Guns: Probably Not The Next "Obamacare"

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by: Colorado Pols

The Durango Herald's Joe Hanel takes a peek behind the curtain at the "grassroots uprising" against proposed gun safety legislation in Colorado. No surprises, but an important piece of this story to firmly establish in the record:

Experienced Republican campaigners have entered the fight against Rep. Mike McLachlan, D-Durango, although it remains to be seen how much they will assist in an effort to recall him.

A new nonprofit group called Colorado Citizens Protecting Our Constitution took out Web ads and a full-page print ad in the Feb. 17 Durango Herald to criticize McLachlan’s votes on four gun bills…

But little is known about the group or its funding. As a 501(c)4 nonprofit, the group does not have to reveal its donors.

It was registered Feb. 13, five days before McLachlan’s votes on the gun bills.

Tim Pollard placed the ads for the group. He is chief operating officer for EIS Solutions, a Grand Junction political-advocacy business that often works for the natural-gas and oil industry. Josh Penry, a former Senate minority leader and Republican candidate for governor, is EIS’s most well-known employee.

Early effort by some of our state's best-known Republican political operatives to set up the debate over guns in the Colorado legislature as a 2014 campaign issue is, like we said, totally predictable. It's a sign, as if the angry pro-gun mobs crashing legislative town hall meetings a la "Obamacare" August 2009 last weekend weren't sufficient proof–and yes, the crazies taking the unhinged low information talk-radio faux outrage to an ugly level–that Republicans intend to use the issue to turn out conservative voters next year.

The problem is, blustery nonsense aside, the gun lobby is on the wrong side of public opinion. Despite the intensity this issue provokes among one segment of voters, the fact is that polls consistently show support–as they did not with "Obamacare"–for the legislation actually being proposed at the Colorado Capitol. A new Wall Street Journal poll yesterday shows that 61% of the public supports stricter laws on gun sales. Only 34% said existing laws governing the sale of guns were good enough, and just a tiny 4% agree with local gun right activists like Rocky Mountain Gun Owners that these laws should actually be made weaker.

Needless to say, these are numbers that health care reform proponents would have begged for in 2009.

So what does this mean? Well, usual suspects like EIS Solutions, unless they've got a contract from the gun industry (which can't be ruled out), are mercenaries primarily interested in exploiting issues for Republican electoral gain. The increasingly well-funded campaign against the gun safety bills at the Capitol is a clear sign that Republicans think this issue will work for them electorally in 2014. It's what they've got to work with right now.

But once Dudley Brown stops bloviating and sober analysis begins, it doesn't actually look like it will.

14 thoughts on “Guns: Probably Not The Next “Obamacare””

Gray in Mountains says:

February 28, 2013 at 10:11 am

remember how much the wingnuts proclaimed that Obamacare was unconstitutional?

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1. JeffcoBlue says:
  
  February 28, 2013 at 10:15 am
  
  Yup. Remember how they said Obamacare would kill Grandma? That's the kind of lying going on with guns today.
  
  It is very reassuring to see the American people aren't fooled by the gun nuts anymore.
  
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  1. Aristotle says:
    
    February 28, 2013 at 12:52 pm
    
    Lying is right. ArapaGOrP, who has transitioned from Republican spokeshill to contemptible troll, is full of them on this topic.
    
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    1. ArapaGOP says:
      
      February 28, 2013 at 5:09 pm
      
      The huge crowds turning out to oppose Democrat gun control: do you think they are all stupid? When they testify, they are not being coached. I wouldn't be sure confident in the polls if I were you. This issue will cost Democrats dearly in 2014. Pols is engaging in panicked wishful thinking as usual.
      
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      1. Aristotle says:
        
        February 28, 2013 at 5:11 pm
        
        Got any crowd counts and photographs to support them? Got any polls to show widespread opposition to sensible measures like universal background checks? You know, the ones supported by most gun owners?
        
        I won't hold my breath because I know you don't have any of that.
        
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        ArapaGOP says:
        
        February 28, 2013 at 5:13 pm
        
        The media has reported the crowds at the Capitol every time there has been a gun bill debated. Why do you deny what everyone already knows?
        
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        Aristotle says:
        
        February 28, 2013 at 5:14 pm
        
        If the media has done that, then it will be easy for you to link.
        
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        roccoprahn says:
        
        February 28, 2013 at 5:27 pm
        
        Ari, I got on google and put in "day of resistance 2/23 youtube.
        
        You'll make your own determination, but from the footage shot by the gunsters themselves, it looked and sounded like /denver had 75-125.
        
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        Aristotle says:
        
        February 28, 2013 at 5:41 pm
        
        Doesn't sound like it was anywhere near the size of the Occupy Denver crowd, does it?
        
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        roccoprahn says:
        
        February 28, 2013 at 6:04 pm
        
        No, it doesn't.
        
        I remember a while back, opening day of the Legislature, 1/9, a loon by the name of pashman organized a gun nut meetup like this. Capitol Steps I think Duke was downtown for an anti fracking rally,and I drove by, admittedly after the fact. I saw a few people. The gun nuts were across the street.
        
        If memory serves, Duke said maybe 500 gun goons.
        
        What stands out about that one was pashman ran his mouth all week before the rally about how the pro 2nd protesters "would be open carrying, just to show the legislators we mean business". (Paraphrasing).
        
        Well, that didn't happen. And pashman curled up in the fetal, just like nugent with the Secret Service, when confronted by a reporter from the Post.. Different tune than the week before, the DPD was there, and it made a difference. Google"neal pashman 9news."
        
        Any how, I figure this one had less than that one, and that's good for civilization.
        
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      2. kickshot says:
        
        February 28, 2013 at 7:51 pm
        
        Not coached?
        
        Re: 2-27 Town Hall in Louisville
        
        "Crash" is the correct term.
        
        There was a takeover attempted in the first 30 seconds of the meeting:http://www.ar15.com/forums/t_8_20/518183_.html
        "So, when you take over the meeting, don't just talk about our rights. That IS the point to us but most citizens – sadly – know about as much about the Bill of Rights as they do about their car's electrical system"
        
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        MADCO says:
        
        March 1, 2013 at 7:06 am
        
        That is totally offensive.
        
        No one knows anything about car electrics. No one.
        
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    2. ArapaGOP says:
      
      February 28, 2013 at 5:12 pm
      
      I am neither a spokesperson or a "troll." I am just a concerned citizen asking questions.
      
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      1. Aristotle says:
        
        February 28, 2013 at 5:13 pm
        
        Bullshit. Since your return from your asskicking you've been a major troll. Almost as bad as basement warrior.
        
        Hey, can you tell me how gun purchasers paying for their own background checks is a bad thing?
        
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