3 ms·

The NRA served as a financial conduit to force the GOP to take more and more extreme positions on gun rights by threatening to fund primary challenges to any re

The NRA served as a financial conduit to force the GOP to take more and more extreme positions on gun rights by threatening to fund primary challenges to any republicans who “stepped out of line.” The have successfully wielded this power to great effect for the last three decades.

syshum 6y ago
This is a fantasy of Gun Grabbers. The NRA served as a Boogeyman for Gun Grabbers to point to so they would not have to face the reality that the vast majority of Americans support Gun Rights, this includes both Democrats and Republicans. The NRA actually only accounts for a very very small percentage of Americans that support Gun Rights.
- kryogen1c 6y ago
  Most people i know own firearms or support firearm ownership or both, and no one i know is a part of the NRA. most people i know that are for gun reform also own firearms (also not in the NRA, if that needed saying).
  - igetspam 6y ago
    I have guns. I like them. I even have an NRA membership that I can't get rid of. The NRA is not just a bogeyman, they're also the real problem. I'm with you. Sensible gun owners want (and should want) sensible gun ownership requirements.
    - syshum 6y ago
      The problem is what is "sensible" To many gun owners the rules on the books today are already to repressive, or in many cases pointless (i.e banning "scary looking" guns for cosmetic reasons) Then there is a whole host of ignorant reforms that will do nothing to lower crime or victimization but will just punish responsible gun owners. Then there are the crazy reforms like banning all Semi-Automatic weapons. So what "sensible" gun control do you support, and are you self aware enough to understand your personal use case for a firearm may not match everyone's? Most gun owners that stake claims like you have want to bann all uses for firearms they do not personally use a gun for. So a Hunter will push for reforms that do not impact hunting, a person that only uses handguns will push for long gun prohibitions, etc.
- baix777 6y ago
  The issue is most people agree that people can own arms, but with limitations. For example, the vast majority of people think universal background checks are a good idea, but the NRA did not. https://iop.harvard.edu/get-involved/harvard-political-review/vast-majority-americans-support-universal-background-checks https://iop.harvard.edu/get-involved/harvard-political-revie... BTW, using a term like "Gun Grabbers" might appeal to those who agree with you, but isn't going to convince anyone on the other side or in the middle of a topic.
  - syshum 6y ago
    Ahh the "universal background checks", that depends on the polling question Q: Do you support universal background checks? That will get you a large amount of support Q: Do you support requiring gun owners to sell, gift or transfer their privately held guns only through licensed dealers? Your support drops considerably, and that is what "universal background checks" are, an effective ban on private sales of firearms, and that is what the NRA opposed There is not wide support for banning private sales, but the anti-gun propaganda machine in full force to confuse the issue with things like "Gun show loop hole" and other misleading statements When in reality if you are a firearms dealer you have to perform a background check universally today, it does not matter if you are selling in a store, a gun show or a back alley if you hold a FFL you must do a background check The only time a firearm can be transferred with out one is between 2 private citizens and one of the most often way that is done is via gifting. If you are going to tell a Father he can no longer gift a gun to his Son, or a Husband he can no longer gift a gun to his wife (or vice versa) well you are not going to get wide support for that. >BTW, using a term like "Gun Grabbers" might appeal to those who agree with you, but isn't going to convince anyone on the other side or in the middle of a topic. Well in times of universal deceit telling the truth is a revolutionary act. I call it like I see it. After decades and decades of "common sense" gun reform, it is clear that people that advocate for said things will never be appeased until private ownership of guns is prohibited.
- ABeeSea 6y ago
  You phrased this as if the only gun owners are NRA members. This may come as a surprise, but Democrats in the south hunt too.
  - syshum 6y ago
    I did? Funny because I clearly said "The NRA actually only accounts for a very very small percentage of Americans that support Gun Rights. " and "vast majority of Americans support Gun Rights, this includes both Democrats and Republicans." So it seems I phrased my comment exactly opposite of your straw-man, did you even read my comment before replying?
lumost 6y ago
The "step out of line" problem in the GOP is real. It allows the extreme voices in the party to consistently target an individual politician while corralling everyone else. Meanwhile it also encourages the notion that the GOP has internal discussion and isn't very unified while voting on all issues as a unified block. Every republican I know can name a few GOP platform positions they dislike or even find alarming, but never the less they vote for politicians who are forced to adopt every position.
- mobilewatch7 6y ago
  The problem is even worse for the Democrats on abortion, there are no pro-life Democrats allowed at the national level. The GOP is tolerant on guns in comparison.
  - igetspam 6y ago
    Nice whataboutism. You got some ammo to back up that claim? The GOP is nothing if not unified to a fault. They're strong because they will tow the line to hold power. (Mitch hates trump and Cruz got in line even after the mud slinging about his wife.) It's fractured now but they've historically been in lock step, even when it was against their personal, publicly stated, beliefs. Democrats have been weak because they don't require the same level of kool-aid consumption.

syshum 6y ago

This is a fantasy of Gun Grabbers. The NRA served as a Boogeyman for Gun Grabbers to point to so they would not have to face the reality that the vast majority of Americans support Gun Rights, this includes both Democrats and Republicans. The NRA actually only accounts for a very very small percentage of Americans that support Gun Rights.

kryogen1c 6y ago
Most people i know own firearms or support firearm ownership or both, and no one i know is a part of the NRA. most people i know that are for gun reform also own firearms (also not in the NRA, if that needed saying).
- igetspam 6y ago
  I have guns. I like them. I even have an NRA membership that I can't get rid of. The NRA is not just a bogeyman, they're also the real problem. I'm with you. Sensible gun owners want (and should want) sensible gun ownership requirements.
  - syshum 6y ago
    The problem is what is "sensible" To many gun owners the rules on the books today are already to repressive, or in many cases pointless (i.e banning "scary looking" guns for cosmetic reasons) Then there is a whole host of ignorant reforms that will do nothing to lower crime or victimization but will just punish responsible gun owners. Then there are the crazy reforms like banning all Semi-Automatic weapons. So what "sensible" gun control do you support, and are you self aware enough to understand your personal use case for a firearm may not match everyone's? Most gun owners that stake claims like you have want to bann all uses for firearms they do not personally use a gun for. So a Hunter will push for reforms that do not impact hunting, a person that only uses handguns will push for long gun prohibitions, etc.
baix777 6y ago
The issue is most people agree that people can own arms, but with limitations. For example, the vast majority of people think universal background checks are a good idea, but the NRA did not. https://iop.harvard.edu/get-involved/harvard-political-review/vast-majority-americans-support-universal-background-checks https://iop.harvard.edu/get-involved/harvard-political-revie... BTW, using a term like "Gun Grabbers" might appeal to those who agree with you, but isn't going to convince anyone on the other side or in the middle of a topic.
- syshum 6y ago
  Ahh the "universal background checks", that depends on the polling question Q: Do you support universal background checks? That will get you a large amount of support Q: Do you support requiring gun owners to sell, gift or transfer their privately held guns only through licensed dealers? Your support drops considerably, and that is what "universal background checks" are, an effective ban on private sales of firearms, and that is what the NRA opposed There is not wide support for banning private sales, but the anti-gun propaganda machine in full force to confuse the issue with things like "Gun show loop hole" and other misleading statements When in reality if you are a firearms dealer you have to perform a background check universally today, it does not matter if you are selling in a store, a gun show or a back alley if you hold a FFL you must do a background check The only time a firearm can be transferred with out one is between 2 private citizens and one of the most often way that is done is via gifting. If you are going to tell a Father he can no longer gift a gun to his Son, or a Husband he can no longer gift a gun to his wife (or vice versa) well you are not going to get wide support for that. >BTW, using a term like "Gun Grabbers" might appeal to those who agree with you, but isn't going to convince anyone on the other side or in the middle of a topic. Well in times of universal deceit telling the truth is a revolutionary act. I call it like I see it. After decades and decades of "common sense" gun reform, it is clear that people that advocate for said things will never be appeased until private ownership of guns is prohibited.
ABeeSea 6y ago
You phrased this as if the only gun owners are NRA members. This may come as a surprise, but Democrats in the south hunt too.
- syshum 6y ago
  I did? Funny because I clearly said "The NRA actually only accounts for a very very small percentage of Americans that support Gun Rights. " and "vast majority of Americans support Gun Rights, this includes both Democrats and Republicans." So it seems I phrased my comment exactly opposite of your straw-man, did you even read my comment before replying?

lumost 6y ago

The "step out of line" problem in the GOP is real. It allows the extreme voices in the party to consistently target an individual politician while corralling everyone else. Meanwhile it also encourages the notion that the GOP has internal discussion and isn't very unified while voting on all issues as a unified block. Every republican I know can name a few GOP platform positions they dislike or even find alarming, but never the less they vote for politicians who are forced to adopt every position.

mobilewatch7 6y ago
The problem is even worse for the Democrats on abortion, there are no pro-life Democrats allowed at the national level. The GOP is tolerant on guns in comparison.
- igetspam 6y ago
  Nice whataboutism. You got some ammo to back up that claim? The GOP is nothing if not unified to a fault. They're strong because they will tow the line to hold power. (Mitch hates trump and Cruz got in line even after the mud slinging about his wife.) It's fractured now but they've historically been in lock step, even when it was against their personal, publicly stated, beliefs. Democrats have been weak because they don't require the same level of kool-aid consumption.