NRA Political Clout Diminished?

 

After the slaughter of innocents in Connecticut. I paid a visit to the lobby arm of the National Rifle Association - Institution of Legislative Action to see their perspective. Nothing yet.

I did have to wonder if the fear the NRA causes in politics might be diminished after the last election. The NRA ran negative adds against Tim Kaine in Virginia. This was a close race and supposedly an outside group like the NRA could tip the balance. Kaine won.
In another close Senate race the NRA attacked Sherrod Brown in Ohio. Brown won easily. The NRA also attacked Florida Senate candidate Bill Nelson in a race the GOP hoped to win. Nelson won. In North Dakota the NRA backed GOP Senate candidate lost.
Of course the NRA posted some spin on this, "Nine of NRA-PVF's 20 endorsed U.S. Senate candidates won their races (Arizona, Mississippi, Nebraska, Nevada, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, West Virginia, and Wyoming). In addition, we saw pro-gun upgrades in Indiana, North Dakota and New Mexico. The only pro-gun downgrade was in Virginia". Really?

The NRA put a lot of effort into defeating Obama. Did not work out so well either.

A couple of other thoughts: Nicholas Kristof presents reasoned argument /kristof-do-we-have-the-courage-to-stop-this? I suppose we will see.
And the idea that guns stop gun crimes. Back in the 1980s a man in Washington DC was surrounded by well trained individuals that were armed with guns. He was shot. That shooting led to a change in gun laws. A major component of that law was allowed to lapse in 2004. The man that was shot: Ronald Reagan.