Wedge Issue?

Jed Babbin thinks that the Second Amendment may be the mother of all wedge issues in the 2008 elections. Writing about the Heller case that the Supreme Court has taken up, he points out that any Second Amendment issue becomes very dangerous for Democrats, especially Hillary Clinton.

If the Republicans seize this opportunity, they can make a “kitchen table” issue into a “wedge issue” in 2008: one that will decide the minds of voters.  One Republican – Mitt Romney – has spoken on this precise point.  In his interview with HUMAN EVENTS, Romney said his personal view was that the Second Amendment granted the right to keep and bear arms to individuals.  No Democrat will say that. 

In Hillary Clinton’s book, “Living History,” she writes about her outrage at Congress’ failure to, “…close the so-called gun-show loophole and to require child safety locks on guns.”  She goes on talking about how Congress lacked the will to, “…buck the all-powerful gun lobby and pass sensible gun safety measures [which] made me think about what I might be able to do, as a senator, to pass common sense legislation. In an interview in May, I told CBS anchor Dan Rather that, if I ran for the Senate, it would be because of what I learned in places like Littleton – and in spite of what I had lived through in Washington.”

Clinton never did anything about gun control as a senator.  What would she do as president?  Does she believe that the Second Amendment gives individuals the right to keep and bear arms, or does she favor confiscative laws such as the District of Columbia law the Supreme Court will rule on in the Heller case? 

Babbin knows the answer to that last question, of course. This is a subject that a lot of people care deeply about, too. But it is up to the Republicans to hit at this issue and keep hitting it. I know Thompson has staked out a position on this pretty solidly. Giuliani and Romney have also to varying degrees. But they are going to have to make it a very strong position and then keep punching away on it.