How to convert your liberal friends (to win next election)

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Gotcha, most people dont make that distinction, but the truth is that a Democrat from your state is most likely more conservative then a republican from NYC or Chicago.

Alot of this is stuff is pretty regional.
 
Getting an RKBA supporting person elected is important regardless of affiliation. If getting an RKBA supporting politician elected from your favorite flavor of party isn't possible then focus on making sure the person from the other party that is likely to be elected is an RKBA supporter. Moving the balance point on 2A may be more about shifting the position within a party.

That means, no name calling, demonizing or threatening posturing.
 
Although sometimes hard to do you have to support someone from the other party if your party does not have a candidate and won't have one this time that supports 2a.It also seems to me that if someone does not support 2a a lot of the same don't completely support 1a. I catch a lot of flack for not being completely loyal to one party but you have to have your priorities.
 
Hi, first time poster but this thread has piqued my interest. MertvayaRuka's post was excellent.

I consider myself liberal but I'm also a gun owner. My GF (also a liberal) are both 2nd amendments supporters. We both think that gun ownership is very important. I don't carry but I support those of you who do.

I've argued with my other liberal friends that 99.99% of gun owners are responsible people (stupid YouTube videos not withstanding)

Both sides paint with a wide paintbrush.
 
I see Democrat and liberal/leftist as different things, just as I see republican and conservative/moderate/libertarian/rightist as different things.
I think some mistakenly see recent democratic victories as a collective victory for the left or liberalism, but I suppose time will tell.
Do also keep in mind that the most extreme anti-gun Democrats aren't the liberals like Russ Feingold et al, but the centrist "Third Way" communitarians, many of whom are affiliated with the Democratic Leadership Council. Dianne Feinstein, Charles Schumer, etc. are considered corporatist DINOs by many liberals; what characterizes them isn't where they lie on the left-right spectrum socially or economically, but how they view Authority; they typically see More Authority as the cure for all social ills, support things like the Patriot Act and other surveillance-nation legislation, the DMCA, supported the tightening of individual (but not corporate) bankruptcy rules a few years back, and so on. Those are things that most liberals (in my experience) tend to oppose.
 
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Do also keep in mind that the most extreme anti-gun Democrats aren't the liberals like Russ Feingold et al, but the centrist "Third Way" communitarians, many of whom are affiliated with the Democratic Leadership Council. Dianne Feinstein, Charles Schumer, etc. are considered corporatist DINOs by many liberals; what characterizes them isn't where they lie on the left-right spectrum socially or economically, but how they view Authority; they typically see More Authority as the cure for all social ills, support things like the Patriot Act and other surveillance-nation legislation, the DMCA, supported the tightening of individual (but not corporate) bankruptcy rules a few years back, and so on. Those are things that most liberals (in my experience) tend to oppose.

You are on the right track here.

It's about rejecting authoritarianism whether it promises hope and change or whether it promises a return to traditional values.
 
It's about rejecting authoritarianism whether it promises hope and change or whether it promises a return to traditional values.

Agreed.
Pardon me for my prejudice against the left. Long story, but it's hard for me to shake.
 
Well, if you want allies, you're going to need to shake it. Or, you're going to have to deal with the fact that you're just going to keep making more committed enemies for yourself and other firearms owners.

As long as those left-of-center keep seeing members of the firearms owning culture directly or indirectly advocating violence against them, claiming their political beliefs as being part of a clinical diagnosis of mental instability or deficiency (or moral deficiency, for that matter) or as an indicator of being in the thrall of Ultimate Evil, it'll be that much harder to win them over. And that is where this board is a step in the right direction.

Every other firearms-related board I've ever seen has been more than comfortable providing a home for such divisive rhetoric, rhetoric that further confirms the negative image of firearms owners that those in the mainstream Left currently hold. It doesn't just turn off the antis; they're all ready against us and every bit of belligerent chest-thumping just backs up their strongly-held but incorrect conclusions. No, it also turns people like me off. People who are on the Left but have ZERO problems with responsible firearms owners but nevertheless can't or don't want to deal with all the nasty baggage that's been tacked on to firearms ownership by people who ultimately care more about their social or moral beliefs having primacy in this country than they do about EVERYONE'S inherent right to be able to defend themselves, their families and those around them. They don't want to be in an atmosphere of unbridled hatred towards them that has squat to do with their position on firearms ownership and everything to do with who they are or what they think. That's where this board gets it right and almost every other gun forum, gun show and gun shop gets it wrong. They cling bitterly to ideals that have little or nothing to do with firearms ownership but are acknowledged anathema to the Left and as such, make it seem that the Right claims firearms culture as its own and no one who holds any beliefs to the contrary need apply. So, that's why I'm here. Because I know that right is as much mine as anyone else's, no matter what my position is on anything else.

Again, thanks for your time folks.
 
What are we trying to win here exactly? I'm a conservative but even with the Democrat congress I don't see gun rights being restricted on a federal level. Besides Obama, the most prominent Democrats (Pelosi & Reid) are pro-2A. I would like the Republicans to win the next election based off of economic issues but not because I feel like our gun rights are in trouble... I think we won the gun battle on a national stage already and with McDonald vs. Chicago we'll be able to win on 90% of state/local stages as well.
 
Actually USA brings up a valid point. Under Obama we have actually seen a large expansion of gun rights with the ability to carry firearms in national parks. Under Reagan and Bush Sr. we saw a huge loss of gun rights.

I am not to worried about the Democrats in office now. It seems like they have other fish to fry such as healthcare and ending the Iraq war. Not to mention Obama seems to be desperate to repair the international image of this country after Bush destroyed it.

I want to know why the original poster chose to put "Liberal" instead of "Anti-gun" friends as I consider myself a liberal and pro-gun. As do many of my friends.
 
^ Not to mention right to carry reciprocity failed by ONE vote in the Senate. That should get through next year because in my state CT, Dodd will lose and he voted against. Should be able to get 60 next year if they bring up the Thune Amendment again.
 
Actually USA brings up a valid point. Under Obama we have actually seen a large expansion of gun rights with the ability to carry firearms in national parks. Under Reagan and Bush Sr. we saw a huge loss of gun rights.

I am not to worried about the Democrats in office now. It seems like they have other fish to fry such as healthcare and ending the Iraq war. Not to mention Obama seems to be desperate to repair the international image of this country after Bush destroyed it.

I knew I was going to like it here.

If we're going to preserve our very basic right to self-defense and personal security, the artificially-created and -maintained division of Right and Left on this issue must end. The Left (and I have to say it's mainly the moderate Left on this one, oddly enough) needs to realize that not all gun owners are fascist thugs and the Right needs to realize that the Left isn't trying to round them all up and put them in homosexual atheist re-education camps.
 
If I could vote, I'd vote Democratic mostly (due to lack of options. How can a country of 300,000,000 people have only 2 real political parties?).
I have on multiple occasions let my liberal Democratic Congressman know that gun control is a losing issue. I'm pretty sure that the national level Dem leaders know it as well.
 
Every other firearms-related board I've ever seen has been more than comfortable providing a home for such divisive rhetoric, rhetoric that further confirms the negative image of firearms owners that those in the mainstream Left currently hold. It doesn't just turn off the antis; they're all ready against us and every bit of belligerent chest-thumping just backs up their strongly-held but incorrect conclusions. No, it also turns people like me off. People who are on the Left but have ZERO problems with responsible firearms owners but nevertheless can't or don't want to deal with all the nasty baggage that's been tacked on to firearms ownership by people who ultimately care more about their social or moral beliefs having primacy in this country than they do about EVERYONE'S inherent right to be able to defend themselves, their families and those around them. They don't want to be in an atmosphere of unbridled hatred towards them that has squat to do with their position on firearms ownership and everything to do with who they are or what they think. That's where this board gets it right and almost every other gun forum, gun show and gun shop gets it wrong. They cling bitterly to ideals that have little or nothing to do with firearms ownership but are acknowledged anathema to the Left and as such, make it seem that the Right claims firearms culture as its own and no one who holds any beliefs to the contrary need apply. So, that's why I'm here. Because I know that right is as much mine as anyone else's, no matter what my position is on anything else.
Well said. One reason I like it here as well.
 
Bronx: You are certainly right about our Congress - I guess none of them ware able to live on the little bit we pay them, and have to rely on the people they really represent-the lobbyists-for extra cash.

I'd love to see some of them try to live on my retirement income......


mark
 
Gatorbait,

ACORN has had very funky lists of registered voters.
But I've never seen where Donald Duck, etc. have ever actually been proven to have voted.
Not that it relates to this topic at all.

For what it's worth, I have no problem with voters being required to show ID.
 
Nico Testosteros said:
If I could vote, I'd vote Democratic mostly (due to lack of options. How can a country of 300,000,000 people have only 2 real political parties?).
I have on multiple occasions let my liberal Democratic Congressman know that gun control is a losing issue. I'm pretty sure that the national level Dem leaders know it as well.

What, why?

Have you read These Dogs Don't Hunt: The Democrats' War on Guns? I have a copy sitting on my kitchen counter, it's scary what some Democrats think about your gun rights and the 2nd amendment.

Just vote Libertarian, problem solved. :)
 
I've traditionally voted Democrat as well with some exceptions now and then. I'm also a gun owner (which is why I'm here of course). On many things I'm more Libertarian, but I can't actually vote that and influence the current political balance.

In general, while there are some loud mouth blowhards on the Democrat side, I don't think they represent the mainstream nor would they survive politically if they tried to actually follow through on some of their crazy views. I sure wouldn't support them.
 
"If I could have gotten 51 votes in the Senate of the United States for an outright ban, picking up every one of them...Mr. and Mrs. America, turn 'em all in, I would have done it." -U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein, California Democrat

or,

"If someone is so fearful that, that they're going to start using their weapons to protect their rights, makes me very nervous that these people have these weapons at all." -U.S. Rep Henry Waxman, California Democrat

Two people I can't stand are in charge: Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid. No thanks!
 
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