Fear the Suburban Voter

A recent survey by Morning Consult/Politico revealed suburban voters are the kingmakers. With less than a year before the pivotal 2022 midterm elections, one political party may be running scared while the other shouldn’t get over-confident.

Remember the lesson at the end of the film Patton. “All glory,” whispered the slave to the conqueror, “is fleeting.”

Here’s how the numbers shake down. Concerning national security, 49% of voters think Republicans are more trustworthy than Democrats (35%) while a whopping 16% are in the middle and currently undecided. Among suburban voters, a stunning 51% prefer the GOP to Democrats (32%) and 17% still haven’t made up their minds.

More importantly to gun owners, a decisive 46% of all voters trust Republicans more than Democrats (39%) on gun policy, with an important 15% in the middle. They can go either way by next November.

Shift the focus to suburban voters and 47% of them prefer Republicans to Democrats (37%) on gun policy, with 16% still in the middle. These are the people who invariably decide many elections and the pattern likely won’t change in 2022.

Like it or not, if you live in the suburbs of any congressional district — especially in so-called “swing districts” — you’re going to be bombarded with political advertising. If it comes in the mail, use it to start your wood stove or fireplace.

How to tell if you’re a suburban voter? You’re the poor people spending probably 50% more on gas this year than at this time last year. Ditto for groceries. You’ve got less disposable income for the gun show than you did just before Christmas in 2020.

Polls like this are important in gauging public sentiment. Results are subject to change — of course — but keep an eye on this. Watch for a feverish push on gun control if Democrats think they’re going to lose next November.

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Handgun Ban Support Plummets

A recent Gallup poll revealed public support for a complete ban on handguns — except for police and military — has hit a new low. This shouldn’t be too surprising since the U.S. Supreme Court ruled sidearms are protected by the Second Amendment in June 2008.

According to Gallup, only 19% of American voters still favor a ban, a decline of 6 points since last year. It’s too bad only 6% of Republicans and 14% of Independents would back a ban, while 40% of Democrats still hope to prohibit possession of pistols and revolvers.

The polling firm observed, “Americans’ support for stricter gun laws has typically risen in the aftermath of high-profile mass shootings and fallen during periods without such events. Changes in the party occupying the White House may also influence preferences for gun laws.”

Would you believe back in 1959, Gallup says 60% supported a handgun ban? Support for a handgun ban has never topped 30% since 2008.

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Big Week for NICS

According to the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), the final full week of November — which included “Black Friday” — was busy for the National Instant Background Check System (NICS).

More than 687,000 background checks were initiated with the NICS System, operated by the FBI, including more than 26,000 on Thanksgiving Day.

In a prepared statement, NSSF President and CEO Joe Bartozzi said, “This year has already been shaping up to be the second strongest year for firearm sales on record, second only to 2020’s record-breaking number of 21 million background checks for a firearm sale.”

Who’s to argue? Gun sales have been surging since spring of 2020 when the coronavirus pandemic panic hit. A lot of hardware has been sold, including millions of guns to first-time firearms buyers.

“We anticipate, based on annual data, that firearm sales will rise during the final month of the year coinciding with hunting seasons and holiday sales,” Bartozzi said. “This figure, though, underscores the appetite for lawful firearm ownership in America and the resilience of the firearm and ammunition industry to meet that demand.”

Christmas is only a couple of weeks away, so the final tally will be estimated in about three weeks.

Thanksgiving Week NICS numbers broken down day-by-day:

Saturday, Nov. 20 – 101,057

Sunday, Nov. 21 – 58,059

Monday, Nov. 22 – 96,696

Tuesday, Nov. 23 – 105,815

Wednesday, Nov. 24 – 112,484

Thursday, Nov. 25 – 26,092

Friday, Nov. 26 – 187,585

TOTAL: 687,788

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O'Rourke for Governor?

Perennial political candidate Robert F. “Beto” O’Rourke has hit the campaign trail again, this time looking for the easiest route to the Texas governor’s office in Austin.

He served in Congress, but then ran to displace popular Texas Sen. Ted Cruz. He launched a presidential campaign that imploded following his now-infamous declaration, “Hell yes, we’re going to take your AR-15, your AK-47. You will not be able to use it against our fellow Americans any more.”

This was during a primary campaign debate, and he was on the wrong side of the Red River to be saying such a thing. His campaign sank faster than the Titanic, and he didn’t pick up any traction when Joe Biden told him on stage during a rally that O’Rourke would become Biden’s gun czar.

According to an article in Newsweek, gun control “may become a key issue during the governor’s election.” O’Rourke would certainly be a lightning rod on that subject, reminding Lone Star voters about the mass shootings in Sutherland Springs (27), El Paso (23), Santa Fe (10), Odessa and Midland (7) and White Settlement (3).

Some people just keep running for public office. It’s sort of like being on the freeway and unable to find an off ramp.

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In School Shooting Presser, Prosecutor Pushes Gun Control

Oakland County, MI Prosecutor Karen C. McDonald did not waste any time during a press briefing about the tragic shooting at Oxford High School, calling for more gun control when it was clear existing laws — all adopted to prevent such acts — failed miserably.

McDonald hinted at proposing what is generically called a “safe storage” law, which typically requires guns to be locked up. Such laws also penalize gun owners when their firearms fall into the wrong hands and are used to harm other persons.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, McDonald is a Democrat. Members of her party show an inclination toward penalizing law-abiding gun owners for crimes they didn’t commit.

Charged in the case is 15-year-old Ethan Crumbley, with one count of terrorism, four counts of first-degree murder, seven counts of assault with intent to commit murder and 12 counts of possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony.

For the record, it is already illegal for a minor to carry a concealed, loaded handgun, especially into a school building. Even licensed adults aren’t allowed to carry sidearms into a school building. So, what new law would have not done what existing laws did not do when four Oxford students were murdered and seven other people were shot down?

McDonald told reporters, “If the incident…of four children being murdered is not enough to revisit our gun laws, I don’t know what is.”

She further asserted, “People should be held accountable who own guns and are not responsible.”

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, also a Democrat, went on television with the local ABC affiliate to lobby for stronger gun control laws. Nessel is one of 20 Democrat attorneys general who signed onto an amicus brief in October supporting age restrictions on gun ownership in Florida. The Florida law is being challenged in federal court in a case known as National Rifle Association v. Commissioner, Florida Department of Law Enforcement. The case is now before the 11^th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

Nessel joined colleagues from California, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia and Washington.

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