The NRA Lost a Big One in Virginia

[DanTex]

Did you hear about the big bellwether election for gun control politics on Tuesday? A candidate with an F rating from the NRA who was bold enough to openly support universal background checks and limits on ammunition magazines won in a purple state with a strong gun culture, the home of the NRA. Pundits everywhere are ready to make grand proclamations about what the result will mean for the gun issue nationwide, just as they did when two Colorado state senators who supported tougher gun restrictions were recalled in a September election that involved vastly fewer voters.

Actually, only one part of that paragraph is accurate. Terry McAuliffe is the next governor of Virginia. But very few pundits have been framing the race as having anything to say about the state of the gun control cause, despite McAuliffe’s remarkably forthright support for tighter gun restrictions, which included proudly touting his F rating in a debate with Republican Ken Cuccinelli. Most summaries of the race make zero mention of the gun issue at all, despite the fact that both sides of the issue have engaged heavily in the race, with the NRA spending $500,000 against McAuliffe and Mayors Against Illegal Guns, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s group, and Gabby Giffords’ Americans for Responsible Solutions spending roughly $2 million combined.
...

http://www.newrepublic.com/article/115480/terry-mcauliffes-gun-control-stance-virginia-gives-issue-new-life

To be sure, the VA election was about much more than gun control. Nevertheless, McAuliffe was F-rated by the NRA and didn't try to hide it, and VA isn't exactly MA. This is a very encouraging sign.

[coldmountain]

1. I hope it's the first of many losses for the gun pushers

[lastlib]

2. Always good to hear about an NRA loss!!

I hope it's the beginning of a long and progressive trend!

[Starboard Tack]

3. Excellent! One more myth dispelled .

There may yet be hope for a saner approach to gun ownership.

[billh58]

4. The NRA, as funded and manipulated,

by the Koch Brothers and other right-wing organizations and corporations, has been steadily losing their political clout even as they pour millions of dollars into "guns for everyone" causes and corrupt politicians.

With more and more Americans becoming aware of the insidious public health menace of gun violence, public opinion -- even among rational gun owners -- is turning toward support for sane regulation of lethal weapons.

[mwrguy]

5. Now let's keep pushing

and maybe build some momentum against the gun nuts.