Gun Control Lobby Outspending Gun Rights Orgs in Midterm Elections

Research put forward by Frank Miniter shows that the gun control lobby is outspending gun rights organizations as the November 6 midterm elections close in.

This may sound strange to people who get their news from the establishment media and hear the same refrain over and again; the refrain that claims gun rights organizations have all the money while the gun controllers are barely getting by.

In reality, Breitbart News reported that the gun control lobby is enjoying $210 million in spending from two ultra wealthy gun controllers alone. That $210 is coming from Michael Bloomberg and Tom Steyer combined and does not even begin to reflect the millions given by other wealthy gun controllers and gun control lobbying groups.

Miniter used a Washington Times column to explains that the gun control lobby retains the facade of being outspent by contrasting gun control group spending with the money spent by gun rights organizations. This lets them claim that gun rights groups are the ones with deep pockets.

Miniter points out: “The Center for Responsive Politics’ OpenSecrets.org shows that gun-control groups have given $1,904,298 so far to congressmen ($1,869,550 to Democrats); whereas gun-rights groups have given $2,351,764 ($2,302,714 to Republicans).”

But add Bloomberg and Steyer’s money then recalculate and you see that the gun control lobby is given $211,904,298 to gun controllers while the gun rights groups are giving $2,351,764.” That gives the gun control lobby an advantage of $209,552,534.

So how can a pro-gun candidate or incumbent win in such a climate? Miniter says it is not that hard because passion is more effective than money.

He writes:

Voters, not war chests of money, [are] the true power of the gun-rights community. There are now more than 100 million Americans who legally own guns in the U.S. More than 18 million of these Americans now have permits to carry concealed firearms (that’s not counting the many who carry concealed in the 10 states that don’t require permits). Gun owners belong to sportsmen’s clubs, to shooting clubs and to associations, such as the NRA. These active people tend to vote for their freedom, making them a constituency to fear in many swing states and districts.

November 6 is fast approaching, and the Democrats are already talking about the gun controls they will push if gun owners fail to show up and vote in defense of the Second Amendment.

AWR Hawkins is an award-winning Second Amendment columnist for Breitbart News, the host of the Breitbart podcast Bullets with AWR Hawkins, and the writer/curator of Down Range with AWR Hawkins, a weekly newsletter focused on all things Second Amendment, also for Breitbart News. He is the political analyst for Armed American Radio. Follow him on Twitter: @AWRHawkins. Reach him directly at awrhawkins@breitbart.com. Sign up to get Down Range at breitbart.com/downrange.