Democrats Hit Two Massive Roadblocks on the Path to Gun Control Legislation – Opinion

In the aftermath of mass shooting tragedies in this country, the first thing elected officials – especially on the left – do is to begin pointing fingers at the other side while making vile accusations. The second thing is to commence with “do something” rhetoric, in some instances out of a genuine desire to make people safer but in others to “never let a crisis go to waste” in using it to try and implement massive power grabs over the American people. Others were injured.

Unfortunately, we’ve seen this scenario play out among Democrats almost to the letter in the ten days since the horrific mass shooting that happened at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas which saw a deranged 18-year-old gunman shoot his grandmother in the head before proceeding to the school he once attended and murdering 19 students age 11 and under and two teachers who were trying to protect them. Another 17 were also injured.

However, in the quest to ram through gun legislation that their Republican critics claim would not only be a failure but also a waste of time and money It is notDemocrats are facing two major roadblocks that would prevent gun violence at schools and further undermine the Second Amendment.

We can all help each other, and we can also help our voters.

CNN reported Wednesday that Americans aren’t as pro-gun control a Democrats or some media outlets want them to believe.

[Polling guru Harry Enten]: So, there’s this great question from Gallup, which essentially asks, are you satisfied with U.S. gun laws, and if you aren’t satisfied, if you’re dissatisfied, do you want stricter gun laws, do you want them to be less strict?

Only 36% Only 36% say they’re dissatisfied with current gun laws and would like them to be more strict. Get this: 54% say they’re either satisfied, or they’re dissatisfied and actually want less strict gun laws. It could be that you want stricter gun laws but you’re generally satisfied and this

To me, this tells the whole story. Because it could be that you want stricter gun laws, but you’re generally, actually, satisfied, and this 54% gives it away. Most Americans feel satisfied with their current gun laws or prefer to have them less restrictive.

[…]

It’s amazing to see people actually take the time to look at these polls and ask, “Okay, does this actually track where voters are?”

In 2016, two measures were on the ballot to increase background checks. One of these was from Maine while the other was from Nevada. These states both lie in the middle for the nation’s electorate. They’re both within a point of the national presidential. See what happened in Maine. Only 48.2% voted for yes. In reality, the ballot measure did not extend background checks. The overwhelming majority (52%) said no. Nevada’s vote barely received more than half of its votes.

Look at the background checks polls: 80%, 90% When you look at people actually voting on the measure, it’s not anywhere close to that! It’s much more of a 50/50 proposition.

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Some House Democrats who live in red districts or purple states are acutely aware of the disconnection between Sen. Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi say about national opinions on gun control and what the reality on the ground actually is and are very worried about what type of pushback they’ll get at the ballot box in November:

Democrats feel haunted and afraid by gun control issues, which makes them reluctant to support moves like banning assault rifles.

More than 20 years after restrictions on guns were blamed in part on Al Gore’s loss in the 2000 presidential race, many Democrats still worry that being too aggressive on gun control could hurt the party’s candidates in purple states and House districts.

“If you’re someone like Raphael Warnock, it’s a complicated message. It’s a nuanced message at best,” one Democratic strategist said of the incumbent senator who is up for reelection this year in a competitive race against Republican Herschel Walker. “There’s a lot of history that scares a lot of people. It’s a slippery slope that Democrats don’t want to be on the wrong side of, particularly for front-line Democrats.”

The truth is that the facts are setting in, even with the exaggerated rhetoric of Democrats. “Leaders” like House Judiciary Chair Jerry Nadler should take note that holding votes like the ones he’s planning on his recently introduced legislation in order to “get colleagues on the record” may just backfire on those in his own party and in a year where some are predicting historic election losses for Democrats.

Related: MSNBC’s Chuck Todd Tries a Bizarre ‘Whataboutism’ Argument on Greg Abbott That Defies All Logic