Democrats Are Playing NRA Roulette

[onehandle]

Abandon the gun nuts. They will never support Democrats.
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Much has been made of the decision by some Senate Democrats to abandon their political base and support legislation backed by the National Rifle Assn. to shield gun makers from lawsuits by crime victims.

They apparently hope they can immunize themselves against attacks from the gun lobby or that the gun lobby will ease up on vulnerable Democrats at election time.

But these Democrats are making a big strategic mistake. They're following the failed strategy of feeding the political "alligator" first, in hopes it will eat them last.

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-oe-ricker23jul23,1,6562001.story?coll=la-news-comment-opinions

[DrPepper]

1. Guns vs. Abortion

Democrats should treat gun rights like the Republicans treat abortion. There's a strong pro-life part of the Republican part, but the GOP largely ignores them. We've had nearly 16 years of Reagan/Bush/Bush but abortion is still legal.

[billbuckhead]

2. Typically intellectually dishonest & politicallyopportunisticDean strategy

Let's create a fight among Dems where there hasn't been. The vast vast majority of Democrats, urban/suburban Independents and urban/suburban Republican women are against the NRA and promiscuous gun laws. The flip side is that the vast amount of rural voters wouldn't vote Dem if the candidate gave them a free gun. Fundementalism is the real issue and gun law is the excuse du jour. This is an issue where the Dems can show leadership and pursue a strategy the rest of the civilized world is pursuing or it can pursue the same exact strategy the RepuKKKes support.