Reply #1: Democrats are not going to win big in rural areas until gun control... [View All]

Is taken from the national platform. People in the country are'nt going to fall for a spate of new programs that probably won't materialize, anyhow. A lack of government programs is'nt why we are losing in rural areas...the three G's are.

Gay-hate turns out to be not the burning issue the GOP wanted. People have other things to worry about, and really don't give a damn what they do in San Francisco. Conversly, this does not translate into any kind of great support for gay marriage, either. I think most people figure full equality for gays is on the way, and while they may not approve personally, are resigned to it...therefore, the GOP are going to be substantially deprived of their newest wedge issue. My best friend is really conservative...and has a gay brother. They are both voting for Kerry.

Abortion will not be at the forefront either, thank God. I read somewhere there is a 6 to 3 majority on the Supreme Court for Roe v Wade, which should effectively take it out of the equation.

But guns are where we are weak in rural areas. Our silly-ass support of gun control has cost us way too much, and has the potential to block what COULD be a landslide for us this fall; and defuse a complete paradigm shift in American politics-the end of Reaganism.

If New York City wants control, fine, but they have no right to dictate to WV or Tennessee. We live in different worlds.

Let the issue of Control be handled at the State and Local level, and get it the hell out of our national platform. Do that today, in a very public way, and we will annihilate the GOP this Fall.