[dave_a]

I would agree with that review.

I posted something on IIDB about something I felt contributed to Kerry's defeat. I listed his support in the debates for renewing and strengthening the assault weapon ban.

What a losing issue to take a position on.

Put aside whatever feelings you might have on the issue of gun control, this isn't meant to be a good/bad debate.

The point is immediately after Kerry gave his pro ban position in the debates I started seeing "Sportsmen for Bush" signs popping up whereas before there were no such signs that I saw. Sure, plenty of Bush-Cheney signs, but none of the Sportsmen for Bush signs. So I asked 2 guys in the office who they were voting for and why. One of the 2 would vote for Bush simply because he isn't a democrat. The other is much more independant and has been somewhat anti Bush the last 4 years. Both are avid hunters and own guns.

Both said they were voting for Bush and both said it was because they viewed Kerry as yet another democrat gun grabber. They heard Kerry's position on the assault weapon ban and that was the most important issue to them. On the major issues like terrorism/war/economy they didn't see that things would change much under Kerry (right or wrong), but that Kerry would go for more gun control which they despise.

I frequently hear labels like "gun nuts" on this board and other liberal leaning boards and while I can understand the sentiment, it just doesn't resonate well outside of California, New York and a few other places with dense populations.

I have no way of knowing how many votes Kerry lost by his pro gun control statements, but had he not expressed support for gun control he certainly wouldn't have lost any and some independants/undecideds probably would have been more comfortable going for Kerry.

With elections as close as they have been it just seems like some of the issues democrat leaning folks harp on are alienating to a lot of people and those issues really aren't worth focusing on.

It's hard to earn someone's vote while calling them a gun nut or some other derogatory term. It's also hard to sway someone's thinking on issues when you have insulted them on other issues.

All this talk on the boards today about how stupid half of America is isn't going to help.

Of course right leaning folks do this all the time to left leaning folks, it isn't a one way street, but it is the left who has been out of power for awhile and last night lost a tad more power.