Brady Campaign gives Obama an "F"

[TheMightyFavog]

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2010/01/brady_campaign_gives_obama_an.html?ft=1&f=103943429

Flame me if you must, but I think this is a very good thing. Embracing gun control during the 1960s was one of the dumbest moves we as a party ever made. All it ever accomplised for us was to get a whole hell of a lot of working class people to vote against their own economic self interests. I think Obama recognizes this, and even though it will take decades to undo the amount of damage we have done to ourselves, it's a start.

For more information, may I suggest reading Joe Bageant's excellent book Deer Hunting With Jesus.

[slackmaster]

1. Their grade of "F" can be a real compliment

As is the case with the state of Vermont, which has some of the lowest rates of violent crime of any state.

[Lasher]

2. No flames from me.

I agree with you. But flames there will be.

[eleny]

3. "Deer Hunting With Jesus" - This is a must read

I feel that I understand so much more about the motivations of the right wing Americans with the same heritage as Bageant. It was an eye opener. And his writing style is so engaging. He really taught me a lot.

[proteus_lives]

4. Obama should wear that F with pride.

To hell with the Brady Bunch Authoritarians!

[Recursion]

5. Finally some good news NT

[virginia mountainman]

6. With Brady grades....the worse, is better!

Just look at the screwed up way they grade states, seems like all the "good grades" go to the violent hell holes, and the "bad grades" go to mostly peaceful states.

But then again, they are lead by a pack of Republicans.

[TheMightyFavog]

7. Someone on Facebook put it this way.

We'd be better off focusing our efforts on fighting the root cause of most of the gun violence in this country: Poverty.

[TheWraith]

24. A... FUCKING... MEN!

God I wish some people would get that through their heads! The reason we have a gun problem in this country of cheap unreliable handguns, and Switzerland doesn't with ~600,000 machine guns stored in people's houses, is because of the combination of gut-wrenching poverty and the black market created by our insane drug war. We have a situation in this country where millions of people, particularly in inner cities, are left without any real hope of becoming middle class, and then we create the market for billions of dollars to flow into cities, unregulated and illegal, in the form of drugs. Just legalizing and regulating a few major drugs would slash our national violent crime problem by a massive amount. When Prohibition was repealed, all it's supporters insisted that the murder and violence rate was going to skyrocket. Instead it dropped by two thirds practically overnight. The same thing would happen with narcotics: shrink the black market, you starve out the gangs.

Even so, poverty is the key. People who have hope for the future have a reason not to kill and be killed in gang wars. You don't see drive-by shootings in Aspen and Beverly Hills, you see them in the parts of this country where people have no possible route out of poverty except getting involved in the drug trade and the gang wars that come with it.

Even most mass shootings trace back to it in the form of somebody losing their livelihood and not being able to take it, or somebody who was ill and not getting proper mental health care.

Make sure that people have jobs, living wages, the respect of themselves and others, and stability, and watch violence in this country plummet. It's time for us to stop wasting our efforts telling people what they can and can't do with their bodies, and do something to improve their lives instead.

[anonymous171]

8. I agree with you about gun control.

[Kaleva]

9. A very good grade (in a positive sense) IMO,

If he were to highlight that in 2012, President Obama could probably easily best his 50/50 split he got McCain he got in 2008.

[votingupstart]

10. +1 n/t

[backscatter712]

11. WOOHOO!!! F stands for Reelection!!! n/t

[rd_kent]

12. A failing grade from the Brady Bunch is a good thing.

It means that you are on the side of the Constitution and Civil Rights.

[Don Caballero]

13. The one thing I disagree with the President on

Gun control must be a major issue of his first term.

[virginia mountainman]

14. Why? are you a Republican trouble maker that..

Does not want him to even get close to winning a second??

So you can stand back, and watch a red tide, sweep this land, in 2012 and possibly elect someone like a Sara Palin to the presidency???

[Don Caballero]

15. I am a long time gun control advocate

While I do care greatly about having fellow Democrats inhabiting the Congress, gun control is an issue that needs to be addressed.

[Retired AF Dem]

21. He will not address it unless he gets re-elected

He does not want to be a one term president.

[virginia mountainman]

23. I am a long time gun rights advocate

While I do care greatly about having fellow Democrats inhabiting the Congress, gun rights is an issue that WILL be addressed.

[The Straight Story]

39. What do you propose when it comes to gun control? (nt)

[katandmoon]

17. How about he stands up to the fucking NRA?

[anonymous171]

20. The NRA is one of the few interest groups that represent actual people

[virginia mountainman]

22. To stand up to the NRA..is to stand up against what, several MILLION..

Proud card-carrying, involved enough to write checks, and view VOTING as important as breathing, members???

Utter folly, of the highest caliber....

[TheMightyFavog]

44. The NRA is a monster we created.

By embracing gun control, we turned the NRA into the lobbying powerhouse it is.

Ever see a copy of American Rifleman from the 50s? Mostly reviews on new guns, ballistics data, and pieces on historical guns. Very little in the way of politics. Look at it today, and things are different.

[anonymous171]

18. Because he doesn't need a second term right? nt

[katandmoon]

16. As with Wall Street and Big Pharma, Obama is incapable of standing up to the NRA and its bullshit

[joeybee12]

28. Exactly, they've got him and many Dems believing the majority of

people agree with the gun nuts...time for some balls and slap the NRA down.

[Name removed]

30. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[X_Digger]

34. They do.. polling backs it up, not your feelings to the contrary..

http://www.gallup.com/poll/123596/In-U.S.-Record-Low-Support-Stricter-Gun-Laws.aspx

[OneTenthofOnePercent]

33. The NRA represents indivual people - not corporations.

People pay dues and members vote for the leaders of the NRA.
It's one of the few sucessful lobbies driven by PEOPLE.

Gun manufacturers and companies have their own lobbies.
Typically they are on the same page as the NRA with the issues, but separate nontheless.

[aikoaiko]

40. Or maybe recognized that gun control was a losing issue for him and Democrats in general

With the possible exception of a few locales where gun control is still look upon favorably.

Most Americans don't want more gun control laws. They either want gun laws to stay the same or be less strict.

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

19. I was just thinking of this today....

Not one word out of this Administration on the subject of gun control. And I agree with you, it's the best strategy politically. Let states deal with gun crime for what it is - a crime issue - and let's move on.

[Arkana]

25. Gun control is a loser for us the same way that those ultra-right wing issues

are for Republicans. The libertarians don't trust the Christian right, so the alliance has always been uneasy--and there are plenty of DUers who don't like very restrictive gun control laws.

[shadesofgray]

26. We have never needed gun control more. Obama deserves an F-.

[OneTenthofOnePercent]

31. What make you say this?

Violent crime rates are approaching decade lows while firearm rights (notably CCW) have been expanding across america.
Hardly seem like the time to change anything if you ask me.

[eqfan592]

32. Cuz the gunz iz teh evilz!!

Seriously, that's what it boils down to for many of these folks.

[butterfly77]

27. So...

day after day,somebody is complaining. Didn't he say WE when before and after he took office.

I notice a lot of SO CALLED dems come on here day after day talking about what the President should and should not do,the same damn people who sat on their asses and did or said nothing while Dick Armey and the teabaggers took over the healthcare debate and now they want to complain...

Same thing goes for these SO CALLED dems who show up on tv wimping out and talking down our candidates and our President instead of knocking down these asshole republicons they sit there and agree with them..

[frebrd]

29. Fantastic! Wonder how long it will be........

before this gets moved to the Gungeon.

:)

[X_Digger]

36. Any moment now..

Can't have a positive "Gunz" post out in general view. Oh no, that just won't do!

[aikoaiko]

35. It's been a very disappointing year for us," Brady Campaign President Paul Helmke said.

Paul, you've been a disappointment for many years.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

42. May they have many more of the same

[Mojorabbit]

37. Yay!!! nt

[tammywammy]

38. Good. n/t

[Odin2005]

41. I don't give a damn what the anti-gun authoritarians think.

[aikoaiko]

43. Oh yeah. big time K&R

:kick:

[TheMightyFavog]

45. Late afternoon kick

:kick:

[hack89]

46. Good - means he is standing strong on the Constitution

what a change from Bush.

[Vidar]

47. He's earned it.

[Tim01]

48. I guess he likes to have people voting for him. nt