President Obama Has Let His Emotion Get the Better of His Judgment

Loading

Charles C. W. Cooke:

Obama’s executive-led gun control push is finally underway. Per NPR:

ATF will play a central role in the administration’s move, by clarifying what it means to be “engaged in the business” of selling guns. Until now, some collectors and hobbyists have been able to avoid that designation. As a result, they haven’t needed a federal license to sell and they haven’t been required to conduct background checks on their customers. The new guidance from that Bureau is designed to require more such sellers to conduct background checks, even if they’re doing business only at gun shows or online.

Moreover:

The administration is also working to improve the quality of background checks by encouraging states and government agencies to share more information about criminal histories, domestic violence, and mental illness that could disqualify a person from buying a gun. And the FBI is hiring 230 additional staff people to speed the processing of background checks. Under current law, a gun sale can go forward if a background check is not completed within three days.

Arguendo, let’s presume that all these changes are legal (given, how tightly the laws are written, I’m skeptical). Has Obama lost his mind? This is a man, remember, who is supposed to be admirably dispassionate; a man who is supposed to understand how the game is played; a man who is supposed to reflexively refuse to be taken in by the emotion of the moment. And yet he’s going to use a good deal of his last year’s political capital in order to tweak a few minor rules around the edges? Why? Even if we’re generous and presume that every single one of these regulations finds its way permanently into the law, he will nevertheless have done nothing substantial to further “universal background checks”; he will have instituted none of his coveted magazine limits; and he will have banned none of the weapons that he disdains. Further, he will have set no meaningful precedents whatsoever. In other words: Even if he wins this round, he will have done precisely nothing of merit — except perhaps to have pleased his base and to have convinced the most ignorant parts of the electorate that he has finally stuck his finger into the NRA’s eye. Were these serious measures, I would be squealing. Instead, I’m amused. These are the dampest of squibs.

Which is to say that Obama’s behavior is not at all rational. As far as I can see, the president has announced these initiatives for no other reason than to satisfy his burning desire to say that he did “something” to advance gun control. That he in fact did nothing of note is neither here nor there. He needs the applause line — both now, and in his retirement — and he’s determined to get it.

When I say he did “nothing of note,” of course, I mean “nothing of note to advance his agenda.” As it happens, the president has done something “of note” tonight: He has hurt his own side. Were I a gun control advocate I’d be livid with him. Livid.

Why? Two reasons:

Read more

0 0 votes
Article Rating
Subscribe
Notify of
10 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

The sooner Cooke realizes that Obama is a left wing ideologue who also happens to have a sociopathic personality, the better off he’ll be.

Remember that ”the Left” is far more concerned with a ”narrative,” or an appearance as opposed to anything that works……

A good example is Earth Hour.
Earth Hour costs FAR more electricity to turn off stuff for one hour then turn it back on than if you left everything on the whole time.

Now this gun thing.

It will not stop mass shootings:

The controls expand background checks to cover more private sellers, although private sellers are not the source of guns used in mass shootings and high-profile shootings–the very kinds of incidents Obama claims he wants to reduce.
Every mass shooter and high profile shooter in recent memory–with the exception of those who stole their guns–bought their guns via background checks.

It adds more burdens to gun dealers who are already following the law:

Obama uses executive gun control to place even more reporting requirements–read, regulations–on the backs of Federal Firearms License holders (FFLs), who are federally recognized firearms dealers. FFLs are already highly regulated and monitored by the ATF. Obama’s executive action adds one more red tape hoop.

So, what is accomplished?
Smart guns will be researched via taxpayer dollars because no one in the private sector believes it is viable.
A smart gun’s bracelet can be stolen right along with it.
And a blood soaked hand cannot activate a biometric reader, rendering the ”smart gun” ineffective in self-defense.

Oh, and, if you are on Social Security and need help with your finances, you automatically lose all guns you own!

Even if he wins this round, he will have done precisely nothing of merit — except perhaps to have pleased his base and to have convinced the most ignorant parts of the electorate that he has finally stuck his finger into the NRA’s eye.

Ding, Ding, Ding!!

Two possible feasible ends. One, there is the opportunity to redefine all kinds of terms. Mentally ill, gun dealer, gun business, transfer… the left is not above changing the rules (even the rules of Webster) and nefariously achieve its goals. For instance, look at the Hammond situation in Oregon. A guy announces he is going to do a brush burn, does the brush burn and then is accused of terrorism (and convicted!!).

Two, most CERTAINLY, Obama and the left will play this up as a major accomplishment, while it does practically nothing (without the redefinitions). So, what happens when the next nut or terrorist opens fire? Why, “We better have some more common sense gun control!” is what happens.

On the one hand, this administration stirs up animosity, conflict, hatred and violence… it drives people crazy. What’s more, it seems to do it intentionally. It also turns a blind eye to threats to national security and public safety. Both of these have the potential for violence, gun or otherwise. Then, since the precedent for stupidity has been established long ago, the gun, not the person, the policies or the incompetence, is blamed. And, the gun must be punished.

@Bill:

Exactly. If Obama and the extreme leftist media is able to convince enough ignoramuses that this “common sense” gun control was a big deal, then when it inevitably fails to prevent all violence from guns, the left can shriek, “See! We just need to ban ALL guns!”

Leftists leaders aren’t stupid…evil, certainly, but not stupid.

Their followers, however, have the collective common sense of a garbage fill of soiled pampers.

Comprehensive background checks on ALL gun purchases from dealers. How can ANYONE have a problem with that?
NRA laughingly “that’s all you got?” We were OK with that years ago.

Oregon Guns and Jack D combustible.
Y’all Qaeda—–Vanilla Isis That’s funny
Right now they’re milling around but they’ll soon bring out their arm chairs and coolers like those guys on the Mexican border–a really hilarious looking group of old codgers a couple years back.

“And for what? A minor change to the way in which firearms are sold on the private market? Obama has let his emotion get the better of him here. He and his fellow travelers will likely pay a price.”

The reaction from the NRA and republican politicians will not be without political consequences, but they’re apparently not smart enough to figure that out.

The NRA response: “The American people do not need more emotional, condescending lectures.”

My response to the NRA: “You don’t speak for me and you don’t speak for the American people, you pretentious a-holes. Go to hell, and take your bought-and-paid-for political lackeys with you.”

@Rich Wheeler: Which branch of government is responsible for making and changing laws?

@Rich Wheeler:

Comprehensive background checks on ALL gun purchases from dealers. How can ANYONE have a problem with that?

Who has a problem with it? We already HAVE it. That’s what’s so stupid about Obama’s edict and the left going gaga over him saying it… with a tear.

@Greg:

The NRA response: “The American people do not need more emotional, condescending lectures.”

Exactly what purpose does emotional, condescending lectures serve? Nothing Obama offered would have had any affect on any of the crimes in the past and certainly won’t any future crime. All he offered up is already in place. Now, it might be more effective if federal workers would do their jobs…. perhaps adding 230 more screeners will help, but then again, they might just sit on their asses and look at naughty pictures on their computers, too.

This is a joke. A joke in poor taste.

Well, not one of the mass killing would have been stopped by these new regulations. Background checks are already law. It will prevent me from giving my sons the guns I inherited from my Grand Father. The NY times actually wrote an article lately proposing these regulations and admitting at the end that it would not work. It is more likely the results of these regulation will result in elderly people and women will be hurt or killed by criminals because they were not able to have a weapon that they could have used in their defense.

By this poorly-conceived, unconstitutional overreach Obama has just sunk the possibility of any of the current gang of gun-control loving Democrat party candidates from being elected President. The polls continually show the public is against any more gun control. All they are succeeding in doing is forcing 2nd Amendment supporting Democrats onto having to vote Republican to protect their Constitutional rights.

Stupidly, Jeb’s stuttering waffling in half-hearted support of this latest illegal extra-constitutional executive order action by Obama, will ensure that he will finally be out of the running. JB will not be missed.