Obama and Clinton would not be ignorant about the Right to Keep and Bear Arms (RKBA) if they had

[jody]

participated in DU’s Guns forum.

They could have learned about the depth of pro-RKBA feeling among the majority of DU members, people who say they are Democrats, and those who claim to be independent. People who actually can help elect a Dem presidential candidate.

They could have learned about the historical basis for the natural, inherent, inalienable right to keep and bear arms primarily for self-defense and secondarily for defense of state as clearly written in state constitutions beginning with PA in 1776, then VT in 1777 and most other states thereafter.

They could have learned that Bill Clinton, Al Gore, and John Kerry said the perception that Gore and Kerry wanted to ban guns was a major contributing factor to losing the last two presidential elections.

A couple more foul-ups on divisive, polarizing issues like RKBA and we Dems can snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.

[HowHasItComeToThis]

1. WE MUST SUPPORT OUR RIGHT TO ARM BEARS

OR TO HAVE BARE ARMS

[last_texas_dem]

6. I feel so very passionate about this issue

If none of the candidates adequately address it, I'll be writing in this guy:

[thunder rising]

2. shampoo, rinse, repeat. Get a clue.

How many teeth to you have? You're not one of those one-toothed rednecks are you?

[jody]

17. I have all my teeth, sans wisdom teeth. Do you have a brain? n/t

[QC]

19. How very progressive of you! n/t

[Perry Logan]

3. In poll after poll, most Americans want more gun control.

[enfield collector]

13. 80 million Amercians own guns and a lot of them vote.

[MercutioATC]

14. To be truthful, many Americans are ignorant about guns.

...just like they're ignorant about everything else.

The AWB bans guns primarily based on how they look, not their subjective "danger" to society. It's legislation written to do much the same thing the TSA does...appeal to people's emotions and ignorance and provide an illusion of security.

[bowens43]

4. Not this nonsense again......

you , like most gun pushers, greatly over estimate the influence of the gun people.

[Life Long Dem]

8. sigh...yeah right.

[AllentownJake]

5. So was the fact

That Gore and Kerry supported Row V Wade. We going to give up on that issue too?

[jody]

18. The majority of voters support Roe v. Wade and the majority of voters support RKBA. n/t

[BeyondGeography]

7. That's the real scandal

They've been out campaigning and blowing off DU's gun forum.

[jody]

11. "Clinton also renewed her call for reinstating the assault weapons ban, which expired in 2004."

See last paragraph in http://www.philly.com/philly/wires/ap/news/nation/elections/presidential/17543469.html

The revised AWB that HC wants would ban semiautomatic firearms used for self-defense and other legal purposes.

BO has also called for bans on all semiautomatic firearms.

That cost Kerry many votes when he posed while goose hunting with a Remington model 11-87 shotgun given him for the hunt, the type of firearm for which he was then sponsoring a bill to ban.

The bill was the revised AWB that HC and BO want to pass.

[enfield collector]

12. seems people have short memories, the original AWB cost us

the house and the senate and it was a truly worthless piece of legislation. banning guns because they look "scarey" makes us look stupid.

[Catch22Dem]

9. "majority of DU members?"

Seems unlikely.

[jody]

10. DU polls consistently show about 66% of respondents support RKBA. n/t

[spin]

15. Just the facts....

Map of states showing CCW laws:

http://www.moccw.org/map.html

Map showing how CCW laws changed from 1986 to 2006:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Rtc.gif

(Note: if the about link doesn't work right click and hit view image. Or view the parent page http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Concealed_carry and click on the map.)

The people in the states that allow concealed carry went to the ballot box and voted in favor of these laws despite considerable effort by anti-gun groups.

Many of these people voted for Republican Candidates merely because the Democratic candidate on the ticket was perceived as advocating draconian gun laws. By the way, I'm not talking about hunters. You don't need a concealed carry permit to hunt deer.

I don't believe any states have revoked concealed carry laws because the states suddenly resembled the "Old West" as portrayed in movies or because of numerous "shootouts at eh O.K. corral".

I've noted posters on this board have insinuated that people who own guns for self defense or who favor concealed carry laws are "knuckle dragging assholes". Some would call this an "elitist" attitude.

It's fine for a politician in a state with very restrictive gun laws to hold an anti-gun position. It's difficult for an anti-gun politician to win a national election for President.

I won't bother to address religion, but will merely say that alienating religious voters might also hurt a candidates chances in the General Election.

[jody]

16. Workable map below.

[spin]

20. Thanks for your support (nt)