Trump: "Take guns first, go through due process second"

[Ridge]

Doesn't help that in the past the NRA has sponsored anti-gun republicans over pro-gun democrats

Actually that's good because that is what they SHOULD be doing. Instead of what they do now of supporting anti gun Republicans just because (R).

[Bailey Guns]

Doesn't help that in the past the NRA has sponsored anti-gun republicans over pro-gun democrats (I'd need to go to a friend for the source on this, I forget the names).

Don't be fooled. Pro-gun democrats are a myth. There's no such thing. A democrat may say s/he's pro-gun. They may even vote pro-gun on occasion...when they have permission. But the democrat platform/agenda is definitely not pro-gun and when push comes to shove your pro-gun democrat will support the party. Because they all know the consequences of not supporting the party...no support, no money, having to defend themselves against primary challengers supported by the party. There's all sorts of ways the party can punish them if they're TOO pro-gun.

Even the Blue Dog Coalition describes themselves as fiscally conservative but socially progressive despite the fact there's no official platform that describes them that way.

[Eargesplitten]

That's kind of interesting as most people who just like guns will go on and on about how they are for their protection, even though most of them don't really know what it's like to use guns for protection.

Self-defense is possibly the most important and simultaneously "worst," for lack of a better term, aspect of gun ownership. Nobody should want to feel like they need to defend themselves with violence. If that's the only reason people have them they would be fine with not having them if they believe it would lead to them not needing it. And you're right, most people don't know what it's like to live somewhere with the very real chance of someone kicking down your door at any moment and coming in with a gun to steal everything you own.

Actually that's good because that is what they SHOULD be doing. Instead of what they do now of supporting anti gun Republicans just because (R).

I think you misread what I said. That's what I was saying, they'll support anti-gun republicans because of their party.

Don't be fooled. Pro-gun democrats are a myth. There's no such thing. A democrat may say s/he's pro-gun. They may even vote pro-gun on occasion...when they have permission. But the democrat platform/agenda is definitely not pro-gun and when push comes to shove your pro-gun democrat will support the party. Because they all know the consequences of not supporting the party...no support, no money, having to defend themselves against primary challengers supported by the party. There's all sorts of ways the party can punish them if they're TOO pro-gun.

Even the Blue Dog Coalition describes themselves as fiscally conservative but socially progressive despite the fact there's no official platform that describes them that way.

And as we've seen, Republicans can be as anti-gun as their party lets them be as well. That's why, going back to my original point, we need to work on making gun control less of a party-based issue. I remember there was one D candidate back in the '08 primaries who was vocally for re-opening the registry, I'd say it's 50/50 he was more pro-gun than his R counterparts although IIRC he was in New Mexico so it's probably safer to say that he was more pro-gun than a lot of coastal Republicans. If more democrat voters were pro-gun it would no longer be political suicide to voice pro-gun opinions and vote for them.

Maybe it's because Colorado is Colorado, but I know plenty of people at least left-of-center who are pro-gun, but hold their noses on that part and vote D because they agree on the rest of the candidate's policies. And I'm not going to argue on their behalf, I also know people left-of-center who started voting R after 2013 because that particular issue was more important than the damage they believed R candidates could do to their other interests. Personally, odds are that I agree with very little of what most people here believe aside from being pro-gun. As hard as it may be for some people to believe given where the Overton Window currently is I'm way left of the current D party (no, not a communist), which is why I avoid any political stuff here that's not 2A.

I don't have a solution for how to make guns stop being partisan aside from getting the NRA to shut the hell up about other topics (ideally get rid of the traitor and child molester too), but I don't see any other way to preserve gun ownership.

Semi-serious: Ian McCollum and Karl Kasarda for NRA board. Ian does a great job with Forgotten Weapons making guns an apolitical and historical/technical topic.

[Bailey Guns]

The difference is gun control is a central and important plank in the D party platform. That's far different from an anti-gun republican here and there. Democrats haven't seen a gun control bill they didn't like. Republicans can usually, not always, be counted on to try to defeat most gun control efforts.

The republican party, like those who make up the party, are far from perfect and I'm fully aware of that. As a matter of fact, they make it difficult sometimes to argue on their behalf. But they're the best viable choice for gun rights we have right now. And ANY vote for a democrat is, in the long run, a vote for more gun control.

ETA: I just read what DenverGP wrote in his post #5 above. Makes my post sound like an echo.

[Ridge]

I think you misread what I said. That's what I was saying, they'll support anti-gun republicans because of their party.

You're right, I have the dumb.

[Gman]

Look at places like NY, California (and coming soon Colorado) for what gun rights will be like with more democrats in office.

You forgot Illinois, Chicago in particular.