Did religion and guns replace crime as the go-to issues for social conservatives

[darklordoftech]

In many Presidential elections from 1968 through 1996, the Republican candidate attacked the Democratic candidate for being soft on crime. However, in the 2000, 2004, 2008, and 2012 elections, crime never came up as an issue. I wonder: Did falling crime rates combined with the Lewinsky affair and Columbine cause religion and gun control to replace crime as the go-to issues for social conservatives?

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

"When did?" is perhaps the better question. Obviously, with falling crime rates, socially conservative campaigns needed important wedge issues. Religion had been a matter important to national campaigns since at least 1980, however. Guns are a more recent emergence--I would have to guess that the Clinton era helped to solidify the current divide on guns.

[darklordoftech]

I would have to guess that the Clinton era helped to solidify the current divide on guns.

Because of the assault weapons ban? I'll never understand how that ever managed to get passed considering the federal government's non-response to Columbine and Sandy Hook.

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

I would have to guess that the Clinton era helped to solidify the current divide on guns.

Because of the assault weapons ban? I'll never understand how that ever managed to get passed considering the federal government's non-response to Columbine and Sandy Hook.

Emphasis on "guess". The nineties are a period I am especially unfamiliar with--not particularly a period that compels the heart or mind. My conclusion in this regard is that it seems--based perhaps only on my perception of campaigns that in real life occurred when I was only a few years old--the first major campaigns run around "Democrats want to take your guns!" would have had to have been in the 1990's or 2000's (and vice-versa with Democrats). The advent of the era of school shootings certainly helped to accelerate this. Crime rates precipitously dropped in the 1990's, and terrorism had to emerge as the primary threat to voters.

[Mr. Reactionary]

I would have to guess that the Clinton era helped to solidify the current divide on guns.

Because of the assault weapons ban? I'll never understand how that ever managed to get passed considering the federal government's non-response to Columbine and Sandy Hook.

In 94 the Democrats controlled congress and burried the AWB in a massive abortion of a crime bill that had a lot of red meat to shield more conservative democrats among other stuff. Fed funding for local cops and mandatory mins. Also clueless racist stuff like grants to fund inner city midnight basketball courts in the hopes that "those people" were just committing violent crime out of boredom.

Of course when you ban something that has no real impact on crime (and statistically pretty much no criminals use AWs), the only people who notice are the people who want what was banned. It created a wierd 3 tiered pricing system since cops could buy whatever they wanted, people on the black market could buy whatever they wanted marked up, and then there wss the civillian market where you could only get prebans. You had a glut of a cheap, new product but you were only allowed to buy expensive used versions.

In the future, gun control proponents would be well served to let people who actually understand guns write their policies. After a few years, the 3 tiered market became 4, since manufacturers made inferior versions of the weapon to comply with the stupidly written law (ie: thumbhole stocks over pistol grips; fixed mags with button release over traditional release; no more scary bayonet mounts). That means any idiot who wants the gun can still get it, and all youve done is piss off the 99% of gun enthusiasts who were never going to do anything in the first place. All just to make sure criminals have to pay a bit more if they want to use a gun with a clunky bayonet.

[Beet]

I would say it's the reverse; Democrats are giving up on guns, while the alt-right doesn't care about religion anymore. Instead, with the rise of BLM, mass shootings, a focus on MS-13, and an uptick in crime rates in 2016, crime is replacing guns and religion as a go-to issue.

[vanguard96]

Open carry has only become a very hot issue in the last 8-10 years. Militia types with a decided mistrust of the government such as the Bundy ranchers were an example of this but are a rare breed.

However, many gun advocates, maybe not as strong on open carry but NRA members, handgun CCW permit holders, multiple gun owners, regular indoor range members, and so forth also overlap with the thin blue line / blue lives matter crowd who are attracted to the 'tough on crime' politicians and are unapologetic in their pro-police views. I think they are a much larger category than those who are not looking at being tough on crime but are also pro-gun - such as libertarians.

[Statilius the Epicurean]

I would say it's the reverse; Democrats are giving up on guns, while the alt-right doesn't care about religion anymore. Instead, with the rise of BLM, mass shootings, a focus on MS-13, and an uptick in crime rates in 2016, crime is replacing guns and religion as a go-to issue.

Don't forget criminal justice reform.