The Opposition to Obama and Gun-Control is Rapidly Growing.

[iraiam]

Keep in mind that the County Sheriff is the highest elected law enforcement agent in the country, therefore it is a political office. I support their stance fully.

Now we have to figure out how much of this is politics, although if memory serves there are a few Supreme Court descisions that decree states and counties have no power to enforce federal statutes directly.

 

[zukiphile]

“Do not patronize the passionate supporters of your opponents by looking down your nose at them,” Clinton said.

I have never known Clinton as anything other than a partisan political adversary and a man with at least his share of vices. Stupidity is not one of his vices.

In any case, Clinton's words were worth considering, but the anti-gunners think they've got the wind at their back, so I doubt he'll be heeded.

Clinton has the considerable political advantage not just of his own brilliance, but by being relatively unhindered by the sort of inflexibility that accompanies a deeply held and principled belief.

Those who have made a career of abridging and individual's right to firearms are a very different sort of person. While we may not find their arguments are consistent with data or well reasoned, the "anti-gunners" are routinely convinced that they are correct not just factually but morally. This makes flexible and deft handling of public opinion very difficult for them. Sandy Hook certainly represented an opportunity for advocates of that position, but I would not think those advocates will have the inclination to follow Clinton's advice.

 

[Tom Servo]

I have never known Clinton as anything other than a partisan political adversary and a man with at least his share of vices.

He's much smarter than people think, and he managed a few political masterstrokes in his day. The antis would do well to listen to his advice.

I'm glad they aren't, for the most part.

"anti-gunners" are routinely convinced that they are correct not just factually but morally. This makes flexible and deft handling of public opinion very difficult for them.

You're right. They expect to win the day with heavy-handed emotional appeals, and the general public doesn't buy those as well as they used to. Their immediate capitalization on Sandy Hook is a good example. In their rush to capitalize, they really came off as morbid and opportunistic, and many folks noticed that.

 

[jpcmt]

I got this reply from my sheriff...so we could add Ravalli County, MT to the list possibly. Still not sure to what extent this is political or real, but it's something..and should be published in our local papers soon with further details.

Dear [jpcmt],

Thank you for your email. I have received several emails and calls, asking the same questions, over the past few days. As a result, I am working on a letter which I will submit to our local papers.

[jpcmt], I have spoken publicly, on many occasions, regarding my stance on the 2nd Amendment, and gun control in general. That stance has never changed. As long as I am the sheriff in Ravalli County, this office will never enforce unconstitutional laws, nor will we ever be involved in the confiscation of guns from law abiding citizens. Moreover, we will not stand idly by, and watch any other agency do so.

For lack of time I will leave it at that, and hope the above answers your questions. Please do look for a letter from me in our news papers, and don’t hesitate to send another email, to this address, if you have further questions.

Thank you again, for your very respectful email.

Best,

Sheriff Chris Hoffman
Ravalli County Sheriffs Office
205 Bedford Suite G
Hamilton, Montana 59840
406-375-4060
Fax: 406-375-4065
choffman@rc.mt.gov

 

[Luger_carbine]

I came across these 2 law enforcement officers who have said they won't enforce any measure which they consider unconstitutional:

Sheriff Jerry Parsley Clark County, IL

Police Chief Mark Kessler of Gilberton, Pennsylvania

 

[USAFNoDak]

Tom Servo:

He's much smarter than people think, and he managed a few political masterstrokes in his day. The antis would do well to listen to his advice.

When it comes to guns, Clinton is somewhat unencumbered by Northeast Liberal Group think, which also stretches across to Detroit and Chicago. Having grown up in the South, (Arkansas), Clinton is not as scared of guns and not as obsessed with removing them from every day life in America. He thought he could gain extreme political muscle with the Northeast democrats, who basically run the national party, by getting the first assault weapons ban passed. He did gain the muscle but at a tremendous loss for democrats in more rural, southern and midwestern states, which he was more familiar with. Now he's reminding the northeast liberals about those losses suffered by democrats due to the 94 ban. He's not stupid, he's actually a very shrewd politician.

 

[Alabama Shooter]

^^^^

Yes to all.

 

[rajbcpa]

this is largely puffery... the federal government will stop federal aid to those states that refuse to obey their gun control actions and that will be the end to the opposition.

 

[NWPilgrim]

I am not so sure about that one. In fact I am highly incredulous. Does anyone have a link to a statement from her? Because I doubt there is one.

The other Alabama ones are accounted for. I believe a few others will probably announce as well.

I don't know how I feel about Sheriffs not enforcing the law. I don't think they should have the privilege of picking and choosing. Still support is nice.

What our sheriff (Pat Garret) stated was that he would not enforce these FEDERAL laws and cited a supreme court decision which clarifies local LEOs are not required to enforce any federal laws.

 

[2ndsojourn]

"What our sheriff (Pat Garret) stated was that he would not enforce these FEDERAL laws and cited a supreme court decision which clarifies local LEOs are not required to enforce any federal laws."

If the same logic is followed as that applied by SCOTUS on immigration law, then it may be unconstitutional for local LEO's to enforce federal laws. Wouldn't that be nice.

 

[Luger_carbine]

has the federal government cut off aid to sanctuary cities that harbor illegal aliens?

I think in Illinois a state representative from a Chicago district introduced a bill to provide illegal imigrants with driver's licenses.

Isn't that a bit of a snub of fedeal law?

If the federal government is going to cut off funding - doesn't it have to be even handed, fair and across the board for all things?

If they were going to cut off funding for Wyoming for violating one federal law - wouldn't they also have to cut off funding to the Presdient's homestate of Ilinois for violating immigration law, and California too for that matter...

 

[zincwarrior]

Sheriffs are irrelevant. The only people that matter are Congress and SCOTUS.

 

[Webleymkv]

While I don't agree with many of Bill Clinton's politics, I will admit that he's probably one of the savviest politicians that this country has seen since FDR. If he's telling the Democrat Party that gun control is a political minefield, they'd do well to heed his warning.

 

[Dr Big Bird PhD]

If Obama gets an AWB passed, it will be the last thing he gets passed while he's president.

 

[Webleymkv]

If Obama gets an AWB passed, it will be the last thing he gets passed while he's president.

It could be the end for his agenda even if he doesn't get it passed. Even if Obama was able to strongarm all of the Congressional Democrats into voting for an AWB, the Republicans still hold the house and could stop it there. Such votes, however, would probably condemn many House and Senate Democrats to lose in the upcoming mid-term elections and give the Republicans a majority in both houses. By pushing too hard for gun control, Obama could very well turn himself into a lame duck.

 

[Tom Servo]

If Obama gets an AWB passed, it will be the last thing he gets passed while he's president.

They said that about the ACA as well.

Don't underestimate the short memory and apathy of the average voter.

 

[Brian Pfleuger]

By pushing too hard for gun control, Obama could very well turn himself into a lame duck.

This being the one reason that part of me hopes he does... caveat being that this theory would actually play out. Hard to say since...


We can never...

...underestimate the short memory....

ignorance

...and apathy of the average voter.

 

[BGutzman]

The presidents political career is limited to the next 4 years and he's done... Those who support the AWB may want to have longer careers and outside of a couple of insane states going for the AWB may be a career ender.

Certainly there will be a push and there will be a fight and I expect every underhanded. low and vile anti tactic will be used. I also believe that the 2A is not a right or a left issue for most people. Its a either you believe in the 2A or you don't issue. Either your for us or against us kind of thing and very personal. I believe the administration will find that this is one issue that cant be handled like the other agendas they have followed. I think that lesson will be learned at considerable cost and they wont learn it quickly nor easily.. It will be a "The Emperors new clothes" kind of thing.. Make no mistake this is no easy fight for our side but this is different.

 

[USAFNoDak]

Obama and the anti gun democrats are banking on the fact that the electorate has changed enough to give them a majority of support with respect to gun control, something Clinton didn't have. There are more members of minority classes now, but it seems unclear as to how dedicated those people are to gun control. I guess we're about to find out, and probably pretty soon.

It seems that there's evidence of a strategy to paint ALL republicans as being radical supporters of the "EVIL" NRA, in hopes to divide and conquer the Republican party and scare some of the more moderate Republicans into supporting more gun control to avoid being linked to the NRA. Will that work? It has certainly worked in the past on Republicans such as Olympia Snow and Susan Collins.

 

[Webleymkv]

Quote:
If Obama gets an AWB passed, it will be the last thing he gets passed while he's president.

They said that about the ACA as well.

To be fair, the President's party lost control of the House and their margin of majority in the Senate shrunk in the 2010 midterm election. Also, while many people try to paint the 2012 election as a landslide victory for the President, one must remember both that Mitt Romney was fairly weak on some hot-button issues (he signed both Romney Care and a state AWB in MA) and even still the President only managed to take 51.02% of the popular vote. So, while the President was able to survive the fallout of the ACA, he and his party certainly didn't come out unscathed.