The Obama administration wants voters across the country to only weigh gun rights and gun-safety legislation when considering who to support, saying it’s necessary for proponents of new firearms restrictions to show the same passion Second Amendment activists are known for.
White House press secretary Josh Earnest told reporters Monday that voters who feel passionately about the issue may have to cast their ballots solely based on a candidate’s position on guns.
“It may be time for some voters to decide they’re single-issue voters. … That will ultimately have to be the decision that is made by some voters across the country, for them to demonstrate the same kind of passion that opponents to closing the [gun-show] loophole also have showed,” he said.
In the aftermath of last week’s massacre on a college campus in Oregon, President Obama has mounted another push to close loopholes that allow Americans to buy firearms from gun shows without background checks and to take other steps he believes will reduce mass shootings across the nation.
His previous attempts to restrict gun rights have ended in failure amid strong opposition from the National Rifle Association and other groups.
• Ben Wolfgang can be reached at bwolfgang@washingtontimes.com.
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