Admitting it
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:
- Does this negative fallout hurt Cuomo’s rumored presidential aspirations?
- 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
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
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
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
Senator Chuck Schumer is predicting there will be another gun vote in the Senate before the end of the year.
— Gossip on the Hill (@GossipOnTheHill) April 25, 2013
Notice he does not say on which bill.
Reality sinking in
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.
NRA files supporting brief
NRA has filed a amicus curiae brief in support of our lawsuit against SAFE.
Seeing the writing on the wall
NRA President David Keene saw gun control going down to defeat in the Senate months ago:
“… The Toomey-Manchin amendment was defeated in the Senate by a 54–46 vote. Keene said he saw the victory coming; he was confident, he claims, as far back as February, when he arrived at a rally in Albany, N.Y., to find thousands of supporters waiting for him on a cold, rainy day. Together, they railed against Andrew Cuomo’s gun legislation — which, as it turned out, proved to be more drastic, far-reaching, and successful than any of the bills proposed on the federal level.”
All our opposition is able to turn out is astroturf. And yet, the antis media allies are still unwilling to admit why their side lost.
Cuomo’s continuing decline
The SAFE Act continues to erode public confidence in Governor Cuomo. Inside the latest poll are these nuggets:
- Is New York on the right track or wrong track? 48% – 42%
- Re-elect Cuomo in 2014 or prefer someone else? 53% – 39%
- Cuomo makes decisions on what he thinks is best for the public or what is best for him? 49% – 48%