I am fully aware that there are many articles that talk about more important things than this, but I was struck by just how flat-out bizarre this was. Being incredibly cynical about politics, I am not inclined to judge a person by which party they're a member of, instead basing my assessment on the individual.
This glorious display of mental acrobatics certainly cements Joe Biden as a very unique individual: http://firstread.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/02/27/17118912-biden-says-illinois-race-sent-a-message-on-gun-control?lite
It's one thing to support gun control. There's a case to be made for it, there's facts and evidence for both sides, and so on and so forth. The debate is necessary and productive. Gun control is not the issue here - the issue is Joe Biden's ability to draw an utterly bizarre conclusion from a really normal scenario.
Situation: A Democratic, pro-gun control candidate wins in a heavily Democratic district of the left-leaning state of Illinois, which is home to Chicago, with the strictest gun laws in the nation - and is also the only remaining state that does not allow concealed carry. There is literally nothing unexpected about this scenario at all - it's exactly as meaningful as a Republican winning in rural South Carolina.
Mr. Biden then declares that this situation proves that representatives and senators will not endanger their careers if they vote for more gun control, and also argues that this shows that Americans as a whole are totally in favor of even more gun laws. Recap: this race was in a Democratic district of a Democratic, pro-gun control state.
I must confess, I am utterly at a loss as to how this particular race proves anything except that candidates of party X are likely to win in districts that favor party X. Now, if a pro-gun control politician had been elected in, I don't know, rural Texas, that might prove something. Now, I don't think Mr. Biden is stupid - his thought process just confuses me. If, however, he wants to make a case that Americans support gun control, he should probably use national polls that are an accurate cross-section of the U.S. population.
No comments:
Post a Comment