Obama says won’t campaign for any Democrat who doesn’t back gun reforms

President Barack Obama, right, stops to greet Father Michael Pfleger, left, Pastor at Saint Sabina Catholic Church in Chicago during a commercial break at a CNN televised town hall meeting at George Mason University in Fairfax, Va., Thursday, Jan. 7, 2016.

The American Firearms Retailers Association, another lobby group, did participate. The result has been that this side of the President’s character has not always been on display. Last year, following a series of mass shootings, Obama pledged to “politicize” the issue in an attempt to level the playing field for gun control supporters. He said the NRA was invited to the forum but declined to participate. We’re at an all-time high of gun ownership, right? “During a town hall meeting in Virginia, he denied any suggestion of a conspiracy against gun owners’ rights and he said he’s willing to meet with the NRA”.

“That’s an area where there’s just not enough national consensus at this stage to even consider it. And part of it is is people’s concern that that becomes a prelude to taking people’s guns away”, Obama said. “Our position is consistently mischaracterized… But if you listen to the rhetoric, it is so over the top and so overheated”. And he tried to dispel it by pointing out that he lacked the time in office to take away the nation’s 350 million firearms.

“People are dying”, the president said.

But the President found himself on the spot as well.

Despite applause across social media for opening up the president to tough, fair questions from vocal anti-control voices like an Arizona sheriff, a gun industry executive and Taya Kyle, the widow of war veteran and “American Sniper” Chris Kyle, the NRA twitter account continued its criticism well into the night.

“The laws that we create don’t stop these horrific things from happening”.

The prosecutors said they “know all too well that violent gun offenders routinely skirt background checks by obtaining weapons through “private sales” at gun shows and online marketplaces”.

Feuer and his counterpart in New York, Cyrus R. Vance Jr., issued a joint statement saying the actions will “reclaim communities coast to coast from the bloodshed wrought by illegal guns”.

Obama’s most vocal adversary in the debate was not present, however.

However, less than half say that these changes will be effective at reducing gun-related deaths, and most say they oppose the way Obama made these changes.

“At least let’s figure it out”.

“I want to be clear”, he said. “I grew up mostly in Hawaii, and other than hunting for wild pig, which they do once in a while there’s not the popularity of hunting and sportsmanship with guns as much as there are in other parts of the country”, he said. “All of us can agree that it makes sense to do everything we can to keep guns out of the hands of people who would do other people harm”. The changes announced by the President do not go that far, however, narrowing what has been called “the gun-show loophole” without closing it entirely. “The president doesn’t get to lecture us on loving our kids”. Babeu asked of those who commit gun crimes. Congress has not approved major gun-control legislation since the 1990s.

NRA spokesman Andrew Arulanandam told the event host that “the National Rifle Association sees no reason to participate in a public relations spectacle orchestrated by the White House”.

Obama said he would be happy to meet with them to discuss his new proposals. “I’ve said this before”.

Obama said he’s never owned a gun but said that doesn’t mean he is spearheading a “conspiracy” to take away other Americans’ constitutional right to purchase firearms. Some 85% of Democrats, 65% of independents and 51% of Republicans support the President’s moves. Or an unconstitutional misuse of power? Instead, it appeared aimed at Democratic congressional candidates from competitive districts who might want Obama’s support on the campaign trail this year.

Ben Carson, sent out pre-emptive tweets before Obama’s town hall. “All of us are interested in fighting crime”.