Colorado Senators Get Boot as Gun Activists Take Their Revenge

From the Denver Post:

“An epic national debate over gun rights in Colorado on Tuesday saw two Democratic state senators ousted for their support for stricter laws, a “ready, aim, fired” message intended to stop other politicians for pushing for firearms restrictions. Senate President John Morse and Sen. Angela Giron will be replaced in office with Republican candidates who petitioned onto the recall ballot.

Party insiders always said Giron’s race was the harder one. Although her district is heavily Democratic, Pueblo is a blue-collar union town. Morse’s district included Manitou Springs and a portion of Colorado Springs — and more liberals.”

This is a big win for Republicans both in Colorado and nationwide. It sets the stage for the 2014 campaign, where the GOP will work hard to take back the state legislature and unseat Governor John Hickenlooper. It also puts the fear of God into the hearts of gun control ativists not only in Colorado but around the country. These were heavily Democratic districts and the NRA and other like minded groups were outspent by quite a large margin. If they could win there, they could be a force to be reckoned with nationwide.

PPP had an interesting poll which showed that even though they essentially agreed with the provisions in the firearms bill, they were split on the bill itself. So why the drastic reaction from the electorate over a law that really isn’t that unpopular?

The same phenomenon can be with the fuss over the Texas abortion law that received nationwide attention with the filibuster by Wendy Davis. The bill that passed the Texas State Senate imposed a 20-week limit on abortions and required that physicians who perform them have admittance privilege at a nearby hospital. It also mandated that abortion clinics meet the same standards as other surgical-care facilities in the state. Does that really seem unreasonable? Is it really the end of reproductive rights in Texas?

If you poll the specific provisions of the Texas law, you would find that the vast majority of the country heartily agrees with them. What troubles people is the possibility that this law could lead to further abortion restrictions that pro-choice activists would not be comfortable with. It’s the same thig with the background checks and magazine limits for firearms: people think that they’re only the beginning of a larger effort to deprive them of their gun rights. Neither nightmare scenario is likely to occur any time soon, but the fear of them is preventing real reforms from happening.

Then again, that’s politics for ya.