Campaign ’24 Has Begun
The Cycle Starts Anew
Like it or not, the campaign for 2024, from the presidency on down through the U.S. Senate and House, assorted state governorships and legislative offices, has begun and you are on the playing field.
Last fall gave gun owners a lesson about allowing themselves to be gulled into not voting because too many expected a “red wave” would take care of business so they didn’t have to. Those who didn’t vote forgot they were part of the anticipated wave. When they shirked responsibility, the wave turned into something less. Don’t allow it to happen again.
There are threats to your gun rights even with Republicans controlling the U.S. House, and you better take them seriously. When Joe Biden lost half of Capitol Hill, it only emboldened him to try skirting Congress. His intention is still to ban so-called “assault weapons” and maybe even 9mm pistols.
The Game Plan
If you care about the outcome, now is a good time to start paying attention to candidates who are already emerging. We’re not talking about where perennial candidate Beto O’Rourke is going to jump in next, but people who may be in office now and are looking to step up the ladder or just cling to their current positions — and other people who want to replace them.
Those considering a run for public office will be making their intentions known by forming “exploratory committees” and figuratively sticking their toes into the water, then start raising money. Donald Trump announced his candidacy for a return to the White House more than five months ago and along came his first fund raising effort.
Voting On Your Rights
Quite possibly the most worrisome political development is the billionaire-bankrolled citizen initiative.
Measure 114 in Oregon, passed by voters last November, was immediately challenged in federal court with lawsuits, but remember this wasn’t the first rodeo for the wealthy elitists who engage in this sort of activity. The Oregon initiative, and two before it in neighboring Washington, were challenged with lawsuits but whether those measures are eventually nullified on constitutional grounds by the courts isn’t really the point.
The point is financial attrition — i.e., anti-gunners have boatloads of cash and every time they put forth one of these campaigns, it costs a small fortune to fight them. This is money the billionaires can afford to spend, where opponents are lucky if they can raise a campaign fund one-tenth the size to fight back.
A second point is more ominous: Anti-gunners learn from these efforts. Where they might have gone after guns and magazines, the next target may be state preemption. Gun prohibitionists hate those statutes and just because they’ve only been successful one time — in Colorado — to repeal a preemption law, watch out for well-funded initiative campaigns to get preemption on your ballot.
About 42 states had preemption laws at this writing, and removing such a law isn’t really a direct Second Amendment issue even if you think it is. Right now is when signature gathering begins so they can have a measure on this fall’s ballot. Pay attention, watch the news in your area and don’t be caught off-guard.
You cannot legally interfere with such initiative efforts, but there is no law against launching an education campaign to tell your side of whatever story they pander.
Make the issue about your rights and common sense. Take the high road and make a forceful argument for the wisdom of gun law uniformity. Your position is against turning back the calendar to a time of confusing and conflicting local ordinances. You want to go forward and protect not only gun law uniformity, but also defend the Legislature as the only legitimate body where state gun control laws should be debated and set.
Watch for attacks on other rights, such as efforts to tighten up concealed carry laws in your state. This could come in the form of legislation or by the initiative process, and remember, people who promote such efforts rely on emotion rather than common sense — and they are very good at it.
Shameless Exploitation
The gun prohibition lobby shamelessly exploits every gun-related tragedy leading the 6 o’clock news. Every camera from every news agency will rush to the scene to capture images of crying eyes, faces of fear and body bags.
You needn’t show up for a man-on-the-street interview, but what you should do is watch every newscast, find out what anti-gunners say and put together talking points to refute them. Pay attention to how such stories are reported and be prepared to correct any false impressions or outright falsehoods.
Don’t think you’re gathering information just for the sake of responding to a mass shooting or some other gun-related crime. You are also gathering notes and anecdotal information to use if you have an opportunity to chat with emerging candidates. Question them. Put them on the spot and don’t let them dodge and weave their way out of a conversation.
I’ve been to several Q&A community gatherings over the years. I’ve had the chance to engage would-be politicians with to-the-point questions regarding Second Amendment issues. I have also publicly corrected them and they don’t like it. Some learn, others stubbornly amp things up.
About 14 months ago, early in 2022 when then-new Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell appeared at a press conference to complain about Washington’s preemption statute, he said a remarkably foolish thing. Harrell claimed Washington is one of a handful of states with preemption and I immediately called him out.
The Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms issued a statement to the press noting more than 40 states have such laws and Harrell should know it. I also wrote a couple of news stories that got fairly wide circulation via social media. Harrell never repeated his mistake, but he also did not drop his effort to repeal the law. However, his position was weakened.
Lastly, create an organization for the purpose of being able to legitimately put together candidate questionnaires. Get these people on the record. Produce a report about their answers and don’t forget to identify candidates who don’t bother to reply.
And when you ask questions, make them generic:
• How should we address the problem of crime involving guns?
• Should we make it more difficult to buy firearms?
You can call your group just about anything — “Citizens for Common Sense” comes to mind. Don’t identify yourselves as a gun rights group because too many office-seekers will dismiss your group as a bunch of “gun people.”
None of this will be easy. Defending your Second Amendment rights is never easy. But it has to be done and because you’ve taken the time to read this far, you’re probably the person who can get it done.
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