included in Kerry's campaign, and, he absolutely did NOT shy away from it when he held a press availability in Iowa.
>>>>
Mr. Kerry proved quite the shot. Moments later, he leveled his gun suddenly and squeezed his trigger once more, and another pheasant fell to the ground, this time with an appreciative pack of journalists witnessing the kill.
Bizarre as the juxtaposition seemed, Mr. Kerry said his gun control stance and his marksmanship were quite compatible.
''It's not a mixed message,'' he said. ''I'm just being where I've been all my life.''
''I believe in the Second Amendment in this country,'' Mr. Kerry continued. ''But I don't believe that assault weapons ought to be sold in the streets of America. Never believed it, don't believe it now.''
>>>>
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/11/01/us/shotgun-in-hand-kerry-defines-his-gun-control-stance.html
DemocratSinceBirth
(99,719 posts)Gun control is common sense.
blm
(113,136 posts).
DemocratSinceBirth
(99,719 posts)tularetom
(23,664 posts)There's this from 2008, when she was trying to appeal to "hard working Americans, white Americans":
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/04/12/clinton-touts-her-experience-with-guns/
VALPARAISO, Indiana (CNN) - Hillary Clinton appealed to Second Amendment supporters on Saturday by hinting that she has some experience of her own pulling triggers.
I disagree with Sen. Obamas assertion that people in our country cling to guns and have certain attitudes about trade and immigration simply out of frustration, she began, referring to the Obama comments on small-town Americans that set off a political tumult on Friday.
She then introduced a fond memory from her youth.
You know, my dad took me out behind the cottage that my grandfather built on a little lake called Lake Winola outside of Scranton and taught me how to shoot when I was a little girl, she said.
And then there's this:
Do you really believe all this gun control talk will last into the general election campaign, when she's again trying to appeal to "the middle", or at least what she perceives as the middle?
DemocratSinceBirth
(99,719 posts)There's this:
The Clintons pulled off the almost-impossible by giving us the background-check system and banning assault weapons, Glaze said. Thats something President Obama wasnt able to do. Their political interest lies in owning, rather than obscuring, that accomplishment.
And this:
http://tinyurl.com/mcdodce
tularetom
(23,664 posts)What assurance do you have that she will continue to be for it if she becomes the nominee and her pollsters, focus group gurus, and image consultants tell her that Americans don't favor it?
DemocratSinceBirth
(99,719 posts)I subscribe to the "Clean Hands" doctrine
Unclean hands can be used as an affirmative defense in cases where the complaint is equitable.
I would refrain from criticizing the choice of another person's candidate on an issue where my candidate's stance on that issue is spotty at best.
arely staircase
(12,482 posts)DemocratSinceBirth
(99,719 posts)But a Sanders supporter suggesting HRC is bad on guns is like Jonah Hill saying John Goodman is overweight.
arely staircase
(12,482 posts)DemocratSinceBirth
(99,719 posts)My buddy had guns and I didn't even like to be in the room with him when he had them out.
I do think it's interesting the people who arrogate to themselves what stances on the issues are progressive and what stances aren't and what is important and what isn't.
tularetom
(23,664 posts)Although extreme gun control measures become the issue du jour every time there is a tragedy like Charleston, I am reasonably confident neither of these candidates is going to do anything drastic as far as the 2nd Amendment is concerned. It just isn't that big of a deal with most Americans.
I'm merely pointing out that Ms Clinton has managed to plant herself firmly on both sides of this issue.