Hollywood gun fight

On: By: admin

Hollywood is concerned that there is no exemption in the SAFE Act for them:

“… Officials in the movie and television industry say the new laws could prevent them from using the lifelike assault weapons and high-capacity magazines that they have employed in shows like “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” and films like “The Dark Knight Rises.” …  Industry workers say that they need to use real weapons for verisimilitude, that it would be impractical to try to manufacture fake weapons that could fire blanks, and that the entertainment industry should not be penalized accidentally by a law intended as a response to mass shootings.  “Weapons are part of our history as a culture as humans,” said Ryder Washburn, vice president of the Specialists, a leading supplier of firearms for productions that is based in Manhattan. “To tell stories, you need them.” …”

Que the Sad Trombone.

“… Gun rights activists, who are challenging the new firearm restrictions in court, have mocked the idea of a so-called Hollywood exception. “They’re saying, ‘Why are we being held to this standard when Hollywood is getting a pass, and they’re the ones who are promoting the violence?’ ” said Thomas H. King, the president of the New York State Rifle and Pistol Association …”

Exactly.

Some Republicans have come out against an exemption:

“… “My concern is why are you doing for Hollywood and others cannot do the same thing?”  Skelos said in an interview today.  “I don’t believe they should be treated any differently.” …”

Others are attacking the Governor:

“… Assembly Republicans on Tuesday urged the Democratic majority to reduce the $425 million in tax breaks for film productions and restore a $90 million cut to the state Office of People with Developmental Disabilities …  Assemblyman Bill Nojay, R-Pittsford, Monroe County, accused Cuomo of pandering to the film industry in exchange for campaign contributions … Nojay said the state is giving $5 million for next year’s Super Bowl in New Jersey and spending $30 million to enforce the gun-control law, which Republicans have opposed …”

True, Cuomo has been sucking up to Hollywood:

“… The governor — still fresh from his victory securing marriage equality in New York — will arrive on December 2 for a reception and dinner co-hosted by Hollywood reliables Rob and Michele Reiner, Steve Bing, Katie McGrath and J.J. Abrams, Candy Spelling, Darren Star, Chris Albrecht, Kevin Huvane, and Laura and Casey Wasserman, among others …”

If he was really concerned about “gun violence” then Cuomo should call upon Hollywood to follow his lead.  With campaign cash on the table that isn’t going to happen.

Why the antis lost

On: By: admin

The antis analyze why they lost.  They still do not get it.

“… We waited too long to rally the troops …”

Untrue.  The problem is you have no troops, only astroturf.

“…  We cannot persuade a moderate Republican Senator with Democrat activists alone …”

Possibly true, but you had lots of lamestream media supporting the lie that the public wanted more gun control.

“… We won the 2012 election by targeting, targeting, targeting …”

Obama stayed as far away from gun control as possible during the last election.

“… We rely on the online grassroots and ignore the offline grasstops.  To persuade a member of Congress, we need to couple serious citizen activists with business, religious and community leaders as well as local elected officials who carry personal weight …”

In other words, you want more astroturf, not less.

“…   We didn’t distribute serious talking points to our email subscribers …”

That’s only because you don’t have any serious talking points.  The antis rely on ignorance, incompetence and intimidation.  They have no facts to back up their position which is why neither Cuomo nor Obama wanted to have legislative debate on the bills.

“… Instead of organizing a few major events or protests we delight in encouraging everyone to stage their own, with no cohesive messaging strategy …”

You cannot have major events with only astroturf.

“…  We rely far, far, far, far, far too much on the email petition …”

Possibly true, but likely not relevant due to the obvious astroturf nature of the antigun organizations.

“… When we use email to urge our activists to phone Congress, we send them to the phones with too little background information and no tips on how to lobby Republican staff …”

Possibly true, but also likely not relevant due to astroturf again.  Politicians know the difference between genuine public interest organizations and phony front groups.

“…  Even the best players on our team were curiously inept …”

No, they’re batshit nuts.

“… We encouraged folks from out of state to pile on …”

Irrelevant given that MAIG was only able to generate 4000 calls in support of gun control.

“…  Very few groups bothered to thank the folks that supported us in the losing effort; the right was all over it, they take care to give praise when it is due …”

Irrelevant given that leftist media were slobbering all over the antis who voted.

“… The Tea Party ramped up an effort to lobby House members in the days before the Senate vote.  We didn’t do crap …”

Astroturf cannot do anything but crap.  Plus, the leftist media was going all out for gun control.  What stopped them were real grassroots gunnies and a general public that was not interested in the gun control agenda.

H/T: SNBQ.

Admitting it

On: By: admin

An interesting admission from the Cuomo administration:

“… Cuomo administration officials strongly objected to the premise that the governor’s drop in upstate polls has anything to do with issues beyond gun control.  And the notion that he is focusing on left-leaning issues is driven by the media, they insist.  The Cuomo officials noted all polls showed a similar finding: His upstate numbers began going down in January after the gun bill’s passage.  “It’s all guns,” a Cuomo official said …”

This is the most blunt acknowledgement I’ve seen from his camp as to the political damage SAFE has done to Cuomo.  The next two questions from the media should be:

  1. Does this negative fallout hurt Cuomo’s rumored presidential aspirations?
  2. Did this negativity have anything do with the failure of the Senate to pass gun control?

“… One state lawmaker in a Republican region said constituents rarely had anything bad to say about Cuomo the first couple years.  They forgave him on the gay marriage issue, said the lawmaker, speaking on condition of anonymity.  But the gun control law unleashed negative feelings about Cuomo at every constituent event the lawmaker is attending these days.  And the complaints center around a feeling that Cuomo needs to return to what he said would be his administration’s focus: jobs, jobs, jobs …”

This is true.  Gay marriage just wasn’t that big of a deal to people regardless of their personal opinions on the issue.  Guns, however, are a big deal to an activist segment of the population that most certainly is not confined to upstate, something that the NYC media refuses to acknowledge in spite of the outrage the Journal News created with their map of pistol license holders and the resulting boycott which I understand cost the paper a third of their subscribers.

Probably the most insulting thing is that Cuomo absolutely, positively will not acknowledge guns for self-defense:

“… The SAFE Act is designed to keep military-style assault weapons that have the potential to cause the greatest harm out of our communities while still respecting New York’s long tradition of hunting and sport shooting …”

He is not helping himself saying things like this.

Schumer’s plan

On: By: admin

Even more on Schumer’s plan to resurrect gun control:

“… At a closed-door meeting on Capitol Hill this week, Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) outlined a plan to bring up a new bill in the Senate “in the next three to four months,” a Senate aide said Friday.  The plan includes a public relations blitz aimed at convincing some lawmakers allied with the National Rifle Association to break with the gun lobby, the aide said …”

This is in line with the antis new tactic of trying to shame legislators into support gun control.  Should they be concerned?

“… supporters of the background check bill are regrouping, hoping to tap into public anger to revive the measure … A group funded by Mayor Bloomberg, Mayor’s Against Illegal Guns, arranged for supporters to make 4,000 calls to Senate offices in the last week protesting the defeat of the background check measure …”

Mayor Mike manages to generate 4,000 phone calls while we got 12,000 people to physically come to Albany, some driving 5-6 hours one way to get there.  This shows the considerable difference in the level of commitment between the pro and anti side.

“… Democrats say they sense some movement already …”

Where?  From the couple of dozen kooks who tried protesting outside ILA’s office this past week?

Speaking of astroturf

On: By: admin

Speaking of astroturf, the antis tried yet another protest outside NRA’s lobbying office in D.C.  It was organized by New Yorkers Against Gun Violence and an assortment of lunatic left groups.

According to The Washington Examiner:

“A generous estimation of the crowd size would have been about 100 people, including members of the media.”

FAIL.

Schumer elaborates

On: By: admin

Sen. Schumer elaborates on his previous comments:

“… Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said the “broad middle” will continue to press for action on a measure hammered out by a pair of pro-gun senators that would expand background checks on gun purchases …”

Translation:  More astroturf.

This has not gone very well so far.  Because the antigunners cannot generate any significant turnout by themselves, Schumer/Obama/Cuomo have turned to traditional left-leaning groups not otherwise associated with gun control for help.  This didn’t work when Cuomo tried it with the unions and Schumer’s dog and pony show with the Obama-zombies wasn’t any better.

Any details on the legislation?

“… “My own little prediction – I think we’re going to bring this bill back before the end of the year and I think you may find some changes,” said Schumer, during a breakfast sponsored by the Christian Science Monitor.  “We may change the bill a little bit – but I think you may find some changes out there in the public.  Lots of senators who thought it was safe to vote against it because of the intensity are not so sure anymore.” …”

Translation: Same bill, but with more B.S. marketing.

Schumer: Round 2 coming up

On: By: admin

Notice he does not say on which bill.

Reality sinking in

On: By: admin

Political reality starts sinking in at the New York Times:

“Is gun control dead after the Senate failed to pass so much as an expansion of background checks?  The White House thinks it’s not — that there will be another chance to have this fight in the future … It’s possible that the White House, Democrats in Congress who believe in gun regulation, and outside groups like Ms. Giffords’ can keep up the pressure on this issue until the 2014 elections, and better educate Americans on the state of play.  But it is going to be a hard task for groups that in recent times have not shown the organization, drive or single-mindedness that exists on the right.”

It must have been painful for them to write that.  Nevertheless, they still refuse to admit gun control is unpopular with the American public, believing the antis (and the Times) can “better educate” the redneck sister-fuckers who are too stupid to buy into their agenda.  Therein lies their fatal logic fault: The public is better educated on the issue than they were twenty years ago.  That is the reason the antis failed.