General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsMaybe its just me, but I think the national mood toward the NRA is taking a . . . . .
. . . . . a sharp turn toward unfavorable. It is reasonably common knowledge it was the NRA, through its congressional puppets (the GOPee) that stopped action after every mass shooting, most disgustingly after Newtown. Soon enough it will be widely known that the NRA's goons directed the GOPee (Paul Ryan) response to the Democrat's sit in in the House chamber.
They will call it a stunt, but it is clear to everyone what it really was. A call to action this Fall.
I think it will be increasingly easy to successfully vilify the NRA and those who do their bidding.
Ilsa
(61,675 posts)jmg257
(11,996 posts)and once again sell more guns, & especially the would be AW types, then ever.
Watching the coverage yesterday it is hard not to feel that change is coming.
Imagine if Hillary was able to join that sit-in - the wave it would have caused!
Motley13
(3,867 posts)Located in Fairfax, VA
18 people arrested for loitering while protesting.
I was curious why there were not protests at their location
.
elljay
(1,178 posts)We need a petition that says the following:
"I will not vote for a candidate for any elective office who, from this day forward, accepts money from the NRA."
I think you are right and the public would sign in massive numbers. This would give politicians the confidence to reject NRA contributions aka bribes.
RoccoR5955
(12,471 posts)The ammosexual gundamentalists around here are surely convinced that Obama is going to come for their freedom protectors any day now. They are scared, and those that can afford to, are buying more guns!
mopinko
(69,803 posts)that groups like the nra do more than just shovel money and voters. i suspect that they set honey traps for members of congress and then blackmail them.
probably not the only ones who do it, as evidenced by the coke and hooker parties during the bush years with those charges with monitoring extractive industries. (agency slipping my mind right now.)
some of these guys got pretty paltry sums of money for senators. the terror that they have of crossing them is just to big compared to that money.
jmo
Lee-Lee
(6,324 posts)It's not the money that the politicians fear. It's the fact that with one email the NRA can flood their offices with calls and emails from a large number of voters, many who are single issue voters.
And for every gun owner that is a member there are about 10 who are not, probably half of whom vote similarly but just don't sign up.
It's a huge voter block, probably only equaled in size and influence by some unions. Big unlike unions who the DNC can always count on to fall in line no matter how much Democrats sell them out the NRA has no party loyalty and will unleash its members on anyone of any party who they feel sold their issues out. And unlike unions where a lot of members just join because the job requires it every NRA member willingly pays every year only because of one issue.
That's a motivated block of voters 4x the size of the Teamsters Union.
If your in a red state or district and the NRA decides to back your primary challenger you are toast.
Gun control groups don't have that influence because they can't even manage 5% of the paid membership of the NRA and those who do join are not as vocal and are not single issue voters on guns in large part.
Hell, most of the gun control groups can't even manage respectable enough membership numbers to admit to them without counting Facebook "likes" as members instead of dues paying members. And they keep merging and none have staying power.
raccoon
(31,088 posts)ReRe
(10,597 posts)Every time there's a mass shooting, the NRA's "popularity" takes a nosedive.
rufus dog
(8,419 posts)The meme about them being able to sway elections is bullshit. Over a decade ago they had some impact, but the past few cycles they have been very careful in endorsing candidates. That is, they endorse candidates in very safe Red districts and then claim they have this huge influence on elections. It would be like us endorsing candidates in SF and NYC and claiming we have a high success rate of getting Democrats elected! No we are placing safe bets. The Dems are exploiting this to weaken the NRA and Repubs.
66 dmhlt
(1,941 posts)The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice.
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Cryptoad
(8,254 posts)a steady decline in the number of households that own a gun. Clock is ticking on the NRA,,,,,,,,,,
mainstreetonce
(4,178 posts)In the right durection
ffr
(22,644 posts)to other people who are listening. And people like good causes to stand behind. This can only sway more people into our way of thinking, instead of the GOP's RW M$M's way.
cali
(114,904 posts)Seriously, I think you're spot on.
leeroysphitz
(10,462 posts)alp227
(31,959 posts)saidsimplesimon
(7,888 posts)This must be stopped. We need something more than defeating Republicans by spending more money. I'm still in favor of term limits for Congress. The momentum is building and public disgust for members of Congress is at a zenith. We need a real discussion of our best course of action as citizens.
Most spend their time preparing for the next campaign season and a future working for their corporate, banking and other greedy one percent masters of the universe. There is also the fact that we are paying them for staying home.
MynameisBlarney
(2,979 posts)I can't help but think of a certain song by The Exploited.