Gun-Owners and Obama

I feel that I should clarify the fact that there is presently little or no connection between my support for Barack Obama's campaign for President and my support for Second Amendment rights. Some people have gotten the mistaken impression that I represent a part of some 'sportsmen for Obama' type of group.

Barack Obama's record on Second Amendment issues starts out poor and improves to the point of murkiness.

As a State Senator representing Chicago, Obama spoke in support of banning all semi-automatic firearms. A position that I find so ludicrous that I have trouble believing that a person as intelligent as Barack Obama could actually believe in it once he had been provided with thorough information about the technical details and history of those firearms. In my experience, the most absurd or radical anti-gun proposals are typically rooted in simple ignorance of the technical facts rather than a fundamental difference in philosophy.

However, since coming to Washington Obama has backed off of gun issues. He's not said a word about gun control as a candidate and is clearly trying to tiptoe around the whole thing. The underdog victories of challengers like John Tester, Jim Webb and Brad Ellsworth in 2006 demonstrated that support for Second Amendment rights was not only compatible with Democratic party politics but that it could be the key issue that pushes elections in the reddest of red states over to Democratic party wins. If Obama becomes President, he has certainly sought no mandate even from his own party in the primary for an anti-gun agenda.

This does not mean that I trust Obama on gun issues. Really, I don't. However, it's not as if I would ever even consider trusting Hillary Clinton with this issue over Obama. Obama at least makes it plain that he's seeking to get things done with the consent and cooperation of people from across the political spectrum, a la Reagan. Most new gun control measures that you could think up would not be consistent with that. Hillary Clinton's approach is more one of seizing and exercising power however she can. Doing whatever will get her ahead at that moment, regardless of who she steps on. That is the sort of person who might try to ram through new gun control measures even in the face of 49.9% opposition. Obama seeks consensus while Clinton does not.

As for John McCain, he has been no great friend of gun owners, either. His record in Washington on gun issues has been mixed and he's suggested that he might be willing to support federal licensing and registration of all firearms. And this was as a Senator from Arizona, where he had no need to ape anti-gun rhetoric for political reasons. At least Obama had the excuse of having represented Chicago when he made his anti-gun statements.

As far as I am concerned, none of these candidates for President are great friends of gun owners and the field is essentially a wash. Gun-owners should make up their minds about whom to support based on other criteria.

Yet I feel quite up-beat about the future of Second Amendment rights in Washington over the next few years. No matter who wins the White House, the House and Senate are not going to be changing hands in 2008 and the leadership of both houses has chosen to stay away from new gun control measures. Harry Reid has an 'A' rating from the NRA, while some Democratic House leaders such as John Murtha also have 'A' ratings. The unusually large freshman class of 2006 in Washington is, by and large, pro-gun and knows that doing an about-face on that issue would probably cost them their seats in what were otherwise 'red' districts. It's been a full year since Democrats took control of Capitol Hill and the leadership has not allowed any efforts to renew the so-called 'assault weapons' bill to make it out of committee. Gun owners now have the Brady campaign checkmated by electing allies in both parties.

Should Barack Obama choose Jim Webb as his running mate (rumors are flying everywhere that Webb is on the short list), my position as a gun-owner towards his campaign will change. Jim Webb is himself an NRA member, has a concealed carry permit and has introduced and pressed for legislation to allow legally possessed firearms to be carried in national parks and forests. He is certified as a 1911 instructor and demonstrates a personal commitment to the Second Amendment that I do not doubt. The addition of Jim Webb to the ticket would allow me to endorse Obama/Webb '08 as a hunter and a gun owner with a clear conscience.