Clinton is helping shape the national debate about firearms, calling for a “national movement” to “stand up to the NRA” and lambasting Republicans for voting against gun control legislation.
“What is wrong with us, that we cannot stand up to the NRA and the gun lobby, and the gun manufacturers they represent?” a visibly angry Clinton said shortly after the Oregon shooting last month that left 10 people dead. “This is not just tragic. We don’t just need to pray for people. We need to act and we need to build a movement. It’s infuriating.”
“We need to close the loopholes and support universal background checks,” she said. “How many people have to die before we actually act?”
Read More: Hillary Clinton Calls for Gun Control in New Ad
Polls show that
the core of Clinton’s gun control push—universal background checks—is widely supported. Nationally, nearly 90% of Americans support universal background checks, according to multiple polls. Voters in key general election swing states appear to agree with Clinton, too. In Ohio, a 2013 Mayors Against Illegal Guns-funded poll showed that 83% supported all gun buyers to pass criminal background checks. In Florida, Public Policy Polling in September showed that 88% supported background checks.
“There is a significant swath of swing voters who support background checks and other gun safety, and who take it as a sign that someone is out of the mainstream if they oppose universal background checks,” said Geoff Garin, a pollster for Clinton’s 2008 campaign now with her super PAC, Priorities USA Action.
“Opposing common-sense gun safety laws either means that someone is too extreme or too much in the pocket of the gun lobby.”
Why Hillary Clinton Thinks Gun Control Can Win in 2016
i said let's diminish opportunities for mentally ill violent people..
