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Originally Posted by Godless Dave
I think you're right Dantonac. Which is sad, because Bush also supports renewing the Assault Weapons Ban!
A lot of what conservatives are voting against is Rush Limbaugh's caricature of what Democrats stand for, and they often don't even realize what their own candidates stand for.
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Well, as they say, perception is reality.
The view that those around me seem to have concerning democrats is that they are gun grabbers. They do have a solid basis for that view, it is Clinton who enacted gun control measures.
The view/perception is that republicans stick up for gun rights. The perception I heard was that while Bush said he would sign the renewal, he never pushed for it and this equated to not supporting it. Kind of like his pro gun supporters were receiving hidden signals. I believe that Kerry, during his rant on the assault weapon ban alluded to the same thing.
Like I said, perception is reality.
The perception is Kerry is a gun grabber. That will cost him votes, not gain him any. He made an effort to do a few photo ops with him carrying a gun, he said he was a hunter etc. Why? Presumably to try and dispel the notion that he was a gun grabber. Then during the debates he "proved" to everyone suspicious of him on that issue that he really was a gun grabber.
Perception.
I don't think we can blame Rush for the democrats being viewed as gun grabbers, we have to blame the democrats. Clinton first and during the debates, Kerry.
I think this is one issue (among others) where democrats pick the wrong battles to fight and the wrong pet issues to support. It costs them votes over and over. Gun control at the state level where the majority support it can work, but at the federal level where most states don't support it is just dumb. Perhaps gun control is an important issue in New york city because of the dense population. How important do you suppose it is in the wide open areas of the "heartland"?
This speaks to the elitist attitude perception. Knowing what is right for everyone and federalizing an issue perceived to be a state issue. The "ivory tower, never been on a farm, intellectual elitists" (perception again) need to learn this lesson.
Otherwise those stupid, ignorant, right wing gun nuts who love Jesus in the backwards south (sarcasm) will continue to perceive that voting for democrats is not in their best interest.
And it won't be Rush's fault.