Ronald Reagan lobbied members of the House of Representatives to support the 1994 federal Assault Weapons Ban. The ban passed by only two votes; at least two House members publicly credited Reagan’s direct appeals for their “aye” votes.
In the early 1990s, President Reagan lobbied Congress to pass the Brady Law, a major gun safety initiative vigorously opposed by the gun lobby.
During Reagan’s tenure as President, bans on cop-killer bullets, undetectable handguns, and the manufacture and sale of machine guns became law.
Reagan would have been absolutely vilified by some here. Indeed, Reagan said it best when he said:
“When I began entering into the give and take of legislative bargaining in Sacramento, a lot of the most radical conservatives who had supported me during the election didn’t like it. “Compromise” was a dirty word to them and they wouldn’t face the fact that we couldn’t get all of what we wanted today. They wanted all or nothing and they wanted it all at once. If you don’t get it all, some said, don’t take anything. I’d learned while negotiating union contracts that you seldom got everything you asked for. And I agreed with FDR, who said in 1933: ‘I have no expectations of making a hit every time I come to bat. What I seek is the highest possible batting average.’ If you got seventy-five or eighty percent of what you were asking for, I say, you take it and fight for the rest later, and that’s what I told these radical conservatives who never got used to it.” Ronald Reagan, in his autobiography, An American Life
Yes he would and rightfully so if he supported the Brady Bill/assault weapons ban. Probably the single biggest reason GHW Bush lost to Clinton was his betrayal of the gun lobby. If his former boss, RR, was out there lobbying for the BB (first time I have ever heard that) that must have added to GHW's defeat.
Pay attention to all of Romney's words, not just the generic platitudes like this one from his CPAC speech: "We believe in Democracy. We respect the will of the people." (Except when it comes to public and cultural rejection of open homosexuality, eh, Mitt?). Or, "We will have to fight to make sure American stays America." (Except when it comes to the "worldwide solution, not an American one," to "any carbon plan," eh, Mitt?)
Maybe if you actually pay attention to Mitt Romney, you will see that with him "leading" the GOP, conservatives will get 75 or 80 percent of what they oppose.
Reagan's not the guy trying to take over the GOP. Romney is. With Reagan, we'd get that 75 to 80 percent, his position on assault weapons notwithstanding. With Romney, we FORFEIT 75 to 80 percent of conservative principle.
That's why I agree with Jim Robinson when he says, "If Mitt Romney is in, I'm out."
What you need to come to terms with is that it’s now 20% we get, even with our folks. At 50%, your guy is implementing the other side’s policy as much as he is your own. I won’t support that. Call me any names you like, denigrate my intelligence. You still won’t get my vote.
And frankly, if you’re too stupid to understand why not, then you’re your own worst enemy.