04-04-2008, 02:57 AM
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Candidates' gun control positions may figure in Pa. vote
Candidates' gun control positions may figure in Pa. vote
Quote:
Chad Ramsey likes what he sees.
That worries Kim Stolfer.
Ramsey, the associate director of the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence, says each of the three presidential candidates has, to some degree, supported the center's efforts to regulate the gun trade. That hasn't been the case in an election year for a long time.
Stolfer says gun rights advocates such as himself shouldn't seriously consider Democratic Sens. Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama, but added he has concerns about Republican Sen. John McCain.
Still, Ramsey said, when the Democratic Party picks a nominee to face McCain, "I think there will be plenty of stark differences between them."
Those differences could become an issue in the battle for Pennsylvania's 21 electoral votes in November. Although gun control hasn't occupied much time in the Democratic primary race between Clinton and Obama, Ramsey said that will change.
The candidates are scheduled to debate in Philadelphia on April 16, the one-year anniversary of the Virginia Tech massacre.
Gun control issues are always on the state electorate's mind to some degree, said Berwood Yost, director of the Center for Opinion Research at Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster.
"It's an important variable in Pennsylvania politics" that goes beyond gun ownership, Yost said. "We think it's an assessment of cultural sensibilities."
About 1 million hunters make Pennsylvania first in the nation in the amount of time its citizens spend hunting each year, according to the state Game Commission. The National Rifle Association says Pennsylvania has one of the highest per-capita memberships among states, with hundreds of thousands of people affiliated with the group.
The gun trade is active, especially in Western Pennsylvania. Nearly 2 million guns were sold or transferred in the state from 2002-06, according to the Pennsylvania State Police. Allegheny County recorded more transactions than any other, with more than 125,000 during those five years.
Clinton and Obama favor some kind of ban on assault weapons, something McCain opposes...
..."I am not in favor of concealed weapons," Obama said. "I think that creates a potential atmosphere where more innocent people could (get shot during) altercations."
Obama and Clinton agree on most issues, NRA spokesman Andrew Arulanandom said.
McCain, however, "was good on our issues for a very long time. ... For a brief period of time, from 1999 to 2003-04, he wasn't as good. But since 2004, he has voted with us 100 percent of the time."
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Probably much ado about nothing NOW, but come the generals, this is gonna hurt the Democrats...
ESPECIALLY in the wake of recent college murders where it could've been prevented with concealed guns...
I, personally, don't consider this a top priority, but I know many who do...
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