GOP concocts imaginative scheme to steal elections
A Republican presidential candidate hasn’t carried Michigan since the first George Bush did it back in 1988, seven election cycles ago. And for the GOP, the future doesn’t look much brighter than the past. In the most recent election, Barack Obama carried the state and its 16 electoral votes by a comfortable margin of 9.5 percentage points.
So what’s a losing party to do? Field a better candidate? Develop a message that voters will find more compelling? Nah. Why do things the hard way when you can “fix” the system to your advantage legislatively?
As Reid Wilson explains in National Journal, Michigan Republicans are preparing to use their control of the state Legislature to change the way in which electoral votes are awarded in their state. Rather than use the traditional winner-take-all system, they propose to award electoral votes by congressional district.
What would that mean in practice? It would mean that in 2012, Obama would have won just seven of Michigan’s 16 electoral votes, even though he carried the state very easily. Mitt Romney would have won nine electoral votes even though he lost his native state convincingly.
How could that be? Because unlike state boundaries, boundaries of congressional districts can be gerrymandered to favor one party over another. In Michigan’s case, its congressional districts have been heavily gerrymandered to maximize GOP power and minimize Democratic power, and if you use those same boundaries to award electoral votes in a presidential race, you get that same distorted outcome.
And as Wilson points out, Michigan is far from the only state where Republicans have control of the legislative process and hope to implement such changes:
Pennsylvania: Obama won the Keystone State by 5 percentage points in 2012. Again, no GOP presidential candidate has carried the state since 1988. But under the altered rules, Pennsylvania would have produced 12 electoral votes for Romney in 2012, leaving only eight for Obama, even though the Democrat carried the state by almost 300,000 votes.
Wisconsin: Republicans haven’t carried Paul Ryan’s home state since 1984, and in 2012 Obama won its 10 electoral votes by a margin of 6.7 percentage points. But under the altered system, Obama would have had to split those 10 electoral votes evenly with the loser.
Florida: Obama has now carried the state twice in a row by narrow margins. But if presidential votes tracked congressional votes, Romney would have won 17 of Florida’s 29 electoral votes under the altered system, leaving only 12 for the candidate who actually won a majority of the state’s votes.
Ohio: Obama carried the state in both 2008 and 2012. But if the rules had been changed and presidential votes tracked congressional votes, he would have won only a third of Ohio’s 18 electoral votes, giving two-thirds to the candidate who lost the state.
Virginia: Obama won the state for the second time in a row in 2012, this time by four percentage points. But under the GOP plan, his likely reward for that victory would have been just five of the state’s 13 electoral college votes.
Under the Constitution, each state has the right to determine how its electoral votes are distributed, which would make it difficult to challenge such changes legally. In fact, Maine and Nebraska already use such a system, although neither state adopted it for partisan purposes.
In addition, the congressional maps in Maine and Nebraska are not heavily gerrymandered, which makes a big difference. In states with gerrymandered maps, such a system might be vulnerable to legal challenge on the grounds that politicians were consciously trying to discount the value of votes cast by certain U.S. citizens while enhancing the value of others.
Because as Wilson reports, the GOP is pretty clear about its intent:
“If you did the calculation, you’d see a massive shift of electoral votes in states that are blue and fully [in] red control,” said one senior Republican taking an active role in pushing the proposal. “There’s no kind of autopsy and outreach that can grab us those electoral votes that quickly.”
The proposals, the senior GOP official said, are likely to come up in each state’s legislative session in 2013. Bills have been drafted, and legislators are talking to party bosses to craft strategy. Saul Anuzis, the former chairman of the Michigan Republican Party, has briefed Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus and Chief of Staff Jeff Larson on his state’s proposal. The proposal “is not being met with the ‘We can’t do that’ answer. It’s being met with ‘I’ve already got a bill started,’ ” the official said.
I particularly admire the cynicism behind the admission that “there’s no kind of autopsy and outreach that can grab us those electoral votes that quickly.” In other words, why try to appeal to more voters or reassess your platform when, by legislative fiat, you can in effect all but steal electoral votes and perhaps the election itself?
The potential implications of such a change would be profound. For example, it would add another layer of incentive for politicians to gerrymander congressional districts. In addition, Ohio and other states would no longer be battleground states; instead, you’d have battleground districts, where political war would be waged intensely while surrounding congressional districts were ignored.
Overall, if the changes in question had been in place in all six states listed above, Romney probably would have won an additional 63 electoral votes. Add that to the 206 votes that he did win, and Romney has 269 votes, creating an electoral college tie with Obama.
That tie in turn would have thrown the race into the House of Representatives, where Republicans hold a narrow majority thanks in part to their success at gerrymandering.
Which means that Romney, having lost the popular vote by almost four percentage points and 4.7 million votes, would today be President-elect Romney.
– Jay Bookman
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675 comments Add your comment
Did you know
December 18th, 2012
5:06 pm
Of all of the elephants in the world, there are ONLY TWO species.
.
The African savanna elephant (Loxodonta africana) and the Asian elephant (Elephas maximus).
.
The African elephant CAN NOT and has never been domesticated while the Asian elephant is our friend.
.
Perculiar, no?
skipper
December 18th, 2012
5:10 pm
josef,
There are also quite a few as described above…….not necessarily mass murdrers, of course, but more expectant of parents and society. As with any generation, there are firsts.
josef
December 18th, 2012
5:10 pm
DID YOU KNOW
So, which one is the GOP symbol?
josef
December 18th, 2012
5:12 pm
skipper
If I had to pick a generation which best fits pogo’s description, it would be mine. the Baby Boomers, the most pampered I can think of…
Willydoit?
December 18th, 2012
5:13 pm
“Well, it might, except for the fact that the GOP has no intention whatsoever of implementing such a system anywhere except where it would give them an unfair advantage.
Couldn’t the democrats do the same thing in the states they control but lost to the GOP?
They BOTH suck
December 18th, 2012
5:17 pm
“Couldn’t the democrats do the same thing in the states they control but lost to the GOP?”
Could they? Yes. However, they are not the ones losing the overall demographic voting battle at this time. Not a coincidence that one losing that battle is the the one attempting to change the outcome.
That Black Guy
December 18th, 2012
5:17 pm
willie lynch
December 18th, 2012
1:13 pm
The guy you cons have sainted was well… a doofuss.
__________________________________________
No he wasn’t a “doofuss”.
He was suffering from altzheimer’s. It is a crippling and brutal disease.
One that I hope neither you nor anyone around you has to live through.
josef
December 18th, 2012
5:18 pm
BOTH
@ 5:17
Yep.
Did you know
December 18th, 2012
5:19 pm
josef
December 18th, 2012
5:10 pm
DID YOU KNOW
So, which one is the GOP symbol?
——————————————————
The GOP elephant is a Demeno Domesticus a sub-species of Asian elephant (Elephas maximus).
As per one of the Chief Scientists/Thinkers of the GOP, Tom Price.
josef
December 18th, 2012
5:19 pm
BLACK GUY
Yeah, but he was dumb as 16 trashcans long before Alzheimer’s set in…
josef
December 18th, 2012
5:21 pm
Did you know…
barking frog
December 18th, 2012
5:22 pm
Jay
GOP concocts imaginative scheme to steal elections
…………………………………………………………………
They will be foiled by the DNC science guy who can change
the R’s to D’s by giving them what they want…per your last post.
That Black Guy
December 18th, 2012
5:22 pm
Doggone/GA
December 18th, 2012
12:38 pm
Both…yes, I saw it and I sent him some info via an email to Jay. Thanks though!
___________________________
Doggone, I got it this morning and passed it on. Thanks.
She said they seem to be responding to the cotton.
Thanks again.
____
TBS, Bro, Kam and others. Wuzzup?
Kamchak ~ Thug from the Steppes
December 18th, 2012
5:25 pm
TBS, Bro, Kam and others. Wuzzup?
Getting ready to come back into the ATL this p.m.
Doggone/GA
December 18th, 2012
5:25 pm
TBG – You’re welcome, glad it’s helping
They BOTH suck
December 18th, 2012
5:27 pm
TBG
What’s up? Not sure if you will be on before Christmas, so want to wish you and your family a very Merry Christmas. Be safe if you are traveling.
Doing a drive by the other day, I read where you spoke of your brother. I hope he continues on his path to recovery and gets to where he wants and needs to go.
As always my best wishes to you and yours.
Nunna Yobinnes
December 18th, 2012
5:33 pm
Doggone – not meaning to be nosey, but are you a veterinarian? If so, that’s neat.
Christian Conservative
December 18th, 2012
5:36 pm
Wow doing something legally is a scheme to steal elections. Go figure. I would thing dead people voting and stuffing ballots boxes with absentee ballots for dems would be considered stealing….
Jm
December 18th, 2012
5:37 pm
You’d think winning an election would mean Jay could give republican bashing a break
Silly me
They BOTH suck
December 18th, 2012
5:38 pm
Jm
Yet you keep coming back. yes, silly you
They BOTH suck
December 18th, 2012
5:40 pm
“I would thing dead people voting and stuffing ballots boxes with absentee ballots for dems would be considered stealing….”
And for not so Christian’s next post, he will show where elections have been stolen via exactly what he posted. Right?
Nunna Yobinnes
December 18th, 2012
5:40 pm
Doggone – In any event, thanks for helping TBG’s puppies.
Kamchak ~ Thug from the Steppes
December 18th, 2012
5:42 pm
You’d think that if someone wanted to go to Singapore that they’d find a way to bootstrap them-self there.
Silly John Galt.
Joe Hussein Mama
December 18th, 2012
5:44 pm
C. Conservative — “I would thing dead people voting and stuffing ballots boxes with absentee ballots for dems would be considered stealing….”
Ninth Commandment FAIL
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/You_shall_not_bear_false_witness_against_your_neighbor
Keep Up the Good Fight!
December 18th, 2012
5:45 pm
Brosephus: If I want to argue with a jackass, I’ll go to a farm and find one.
There’s a whole farm of that poster? Talk about a crop failure.
saywhat?
December 18th, 2012
5:48 pm
Typical discussion with conservatives on this site:
Con: The Easter bunny is buying votes for Democrats!!!!!!!!
Dem: Uhhhhhh, there IS no Easter Bunny.
Jay: BLAH BLAH BLAH (Proves with solid impartial evidence there is no Easter Bunny)
Con: Doesn’t matter if there is no Easter Bunny buying votes, because Bigfoot is killing off Conservatives to swing elections! And don’t get me started about all those tooth fairies sneaking money to little kids, trying to convert them.
Dem: (face palm) THERE IS NO EASTER BUNNY! NO BIGFOOT! NO TOOTH FAIRY! AND BEFORE YOU GET TO IT, NO, JESUS DIDN’T RIDE A DINOSAUR!!!!!!!
CON: Don’t be stupid. Jesus rode a unicorn. Sheesh. You can’t use facts to argue with liberals.
How many times do CONS have to LOSE to become a LOSER? 0-2? LOSERS
December 18th, 2012
5:48 pm
@williebkind
December 18th, 2012
4:12 pm
“Liberals – 2 (Obama & Obama) WINNERS”
Really? Of what?
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
If you DON’T KNOW….ASK YO MAMA! I bet she knows.
BTW, WillieB I thought you died.
(February 2000, Willie B. the Gorilla died of complications from cardiomyopathy at age forty-one).
Was that your father?
That Black Guy
December 18th, 2012
5:49 pm
curious
December 18th, 2012
2:31 pm
Tim Scott will be the Alan West of the Senate. He won’t be reelected, no matter how bad the Republicans want a “token” to demonstrate their inclusiveness.
______________________________________________
You do know that “token” phrase is just as racist as “wetback, n—-er, gypsy, cracker, et al”, right.
It is an insult based on race.
Just like “Uncle Tom”.
Joe Hussein Mama
December 18th, 2012
5:50 pm
“Was that your father?”
Okay, I’m out before it gets really rough in here.
All have a pleasant evening and DRIVE SAFELY.
saywhat?
December 18th, 2012
5:50 pm
You can’t use facts to argue with a liberal. That’s why conservatives never do.
Keep Up the Good Fight!
December 18th, 2012
5:53 pm
Saywhat, glad you posted that one twice…. makes it 2x better. But you forgot that the con will then proceed to say something to the effect:
CON: I can’t help it if you are too stupid to know I studied economics and this is simple Jesus 101 free market unicorn. You cant argue my factiness. Boom.
Redneck Convert (R--and proud of it)
December 18th, 2012
5:58 pm
Well, I see Thelma Doom’s been here. Thelma kinda reminds me of Shorty McClanahan. Shorty would show up at Billy Bob’s, smart-mouth for awhile, get his butt kicked by some good ol’ boy, leave, and then come back acting like he’d whupped up on the world. I bet the two of them are related.
appleseed
December 18th, 2012
5:58 pm
Christian Conservative do you read the Queen James version?
They BOTH suck
December 18th, 2012
5:59 pm
CC
What happened? I was waiting for a breitbart, wnd, newsmax, drudge or weekly substandard post that discussed all these elections that were stolen…………
You must have gotten busy but will post it later
Thanks
saywhat?
December 18th, 2012
6:02 pm
Maybe CC needs to fall back on the favorite conservative website of all- crapsomebodymadeup.com.
They BOTH suck
December 18th, 2012
6:04 pm
saywhat
Another blogger came with the same assertion but different angle today, he was quickly shown the facts………. To his credit, he admitted he was wrong.
CC will ignore or post more bs.
Cherokee
December 18th, 2012
6:05 pm
“I would thing dead people voting and stuffing ballots boxes with absentee ballots for dems would be considered stealing”
Doesn’t happen, not-Christian. At least not in any kind of significant numbers.
It’s called ‘bearing false witness’ – another one of those pesky parts of the Bible that not-Christian conservatives ignore…
Doggone/GA
December 18th, 2012
6:11 pm
“Doggone – not meaning to be nosey, but are you a veterinarian? If so, that’s neat”
No, not a Vet…just a long term, experienced dog owners
josef
December 18th, 2012
6:14 pm
BOTH
Yeah, where is CC? It’s hard to be a reactionary when there’s nothing to react TO… so, I guess I’ll just have to wait for happy hour at Closet Capers to be over. eh?
F. Sinkwich
December 18th, 2012
6:15 pm
Who cares? O’bozo won.
Takers in this country out number makers. It’s over for the greatest country the world has ever seen.
RIP USA 1776-2012
Soothsayer
December 18th, 2012
6:16 pm
Some things just can’t wait!
Soothsayer
December 18th, 2012
6:17 pm
Fish Sandwich: tell me again what it is you do for a living. I forgot.
They BOTH suck
December 18th, 2012
6:19 pm
Sink
You need new material. You must be posting from overseas since the US is dead.
Thought so but thanks for the laughs little guy
_________________________________
josef
Soothsayer
December 18th, 2012
6:21 pm
Just another incidence of those homos doing bizarre things right out in public!
saywhat?
December 18th, 2012
6:23 pm
josef
December 18th, 2012
5:19 pm
BLACK GUY
Yeah, but he was dumb as 16 trashcans long before Alzheimer’s set in…
————————————————————————
…minus about 15 trashcans.
saywhat?
December 18th, 2012
6:24 pm
Sooth- I’ve seen the 6:21 before. A classic.
F. Sinkwich
December 18th, 2012
6:25 pm
“Fish Sandwich: tell me again what it is you do for a living. I forgot.”
I’m a maker. You know, someone who deserves retribution.
They BOTH suck
December 18th, 2012
6:25 pm
Sooth
Great cartoon.
Jay
December 18th, 2012
6:25 pm
“You do know that “token” phrase is just as racist as “wetback, n—-er, gypsy, cracker, et al”, right.
It is an insult based on race.
Just like “Uncle Tom”.
I agree, TBG. I also think that Scott’s appointment is a great thing for South Carolina and the Republican Party (after all, it’s not as if Haley was going to nominate a moderate for the seat.) But I also think it will be interesting to see if he draws a primary challenge in 2014.
josef
December 18th, 2012
6:26 pm
BOTH
Well, here comes Sinkwich…things may be looking up after all!
SOOTH
josef
December 18th, 2012
6:28 pm
TBG
But…but…gypsy with a lower case “c” isn’t racist!
getalife
December 18th, 2012
6:30 pm
Still depressed. f.?
They BOTH suck
December 18th, 2012
6:30 pm
Jay
Agreed. While he was already in the House, it could be a good thing that Scott was appointed to serve out DeMint’s term.
While I joke, laugh and pick at some of our right leaning bloggers, this could really be a test for Republicans as many of them attempt to work on the demographic voting trends.
josef
December 18th, 2012
6:32 pm
SINKWICH
A maker or a macher?
Keep Up the Good Fight!
December 18th, 2012
6:32 pm
Well I have to confess that I need to give some congrats to Senior Digits. I saw one of his posts a few days back after Hillary had an accident/illness and now she cannot testify at hearings this week and a deputy will. SD alleged it was part of a conspiracy to avoid testifying…. and now former US Secty John Bolton is alleging the same thing. Seems like SD has the upper hand in those wingnut conspiracy connections over Bolton!
F. Sinkwich
December 18th, 2012
6:32 pm
“Still depressed. f.?”
Nope. I’m a realist. I’ll deal with the demise of our once great country.
It is what it is.
Soothsayer
December 18th, 2012
6:33 pm
josef: I thought you might like a boring cartoon like that!
Jack ®
December 18th, 2012
6:33 pm
You all have amazed and depressed Bookman. You ought to know you can’t disagree with him without being accused of having a preconceived bias. And you ought to know that he has none of those biases. He’s just a blithe spirit who happens to know everything about everything. So quit disagreeing with him.
They BOTH suck
December 18th, 2012
6:34 pm
“I’ll deal with the demise of our once great country. ”
Yes supply side gave us a huge blow, but we will be back.
Thanks for your acknowledgment, Sink.
getalife
December 18th, 2012
6:35 pm
“It is what it is.”
It is still the most powerful country in the world.
When are you leaving?
Soothsayer
December 18th, 2012
6:36 pm
Fish Sandwich: I thought you were retired on the (hated) government dime? Doesn’t that make you a taker? After all, them evil Social Security and Medicare recipients are no-account takers aren’t they?
Keep Up the Good Fight!
December 18th, 2012
6:36 pm
Tim Scott: Sponsor of a fetus monument for Charleston bill?
F. Sinkwich
December 18th, 2012
6:41 pm
“Fish Sandwich: I thought you were retired on the (hated) government dime?”
I have no idea what you’re talking about.
pogo
December 18th, 2012
6:41 pm
Josef, “our kids” are always the best (at least in our minds). And there are some out there. How mant times have we seen the thing where a punk shoots somebody and their mothers are interviewed and they say ” he is a sweet, innocent child who would never do something like that”. How many times? Parents are not the most objective people when it comes to their children’s behavior. Obviously it took a while but this woman came to the realization that her son needed more than she could give him. And he turned on her and society like a mad dog. Make no mistake, the baby boomers and all of their materialism has done great damage to this generation. That and the constant erosion of any moral basis at all add up to disaster. Most will not be mass murderers but too many will turn out to have no empathy for anything but themselves and their materialistic needs. No, not all. But most. Something is wrong in America and it isn’t the guns. The guns only serve to point out to us the failure that this country has done to its its children by their parents.
There was today by far the best article on this particular episode that has been written on the subject. The author hit the nail on the head. I think that even the liberals would agree with it and I encourage everyone to read it.
F. Sinkwich
December 18th, 2012
6:42 pm
“It is still the most powerful country in the world.”
Not for long…
Wake up.
Common Sense isn't very Common
December 18th, 2012
6:44 pm
josef
You may be pampered, but you are definitely uppity
F. Sinkwich
December 18th, 2012
6:45 pm
“It is still the most powerful country in the world.”
Now that I think about it, lib ilks are generally embarrassed by that. Our demise is their plan.
Check the memo, getalife.
Soothsayer
December 18th, 2012
6:47 pm
Fish Sandwich: Silly me. I thought that you told the entire blog that you retired from the military as a doctor. Did I dream that? Where on earth did I get such a notion?
I would be willing to bet that you “took” the tuition to college.
I would be willing to bet that you “took” the tuition to medical school.
I would be willing to bet that you “took” the stipend to support you during your residency.
Am I wrong? So you did a lot of “taking” before you were a “maker” right?
They BOTH suck
December 18th, 2012
6:51 pm
sooth
Not sure about Sink, but I think Kayaker made that claim
RF
December 18th, 2012
6:52 pm
“Now that I think about it, lib ilks are generally embarrassed by that. Our demise is their plan.”
Hmmmm, missed that memo somewhere in the socialist reingineering training….I mean, school.
Considering your boys tanked the economy and ran two wars off the budget, I’d say they made a lot more progress on “our demise” than any Democrat has done.
RF
December 18th, 2012
6:53 pm
“but you are definitely uppity”
Only when he’s wearing the boa, especially the pink one.
F. Sinkwich
December 18th, 2012
6:56 pm
“Fish Sandwich: Silly me. I thought that you told the entire blog that you retired from the military as a doctor.”
Sorry, not me. Private sector here.
Soothsayer
December 18th, 2012
6:58 pm
Sorry, Fish. My mistake.
barking frog
December 18th, 2012
6:59 pm
RF
it’s all about the j.. J is with boa and uppity..j is no boa..uppity ~~
Jay
December 18th, 2012
6:59 pm
“Only when he’s wearing the boa, especially the pink one.”
I can honestly say that I’ve never seen him without it.
Of course, I can honestly say the same for Scout too.
josef
December 18th, 2012
6:59 pm
POGO
I’m an optimist with great faith in the future of not just our nation, but all of humanity. Let’s face it, we are the species which has gone from the trees to the stars. The generation you speak of will go on to make its own contributions to that journey, too. Like all those before them, they will make their mistakes. But they are ours.
BOTH
It comes with the DNA!
Jay
December 18th, 2012
6:59 pm
Do you think they share?
josef
December 18th, 2012
7:02 pm
SINKWICH
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
And why would you? You have no idea nine times out of ten of what you’re talking about.
BIG DADDY
Well, we know you do wear it well yourself!
josef
December 18th, 2012
7:04 pm
BIG DADDY
Only when we can pry it from your well manicured paws!
F. Sinkwich
December 18th, 2012
7:06 pm
“And why would you? You have no idea nine times out of ten of what you’re talking about.”
Yes I do.
Thanks for asking.
Jay
December 18th, 2012
7:06 pm
Pink is so … gauche. I’m a fuchsia man myself.
Soothsayer
December 18th, 2012
7:08 pm
NEWSFLASH! Jay Bookman “comes out” on own blog. Film at eleven.
josef
December 18th, 2012
7:09 pm
Well, I guess that lays to rest the question of whether or not you’re a pinko!
RAMZAD
December 18th, 2012
7:09 pm
If Republicans would out a CIA agent for political expediency there is just nothing too low for these people.
josef
December 18th, 2012
7:11 pm
SINKWICH
Who asked? There was no question mark there…
JamVet
December 18th, 2012
7:13 pm
Poor, pitiable Frankie and the Neocons. (NOT to be confused with Johnny and the Hurricanes.)
So damn depressed. So despondent. So Republican.
Something to cheer them up.
The end is nigh! Repent, sinners!
https://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/563861_10151297252589666_59637054_n.jpg
josef
December 18th, 2012
7:17 pm
BIG DADDY
Who dat….?
http://bligbi.com/wp-content/uploads/2006/06/boa-man.png
josef
December 18th, 2012
7:20 pm
ZamVet
@ 7:13
barking frog
December 18th, 2012
7:27 pm
JamVet
the day after tomorrow there will be no day after tomorrow
0311/8541/5811/1811/1801
December 18th, 2012
7:29 pm
“The vulture media continues to hover over the tragedy at Newtown.”
JamVet
December 18th, 2012
7:30 pm
jonix, just trying to add some small sense of joy to his otherwise miserable “conservative” life here.
Here’s another pic I found that Frankie can really relate to…
https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/598617_4550860462334_331826375_n.jpg
josef
December 18th, 2012
7:35 pm
SCOUT
No boa for you!
ZamVet
Heh, heh. ..that sooooo fits my mental picture of him!!!!
0311/8541/5811/1811/1801
December 18th, 2012
7:38 pm
“INVINCIBLE IGNORANCE” by Thomas Sowell
“Must every tragic mass shooting bring out the shrill ignorance of “gun control” advocates?
The key fallacy of so-called gun control laws is that such laws do not in fact control guns. They simply disarm law-abiding citizens, while people bent on violence find firearms readily available.
If gun control zealots had any respect for facts, they would have discovered this long ago, because there have been too many factual studies over the years to leave any serious doubt about gun control laws being not merely futile but counterproductive.
Places and times with the strongest gun control laws have often been places and times with high murder rates. Washington, D.C., is a classic example, but just one among many.
When it comes to the rate of gun ownership, that is higher in rural areas than in urban areas, but the murder rate is higher in urban areas. The rate of gun ownership is higher among whites than among blacks, but the murder rate is higher among blacks. For the country as a whole, hand gun ownership doubled in the late 20th century, while the murder rate went down.
The few counter-examples offered by gun control zealots do not stand up under scrutiny. Perhaps their strongest talking point is that Britain has stronger gun control laws than the United States and lower murder rates.
But, if you look back through history, you will find that Britain has had a lower murder rate than the United States for more than two centuries– and, for most of that time, the British had no more stringent gun control laws than the United States. Indeed, neither country had stringent gun control for most of that time.
In the middle of the 20th century, you could buy a shotgun in London with no questions asked. New York, which at that time had had the stringent Sullivan Law restricting gun ownership since 1911, still had several times the gun murder rate of London, as well as several times the London murder rate with other weapons.
Neither guns nor gun control was the reason for the difference in murder rates. People were the difference.
Yet many of the most zealous advocates of gun control laws, on both sides of the Atlantic, have also been advocates of leniency toward criminals.
In Britain, such people have been so successful that legal gun ownership has been reduced almost to the vanishing point, while even most convicted felons in Britain are not put behind bars. The crime rate, including the rate of crimes committed with guns, is far higher in Britain now than it was back in the days when there were few restrictions on Britons buying firearms.
In 1954, there were only a dozen armed robberies in London but, by the 1990s– after decades of ever tightening gun ownership restrictions– there were more than a hundred times as many armed robberies.
Gun control zealots’ choice of Britain for comparison with the United States has been wholly tendentious, not only because it ignored the history of the two countries, but also because it ignored other countries with stronger gun control laws than the United States, such as Russia, Brazil and Mexico. All of these countries have higher murder rates than the United States.
You could compare other sets of countries and get similar results. Gun ownership has been three times as high in Switzerland as in Germany, but the Swiss have had lower murder rates. Other countries with high rates of gun ownership and low murder rates include Israel, New Zealand, and Finland.
Guns are not the problem. People are the problem– including people who are determined to push gun control laws, either in ignorance of the facts or in defiance of the facts.
There is innocent ignorance and there is invincible, dogmatic and self-righteous ignorance. Every tragic mass shooting seems to bring out examples of both among gun control advocates.
Some years back, there was a professor whose advocacy of gun control led him to produce a “study” that became so discredited that he resigned from his university. This column predicted at the time that this discredited study would continue to be cited by gun control advocates. But I had no idea that this would happen the very next week in the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals.”
Soothsayer
December 18th, 2012
7:46 pm
Gosh! Scout, at first I thought you “thunk” that whole post up all by yoreself. Then, luckily, I noticed the attribution to Thomas Sowell. And, why not?
RF
December 18th, 2012
7:48 pm
“J is with boa and uppity..j is no boa..uppity”
But the boa does add a certain…panache to it!
Soothsayer
December 18th, 2012
7:49 pm
Here we go, Scout. In answer to your post, let’s allow “full automatic,” i.e., “machine guns” with multi-hundred-round “clips” or “drums” if you prefer. That way, wacko nutcases can take out thousands of people without even having to reload. Sounds like a winner to me. What do you think?
Soothsayer
December 18th, 2012
7:59 pm
For all the world, I can’t imagine why DB didn’t repeat the wonderful “hook” at the beginning of this song 4 or 5 times (or more) in this song. Listen for it at the beginning.
josef
December 18th, 2012
8:02 pm
RF
And some are born boa…
http://us.123rf.com/400wm/400/400/mwookie/mwookie0605/mwookie060500004/414730-baby-in-feather-boa.jpg
Harry Reed
December 18th, 2012
8:07 pm
Boo Hoo! What a crybaby Jay is! Can’t find nothing to write about !
Soothsayer
December 18th, 2012
8:11 pm
All I can say is if 1,000 deer show up at my door looking to “get even” I want to be able to defend myself!