Mike Bloomberg needs to get a new shtick as his current one is getting old:
“Michael R. Bloomberg, making his first major political investment since leaving office, plans to spend $50 million this year building a nationwide grass-roots network to motivate voters who feel strongly about curbing gun violence, an organization he hopes can eventually outmuscle the National Rifle Association …”
Boring. He’s put millions into all sorts of antigun legislative, political and public relations initiatives with little to show for it.
“… Mr. Bloomberg, the former mayor of New York, said gun control advocates need to learn from the N.R.A. and punish those politicians who fail to support their agenda — even Democrats whose positions otherwise align with his own. “They say, ‘We don’t care. We’re going to go after you,’ ” he said of the N.R.A. “ ‘If you don’t vote with us we’re going to go after your kids and your grandkids and your great-grandkids. And we’re never going to stop.’ ” He added: “We’ve got to make them afraid of us.” …”
Empty threat. The antigun movement is now and always has been a small number of professional politicians and activists hiding behind an astroturf facade. They can’t turn out the vote because they have no genuine public support.
“… The considerable advantages that gun rights advocates enjoy — in intensity, organization and political clout — will not be easy to overcome …”
Because gunnies represent a real constituency money cannot buy.
“… Indeed, Mr. Bloomberg has already spent millions of dollars trying to persuade members of Congress to support enhanced background check laws with virtually nothing to show for it …”
And he is too full of himself to admit why he keeps on failing.
“… Mr. Bloomberg’s blueprint reimagines the way gun control advocates have traditionally confronted the issue. Rather than relying so heavily on television ad campaigns, Mr. Bloomberg will put a large portion of his resources into the often-unseen field operations that have been effective for groups like the N.R.A. in driving single-issue, like-minded voters to the polls. Women, and mothers in particular, will be the focus of the organizing and outreach, a path that he and his advisers have modeled after groups like Mothers Against Drunk Driving …”
This cannot work because it is based upon the assumption gun control has an untapped voting constituency which it doesn’t. If it did, at some point over the past 30-40 years some gun control organization would have discovered it.
“… The plans call for a restructuring of the gun control groups he funds, Mayors Against Illegal Guns and Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America. They will be brought under one new umbrella group called Everytown for Gun Safety …”
Yet another reshuffling of the same, tired old astroturf.
“… The strategy will focus not on sweeping federal restrictions to ban certain weapons, but instead will seek to expand the background check system for gun buyers both at the state and national levels …”
The Times isn’t honest enough to call it what it really is: prohibition of private transfers.
“… The $50 million could be significant … They have set a goal of signing up one million new supporters this year on top of the 1.5 million they already have …”
Notice they say supporters as opposed to members. The Brady Bunch used to say the same thing back in the 90s in a lame effort to claim they were as big as NRA.
“… Previous efforts by Mr. Bloomberg to push gun control have touched off tensions with national Democratic leaders …”
Because they know gun control is a stinker politically.
“… Underscoring his desire to work with both parties, Mr. Bloomberg is bringing on a new advisory board with prominent Republican and Democratic figures …”
Who all share the same statist, “Government is God” philosophy regardless of their party registration. Why can’t he have an advisory committee made up of ordinary citizens? There’s that astroturf problem again.
“… He was also dismissive of skeptics who might question whether he could ever build an organization that rivaled the N.R.A. And he seemed unaware of, or unwilling to acknowledge, the ways in which his own persona — of a billionaire, Big Gulp-banning former mayor of New York — could undercut his efforts, especially in rural, conservative states. “I don’t know what your perception is of our reputation, and mine, the name Bloomberg around the country,” he said. But every place he goes, he added, “You’re a rock star. People yelling out of cabs, ‘Hey, way to go!’ ” …”
The man is insane. The only possible way I can think of for Bloomberg to make himself even more unpopular than he is now is to start doing commercials for erectile dysfunction pills. “Hi. My name is Michael Bloomberg and I’d like to talk to you about E.D. …”
“… “Right now, women, when they go to the polls, they vote on abortion, they vote on jobs, they vote on health care,” said Shannon Watts, founder of Moms Demand Action. “We want one of those things to be gun violence prevention.” …”
Why don’t you explain why they don’t do that now?
“… Pointing to his work on gun safety, obesity and smoking cessation, he said with a grin: “I am telling you if there is a God, when I get to heaven I’m not stopping to be interviewed. I am heading straight in. I have earned my place in heaven. It’s not even close.” …”
He’s bigger than God. What more is there to say?