Issues and the midterm.
I got in some trouble on this board for arguing that we were weak on our push for Gun control. Earlier this week, when another poster suggested we were wasting too much time on Snowden, the NSA, and our civil rights. I asked what topics he thought we as Democrats could discuss that would affect the elections in just fourteen months and a couple weeks.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10023499716#post23
His answer was Gun Control, Sequester, and Voting Rights. I had to point out that in polling, none of those seem to make much of an impact with the voters.
http://www.gallup.com/poll/164057/economy-easily-important-driver-obama-approval.aspx
So to further prove my point. I thought I'd point out how Gun Control is doing out in the world there.
http://www.timesdispatch.com/news/local/central-virginia/richmond-rally-supports-more-checks-for-gun-purchases/article_67d3f71b-270c-5b2f-ae66-3da17c9a8900.html
Speaking to a sparse crowd — perhaps 15 local supporters — Heslin said one of the simplest things that could be done “to prevent guns from falling into the wrong hands” is for Congress to pass legislation that would expand background checks for all firearm transactions, including private sales.
Gun Control doesn't reach in the top nine of the issues polled by gallup. While some of us, including myself, feel that additional restrictions are more than warranted. The reality is that the issue just doesn't have any traction with voters. Generally speaking, it isn't a gun owners versus gun control folks issue. It is an uncomfortable issue for those who don't personally have guns. Those people hear conflicting arguments. We are supposed to legalize Marijuana and they've seen the great success of the war on drugs, so they somehow feel that the war on guns isn't going to work out any better.
We need an issue that we can run on as a party. Something that we can agree on. While I sympathize with those who lost family and friends to gun violence, and again, I personally would support you. The problem we run into is this, it's just not an issue that we can win on. So we need an issue that we can get some information out there about, and show we are the preferable choice. Because right now, it looks like our platform is going to be Vote Democratic. We suck, but not nearly as bad as the Republicans.