Hillary Clinton doubles down on gun control. Washington Post.

Hillary Clinton. State Department photo. 

Hillary Clinton has doubled down on gun control as a major issue for her presidential campaign. Washington Post. Clinton vowed to take on the NRA and to make gun control a major issue for the campaign, in contrast to the 2008 and 2012 where the Democratic candidates rarely talked about the issue. Clinton is seeking to separate herself from leftist challenger Bernie Sanders who has comparatively stronger record for supporting gun rights. Sanders comes from the very pro-gun state of Vermont and has a mixed record of voting against gun control. Another competitor in the Democratic race, Martin O'Malley, is even further to the left then Clinton on the issue. Gun control is semi-popular among the Democratic base but opposition to it could galvanize the Republican base. Almost all Republican candidates have come out in support of gun rights. 

My Comment:

This is a huge mistake by the Clinton camp. Gun rights advocates are some of the most dedicated voters in the country and coming out strong for gun control will give them one hell of a motivation. As it stands right now, I myself will vote against Hillary Clinton, come hell or high water, just on this issue alone. There was almost no chance of me voting for her in the first place, but now there is zero. 

And I really don't think gun control is all that much of a policy win for her. All she will gain are a tiny group of dedicated gun control advocates. It's important to note how few people actually care about stronger gun control laws.Very few people on the left have gun control as a deciding factor of who they will vote for, unlike the millions on the right who view gun rights as either the most important or one of the most important factors for who they vote for. 

Will it help her against Sanders? I doubt it. Sanders isn't popular or unpopular due to his views on guns. In my view he is a lot like the candidacy of Ron Paul back in 2012. People like his views, yes, but it's mostly about the memes. Sanders is selling free college and socialism and for the people that like that message, his stance on guns isn't likely to turn people in to Hillary Clinton supporters. 

I have to say though, that out of the Democratic candidates, I was most surprised that Sanders was even slightly pro gun rights. I kind of figured he would have been in favor of total gun confiscation considering how far to the left he is. He made the wrong call on background checks, but other then that he has been ok. It's clear that Hillary Clinton is no friend to gun rights and that Martin O'Malley is a dangerous extremist, so out of the three Sanders is the best of bad options. And that makes two issues that I agree with Sanders, since he is very strongly opposed to NSA surveillance. Too bad I disagree with almost everything else, but gun to my head, in a race between him and Clinton or O'Malley, I vote for Sanders. Still, that's about the only way you would get me to vote for him.

As for the Republican field, they have to be happy that Clinton has made this into an issue. Almost every candidate, with the glaring exceptions of Chris Christie and Donald Trump, is pro gun. All of them can count on donations and support just to stop Clinton from gun rights supporters. The Republican base, which is already fired up, will be even more motivated to vote in 2016 because Clinton had the brilliant idea to bring gun control up yet again.

I think this has a very good chance of giving the Republican candidate, whoever he may be, the election. I know, just because of Clinton's statements, that I will be voting for the Republican candidate. Even if it is someone I personally dislike, like Jeb Bush, I will vote for him just because of this issue alone. I'll be holding my nose and feeling dirty while I do so, but gun rights is just too important to risk. The only exception is if the candidate is Chris Christie, or possibly Donald Trump, since I dislike both of them on other issues and consider their view on gun rights to be the same as Clintons (Christie might actually be worse then even Martin O'Malley given that his state is even worse then O'Malley's for gun rights. For all intents and purposes, the right to keep and bare arms does not exist in New Jersey. He truly is the worst candidate in the race at this point). Then I will be voting for a third party and will be desperately hoping that both candidates drop dead before the election.

I really have to say again that this is just an incredibly stupid idea for Clinton. I know most people who support gun rights would have never voted for her anyways, but I am seriously considering giving money to a Republican candidate or the NRA just because of what she has said here. I think many other people are thinking the same thing.