As the huge field of Democratic presidential candidates girds for their first series of debates this week, Politico has raised a red flag for gun owners, reporting Monday, “The politics of gun control have played a role in decades of presidential elections, but advocates for the movement appear poised to make their greatest gains yet should a Democrat defeat Donald Trump in 2020.”
With every one of the nearly two-dozen Democrats now running for the nation’s highest office espousing some level of gun control as part of their campaign, the likelihood is climbing that all of their rhetoric will only drive more Second Amendment activists into the Republican camp—thus voting for Donald Trump’s second term—next year.
With the National Rifle Association Appearing to be in disarray and under fire from several, fronts, both outside and within, the prospects for a very ugly 2020 campaign are increasing. America’s gun owners have long rallied behind the NRA’s political battle standards, and while the organization has hardly struck its colors, the flags are looking a bit tattered.
This can only encourage anti-gunners to pour on the proverbial coal. As Politico reported, “national Democrats, united in a visceral opposition toward gun lobbies such as the National Rifle Association, remain galvanized by the wave of activism still emanating from last year’s tragedy at a high school in Parkland, Florida.”
NPR has profiled the candidates entering this week’s debates, which occur Wednesday and Thursday in Miami. The debates will air on NBC, MSNBC and Telemundo. There are some interesting remarks on gun control.
There is no small amount of irony resulting from all the discussion about guns. Democrat candidates want to discourage gun ownership, but every time they talk about new control ideas, people head to the gun shops.
What does the Politico story tell gun owners? They are in serious trouble if Trump loses in 2020, even though right now on social media some gun activists are spewing anger toward the president for stating during an interview that he will “seriously” consider action on silencers/suppressors in the wake of the Virginia Beach shooting.
However, contrary to what some alarmists are suggesting, Trump has so far not banned the devices. He has only suggested it’s something to consider. Putting things in perspective, last week he considered a retaliatory attack on Iran for the downing of a drone aircraft, but the order was cancelled.
For all of his faults, Trump has been filling federal court vacancies, and that could translate to decades of gun rights victories. He has placed two conservatives on the Supreme Court, and if he is re-elected that could include a couple of more opportunities.
No Democrat now running has stated anything remotely likeable by Second Amendment advocates. That’s probably not going to change with this week’s debates.
