Joe Biden made it clear in his recent speech on gun violence that he was going to try to make an assault weapons ban a central issue of the midterm elections — a strategy he clearly believed would work to his party’s advantage.
While experts say it’s too late to change the trajectory of the midterms now, Biden’s effort would be doomed to fail anyway, as the retirement announcement of Rep. Chris Jacobs (R-N.Y.) has proven.
Jacobs represents parts of Western New York, including suburban Buffalo and experienced significant backlash within his own party for his support for new gun control measures.
“I want to be completely transparent of where I am in Congress. If an assault weapons ban bill came to the floor that would ban something like an AR-15, I would vote for it,” Jacobs said last month. He also expressed support for other gun control proposals.
Jacobs clearly saw how the backlash against him would make it difficult for him to win reelection.
“I truly believe I could win this election, but it would be an incredibly divisive election for the Republican party and the people of the 23rd District… the last thing we need is an incredibly negative, half-truth filled media attack funded by millions of special interest money coming into our community around this issue of gun violence and gun control,” Jacobs said at a press conference.
He’d been considered a shoo-in for reelection before the comments. Biden clearly doesn’t realize that there are people as passionate about gun rights as they are about gun control, and his pathetic effort to make the midterms about gun control won’t save his party.
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