D's shooting themselves in the foot?

 I have several topics bouncing around in my head today, none are really worth a full post, so I am going to offer this brief observation.

You know that my first instinct and analysis following Sandy Hook was that the Anti crowd was going to make a hard push to expand the Prohibited Persons list by bringing Mental Health into play, and then use very broad and vague definitions to deny 2A to a large part of the population.  I remain convinced that was also President Obama's instinctive play, and in his speeches following the shootings, he was laying the ground for that play.  (I also think he would win if they go for it fast and hard.)

There were a few typical rumbles about Hi Cap mags and Feinstein dusted her AWB off from her desk drawer.

Then NRA goof spoke on Friday, and it looked like the D's would be receiving the next ban written on NRA letterhead.  Afterall, he openly supported a Mental Health database as an anti-2A tool.

And then, Saturday and Sunday happened.  Powerful D players began recoiling at the notion of using mental health as a 2A tool and began reaching hard for guns - a return to AWB and Hi Cap restrictions, even going much further, daring to drop the word confiscation in several places!  Then they reminded the "Average American" that the Anti crowd is never really doing it for the children as they claim, when they began screaming how insane a concept it is to put armed guards in schools or arm teachers.  That is the moment the D's lost the "Average American".  The "Average American" recognized the common sense of armed guards and teachers versus an Adam Lanza.  In fact, a great number of young adults have grown up with LEO already in their schools, compliments of President Clinton. (Link)

President Obama's play is the smarter political play, in my mind.  By using Mental Health the D's could easily take 2A from 40+ millions of people if they want.  But the old-school D's seem to think they have a mandate to go for outright bans and confiscations!  I can only describe that level of confidence on their part as delusional, an over-reach that simply is not there.  Or, the Optics are gone and they are ready for open war.

The "Average American" is not screaming for 2A restrictions right now.  The "Average American" has already moved past the politics of Sandy Hook, and they are into their holidays.  (MSNBC is doing their best to keep it alive, but all they are doing is raising the prices and sales figures for the gun industry)  The old-school D's seem to forget why they have left Gun Control alone for the last 20 years - because after they crammed Clinton's AWB down the American throat, we ripped them new arses in the mid-terms and gave the House to the R's for the first time in over 40 years! 

We'll see if the President can pull his team back together for the smart (Mental Health) play, or if they continue to over-reach and end up losing their chances on every 2A front.

At this moment, the D cats are not being herded in the proper direction, and that is a surprise I did not expect.  They could have (and may still) made a BIG play on the mental health front, but if I had to place a bet on what is on the table right now, I'd say they are about to blow the entire opportunity.

We shall see...

Kerodin
III