{"id":16995,"date":"2018-07-09T09:17:03","date_gmt":"2018-07-09T13:17:03","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.gunpoliticsny.com\/?p=16995"},"modified":"2018-07-09T09:17:03","modified_gmt":"2018-07-09T13:17:03","slug":"learn-from-this","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.gunpoliticsny.com\/?p=16995","title":{"rendered":"Learn from this"},"content":{"rendered":"

From a syndicated Washington Post article, “Organizers of pro-gun rallies lament low turnout<\/a>“:<\/p>\n

“Student-led rallies around the country on Saturday aimed to show support for gun rights, though their effort drew smaller-than-expected crowds in a bid to counter the well-funded and organized youth gun-control lobby that emerged after the massacre in a Florida high school earlier this year …”<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Organizers made two mistakes here.<\/p>\n

First, not recognizing the gun control marches were organized by professional astroturf and their media allies and not a genuine expression of student support.\u00a0 There was no way they could duplicate them using only grassroots. The appropriate response would have been to call fraud from the start to delegitimize them.<\/p>\n

Second, assuming that rallies are an effective form of political action.\u00a0 They are not.\u00a0 I have covered this many times before.\u00a0 Politicians don’t pay much attention to them as they go on all the time.\u00a0 Only people who can organize votes and money around an issue are taken seriously. Elected officials do not go around asking for people to hold rallies, they ask for help with their election campaigns.<\/p>\n

Some examples:<\/p>\n

Truitt For Assembly – Dutchess Campaign Kickoff!<\/a><\/p>\n

An evening in support of our next Assemblyman Colin Schmitt<\/a><\/p>\n

8th Annual Sheriff Moss Pig Roast<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n