Dear Newbie Democrat

Dear Newbie Democrat:

Congratulations on your new position as Representative. As you look forward to your future in Washington DC it may be instructive to consider the past and what forces propelled your party to power once again.

Voter disgust with the Republican regime would seem to be the obvious reason. The Republicans disgraced themselves and deserved to lose. The war in Iraq, ethics scandals, and a complete abandonment of spending restraint top the list of why voters booted the Republicans from congressional power. The lesson to be learned is that, when aroused, the voters aren’t afraid to fire their congressional representatives, even long-time incumbents.

So why did voters originally “fire” the Democrats in 1994, giving Congress to the Republicans? One reason was the Democrats’ support of gun control. After the 1994 election, Campaigns & Elections magazine documented how the gun issue was a major factor in 55 races where pro-gun challengers beat sitting incumbents. As President Clinton put it in January of 1995, “The fight for the assault-weapons ban cost 20 members their seats in Congress… [and is] the reason the Republicans control the House.” In 1999 he said: “This Congress came to power after the 1994 elections because […] the people who voted for modest things, like the Brady Bill […] got beat.”

This is because, as Gore spokesman Doug Hattaway put it after Gore’s defeat: “Guns are a motivating issue for a sizable number of voters on the right, but that’s not matched elsewhere on the [left].” In other words, support of gun control will net more votes against you than for you. Many of the rural Democrats and union workers in your district will break ranks and vote against you if they feel that you’re a threat to their gun rights.

In short, gun control is not only bad policy, it’s bad politics. I hope you’ll vote against any restriction upon the Second Amendment right of private citizens to buy, keep and bear arms for recreation or defense.

Sincerely,
Ben