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If you're like me, you're currently sitting here wondering "Given the salience of the gun epidemic in the US, where do the 2020 candidates stand?" I decided to put together a nice, long tweetstorm with as much info as I could find on the candidates positions. Here we go:
Important notes: I am going in no order, but I am going to focus on the top 10 candidates. Biden, Booker, Buttigeg, Castro, Gillibrand, Harris, Klobuchar, O'Rourke, Sanders, & Warren. I'm basing that on quick glances at polling data as available at 6:30am w/ one cup of coffee.
It's not bias, I just don't have time to do the rest, but will if someone asks.
2nd note: I am basing this on the candidates websites primarily, and on policy statements when applicable. I will try not to focus on platitudes. Platitudes are nice, particularly when they convey the anger we should feel after events like El Paso and Dayton. But policy matters
For this reason, I'm not going to focus too much on the gun safety question during the debate. Why? Because its steeped in vague language, which is great for debates bc it allows you flexibility, as comm. research shows that vagueness is more persuasive, which is the point.
Final note: I am not focusing on Trump's stance. We know where he stands. If you're dumb enough to think that Trump's stance is proactive, or caring, about this problem, then well, you're just fucking dumb. 
Warren: For someone who's gimmick to this point has been to "have a plan for everything" @ewarren's site is very quiet on gun control. Everything else is there. I mean pretty much everything. Except this incredibly important issue.
Warren was on MSNBC saying she would do "everything [she] can using executive orders." Ok. Still not clear what she means by "sensible gun legislation" and pivots to economic corruption viz. gun manufacturers.
msnbc.com/kasie-dc/watch…
msnbc.com/kasie-dc/watch…
Oh and "get rid of the filibuster"
SENATOR Warren has called for the Senate to take up two background check bills currently stalled in the Senate.
Endnote: As a Senator, Warren has voted in a fairly liberal direction on gun control, but as a candidate she pushes heavily on citizen mobilization without any clear leadership. That's problematic.
ontheissues.org/domestic/Eliza…
ontheissues.org/domestic/Eliza…
Harris: @KamalaHarris actually has a statement on gun violence on her site. The talking points are there (break the gun lobby, expand background checks, etc) Here is the policy statement on the issue from her 2020 website:
Harris has balanced this recently by making fairly strong statements about gun control, taking a leadership position while still calling for mobilization to demand action as well:
Sanders: Like Harris, @Sanders has a statement on gun control on his website. This is interesting, since as a Senator, he has been a bit...wishy-washy (see the article below)...on GC in the past. thehill.com/homenews/campa…
Here is Sanders in 2016. If "it's a state issue ultimately" and "mental illness needs to be a focus" sound familiar, it's because those are fairly conservative talking points. (taken from: feelthebern.org/bernie-sanders…)
But what about the "new" 2020 Sanders? Here is the statement from his current site. You will see a lot of these policy stances reiterated by all of the candidates, the one that is most interesting is the "straw purchases" loophole mentioned at the bottom.
According to @GiffordsCourage "straw purchasing" is where a buyer is actually buying a gun on behalf of a prohibited buyer, & is commonly identified in gun trafficking investigations.
There is no clear/effective federal law making trafficking such as this a federal crime, and state laws are varied. See more here: lawcenter.giffords.org/gun-laws/polic…
Biden: @JoeBiden has no clear statement on gun violence or gun control on his website. During the debate, he pushed for "smart gun" technology as a solution. This is a common "tech solution" over the past two decade.
He has used that term like a buzzword, so here is some info on it from Buzzfeed: buzzfeednews.com/article/nicole…
Biden has also tried to market his "tough guy" persona on gun control, claiming during the debate that: “I’m the only person that beat the NRA nationally,” Biden argued. “I’m the guy who got the Brady bill passed, background checks.” True.
But in 1986 he also voted for the Firearms Owners Protection Act. The measure allowed dealers to sell rifles, shotguns and ammunition through the mail, and, eventually, the internet. congress.gov/bill/99th-cong…
It limited federal inspections of firearms dealers while allowing them to sell guns at gun shows, which helped them grow in size and popularity & it made it easier for private collectors to sell guns without obtaining a federal dealers' license, known as the "gun show loophole."
In 2016, Biden was expected to lead on GC legislation during the Obama administration. He currently does still have an "F" rating with the NRA (expect him to tout that), but policy wise he is hit/miss.
Gillibrand: @SenGillibrand 's statement on GC is fairly concise, tho buried in a section on "keeping people safe" on her 2020 site. It is the standard line, as we've seen so far. There isn't much that's new here.
@SenGillibrand Her focus is primarily on the larger issue of gun violence, focusing on large and small tragedies.
Like anyone with a policy trail on GC, Gillibrand has flipped on the issue over time. A recent Teen Vogue article focuses on this, and does a good job of tracking the Senator's record. I encourage a read: teenvogue.com/story/why-kris…
Booker: @CoryBooker has a pretty comprehensive stance on GC on his 2020 site. All the major talking points are there, but he also takes the time to address a few things others leave vague or leave out entirely, including firearm suicide and community-based violence programs.
Two points Booker includes that isn't explicit in others so far is the "Charleston" and "Boyfriend" loopholes. The Charleston loophole allows guns to be automatically transferred to a purchaser in three days if the background check isn’t completed.
The term was coined in the wake of the Emanuel African Methodist (A.M.E) Episcopal Church massacre, since the perpetrator failed his background check but still was able to purchase firearms that slaughter innocent parishioners.
The "Boyfriend" loophole allows individuals (men) with histories of domestic violence the ability to own a firearm. According to @bradybuzz "unmarried partners and stalkers aren’t considered prohibited persons under the law."
bradyunited.org/issue/laws-and…
bradyunited.org/issue/laws-and…
Castro: @JulianCastro does not currently have a statement on gun control on his 2020 site. On Twitter, his campaign calls for "common sense gun laws" and (like Warren) calls for McConnell to stop blocking the House passed gun control legislation.
This isn't to say Castro isn't an advocate. He's pushed for the standard line of policies(assault weapons ban, limitation of high capacity magazines, background checks), and has expressed support for "gun buyback" programs".
Here is Castro talking about gun legislation with the Commonwealth Club.
Buttigieg: @PeteButtigieg 's site focuses on a the common-sense line, and while there is a long "key policy" piece that touts this line, it is fairly vague. GC is a broad issue, and Buttigieg paints broad strokes as a result.
Buttigieg (as Mayor) is a member of the "Mayors against Illegal Guns" which works with @everytown to advocate at the local level for gun safety legislation. His particular stance tends to focus on youth mobilization.
That being said, this @marieclaire article on Buttigieg does point out that the Mayor is a bit unclear about how far he is willing to go on gun safety. marieclaire.com/politics/a2700…
Klobuchar: @amyklobuchar site is more of the same really. A brief statement, focusing most heavily on universal background checks. She points to the aforementioned boyfriend loophole as a substantial issue.
She has a strong background advocating for this (to her credit), including the introduction of the Background Check Expansion Act in 2019, which would require background checks for either the sale or transfer of all firearms including all unlicensed sellers
In 2017, for example, Klobuchar cosponsored the Military Domestic Violence Reporting Enhancement Act, which would form a charge of Domestic Violence under the UCMJ and stipulate that convictions would have to be reported to federal databases. congress.gov/bill/115th-con…
O'Rourke: I will take a moment to focus on two things O'Rourke has done since El Paso that are worth noting, despite my promise to focus on policy stances. The first is this message when you go to his campaign site
The shooting in El Paso is home for O'Rourke. It is understandable for him to be a little more raw compared to the others. Messages like this focus on the community that is affected, displaying leadership. That's good.
It also emphasizes the need for people to work with each other during crisis moments and in the moments afterward. Missed in a lot of coverage of these events is how the communities look for leadership like this.
The second is this statement. It displays that rawness I mentioned before, and for some it is the energy that O'Rourke has been missing. The literal "fuck you" attitude that is steeped in the anger over the issue.
It isn't policy, but people resonate with anger.
Ok, so what about @BetoORourke 's policy? I'm sorry to say that currently there is no statement on the candidate's website on gun safety or gun control. Since El Paso, O'Rourke has stated that "There is no luxury in this democracy of sitting this one out"
He continues from the previous quote:
I expect that O'Rourke will fill in the gaps on his website concerning gun safety in the coming weeks. As of right now, his statements are similar to those already covered, though a bit more vague at times and fairly raw in the current moment.
OK. There they are. Enjoy. Here is an image of my cat giving me his bedroom eyes. He wants me to tell everyone he thinks gun violence, racism, white supremacy, white nationalism, and misogyny are vile and people that think they are good are dumb.
