Author Topic: Idea for protecting the RKBA - join the democratic party (Read 5394 times)

goon · « **on:** November 30, 2008, 03:22:07 PM »

For awhile now I've thought that if we could get large numbers of gunowners to join the democratic party we could potentially make any election a "win-win" situation for gun rights.
My reasoning is that the extremists in the democratic party are able to target our rights with impunity because there isn't a very strong dissenting voice within their party to oppose them. In other words, they get their way because there aren't enough of "us" there to keep them in check.
Solution - Register as a democrat so you can vote in their primaries. Then help pick the "better" democrats so that regardless of who gets elected, you still wind up with a reasonably decent guy in office.

Any thoughts?

taurusowner · « **Reply #1 on:** November 30, 2008, 03:39:00 PM »

Well seeing as the are a couple dozen other issues that I also care about other than RKBA, issues that the Dems oppose me on, I'll pass.

If we're gonna devote our effort to changing a political party, let's focus on the one that is supposed to already be ours, but really isn't.

Silver Bullet · « **Reply #2 on:** November 30, 2008, 07:05:50 PM »

Aren't most Democrats already pro-gun, but they don't have a say in the platform, the platform being controlled by the extremists ? If so, joining to form a majority in the party might be pointless.

Manedwolf · « **Reply #3 on:** November 30, 2008, 07:19:12 PM »

Quote from: Silver Bullet on November 30, 2008, 07:05:50 PM

Aren't most Democrats already pro-gun, but they don't have a say in the platform, the platform being controlled by the extremists ? If so, joining to form a majority in the party might be pointless.

Pft. No.

Most I know of are statists who expect the government to save and protect them, and who are happy to spend other people's money for their ideals.

digitalandanalog · « **Reply #4 on:** November 30, 2008, 07:29:18 PM »

So I should join Al Quaida (sp?) to make them a more merciful, kinder group of intolerant killers of the innocent, non extremist, non what ever their religion is group of fascists?

longeyes · « **Reply #5 on:** November 30, 2008, 07:43:51 PM »

Dems pro-gun?

Not the ones I know, and that includes the ones who actually own guns but act as if they didn't. :)

MechAg94 · « **Reply #6 on:** November 30, 2008, 08:21:36 PM »

Exactly how will you expect to change the party?

1. You could vote in primaries. You don't have to join it to do that in Texas, however, you are assuming that one of the candidates is pro-2A. Also, you would only make an impact if a whole lot of people did it.

2. You could run for office which might require spending time with the local organization and also someone to back you with a little money. Good luck with that. You would basically have to run on a Democrat platform with pro-2A. For me that would be lying. I won't do that.

3. You could try to gang up on a precinct and/or county convention and get platform amendments pushed through. That won't get very far at the state level. If you had that many guys to do it all over, we wouldn't have this problem with D.C.

Fly320s · « **Reply #7 on:** November 30, 2008, 08:49:29 PM »

What makes you think the Democrats will listen to their party members? The Republicans don't.

MicroBalrog · « **Reply #8 on:** November 30, 2008, 10:58:22 PM »

Quote

You don't have to join it to do that in Texas, however, you are assuming that one of the candidates is pro-2A.

Bob Conley?

Nitrogen · « **Reply #9 on:** November 30, 2008, 11:09:51 PM »

I'd only suggest joining the party if you agree with enough of their platform to be comfortable.

If you like 'em for most, except their gun stance, go for it.

Standing Wolf · « **Reply #10 on:** November 30, 2008, 11:36:25 PM »

Nope, and I'm not wearing a Nazi army uniform, either.

Perd Hapley · « **Reply #11 on:** December 01, 2008, 12:12:30 AM »

Pro-life Democrats have been using that strategy for decades. And we all know how that's working out. :|

Headless Thompson Gunner · « **Reply #12 on:** December 01, 2008, 01:06:23 AM »

If you're going to change a major political party, change the Republicans. They're already mostly on your side. Plus they bathe regularly.

Tallpine · « **Reply #13 on:** December 01, 2008, 01:30:25 PM »

In Montana they sent us two primary ballots - one for D and one for R. You can only fill out and submit one or the other.

The only thing the declared affiliation does is allow you to run for office as a D/R.

Gowen · « **Reply #14 on:** December 01, 2008, 05:04:08 PM »

How can you change them, when a party plank is gun control?

Zardozimo Oprah Bannedalas · « **Reply #15 on:** December 01, 2008, 05:38:30 PM »

Democrats are pro-gun in areas that are pro-gun. Republicans are similar. Mitt Romney and Giuliani were both supporters of the AWB and/or further gun control measures. They were running in liberal areas.

Repubs tend to be pro-gun, in name, at the very least.

Perd Hapley · « **Reply #16 on:** December 02, 2008, 06:03:57 PM »

Quote

Idea for protecting the RKBA - join the democratic party

That's not how they did it in 1994, in the face of a Dem. president and Dem. congress.

No, they went to the polls and voted for Republicans. They made clear that voting for gun control had consequences. Since then, the AWB was allowed to expire. Concealed carry flourished, and the castle doctrine spread to multiple states. Here in Missouri, we gained concealed carry and unlicensed vehicle carry and did away with permits to purchase handguns.

The Republican Party has disappointed us in many ways, but let's not forget what works.

RevDisk · « **Reply #17 on:** December 04, 2008, 05:06:17 PM »

I am a registered Democrat and have been since I was 18. I formerly was somewhat activate in the local, and quite a bit less so at the state. PA Dem's tend to not be rabidly anti-gun, and I have reminded some Congresscritter hopefuls that our state has the most hunters in the entire country, by quite a margin. Philly and another district I won't comment on PC grounds are the exception, of course. Philly pretends to be its own state, and is often smacked by the courts.

Then again, PA has some very nice pro-gun laws. Very handy ones, actually.

RocketMan · « **Reply #18 on:** December 05, 2008, 03:55:08 PM »

Quote from: Fly320s on November 30, 2008, 08:49:29 PM

What makes you think the Democrats will listen to their party members? The Republicans don't.

Ding...ding...ding...Thread winner!

Bogie · « **Reply #19 on:** December 06, 2008, 03:01:51 AM »

Guys, it's the same concept as "be an independent."

Get active.

Run for office.

Display common sense.

I know one VERY visible individual in the gun culture who ran for a congressional seat as a democrat, and the republicans and nra seriously bad-talked him...

Balog · « **Reply #20 on:** December 08, 2008, 04:12:13 PM »

Quote from: Bogie on December 06, 2008, 03:01:51 AM

Guys, it's the same concept as "be an independent."

Get active.

Run for office.

Display common sense.

I know one VERY visible individual in the gun culture who ran for a congressional seat as a democrat, and the republicans and nra seriously bad-talked him...

John Ross, right?

thebaldguy · « **Reply #21 on:** December 08, 2008, 06:59:06 PM »

There are lots of pro-gun Democrats (they are called DFL here for they merged with a Farmer-Labor party decades ago) here in Minnesota. A friend of mine is an active DFL member who is a gun owner. At local caucuses, many citizens did inform the party that "gun control" is causing them to lose votes to Republicans and Independents here. It made it difficult for the state DFL to vote down CCW laws, and they passed.

Dems could learn a lesson from Minnesota DFLers. Being pro gun or at least not anti-gun could give them some support. There are pro-gun Democrats, but there should always be more.

News:

Author Topic: Idea for protecting the RKBA - join the democratic party (Read 5394 times)

taurusowner