imported post
My own response, which I'll post over in Dave's GRE:
I disagree with the belief that the Democrats will go right after gun control and gun regulation right after the 2010 elections. In fact, SCOTUS and the federal court system will put most gun control laws out of the reach of the political class. There is almost 2 dozen already filed or potentially to be filed against the Assault Weapons bans, carry bans, other restrictive laws. Every time SCOTUS has spoken about the RKBA, the political opinion of the country tilts more and more towards further RKBA freedoms.
A lot of folk will say "Well, 60 percent of the country was against the Health Care thing", but you need to look at the reasons WHY they're are against it in terms of underlying reasons for it's opposition. Too many people in the 2A community that I've seen (again, seen, not actually seen here) are way too skin-deep in terms of seeing underlying problems and analysis to be effective arguers of your point. Let me demonstrate the point:
Pro-HCR Arguer: Well, it'll save people's lives.
Con-HCR Arguer: Well, 60 percent of the people don't support it.
Pro-HCR arguer: The only reason they won't support it because there's no governmental option to compete against the private insurers. You put in the "public option" its support for the overall bill goes up to 65 percent.
Con-HCR arguer: Well...SIXTY PERCENT ARE AGAINST IT! COMMUNISM, SOCIALISM, NAZI-ISM!
That isn't the way to make arguments in terms of dealing with political debates. You folks need to educate yourselves on polling statistics in arguments, because if the only method of modern organizing the gun rights movement emulates the Tea Party movement, GUN OWNERS ARE BEYOND SCREWED IN THE POLITICAL ARENA. Right now, the only shot at taking down the HCR bill is through the legal arena, which is also a dicey game when it isn't involving a fundamental constitutional right. It ain't gonna happen.
The National Parks Gun ban repeal passed by 67 votes last year. The CCW reciprocity bill got 58 votes. We can rely on 57 of those votes (Mark Pryor is an obvious D-bag opportunist), so we're two votes short. Post McDonald, we'll probably have the votes to do it.