# Is Obama really the best gun salesman in America? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [December 6, 2013, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-obama-really-the-best-gun-salesman-in-america/675641 "2013-12-06T04:33:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Drum\_God](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drum_god/32/44_2.png) [@Drum\_God](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drum_God)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2013, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-obama-really-the-best-gun-salesman-in-america/675641/21 "2013-12-06T14:22:13Z")
> [@Kable](#): > > Privacy of those buying the guns I would guess. If all sales were counted that might be like universal registration which gun owners generally do not like. So what’s your alternative theory? Seriously? Counting is a form of universal registration? We’ve been counting things since… well, always. How is a manufacturer saying “we sold 500 of these things” anything at all like “universal registration”? The manufacturer certainly knows how many products have been sold. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2013, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-obama-really-the-best-gun-salesman-in-america/675641/22 "2013-12-06T14:23:41Z")
He’s a black president. For a certain part of America, I imagine that is a pretty big incentive to buy a gun, their world is changing so fast and their not equipped to understand the forces at play, so it must be bad and when things get bad certain people want guns to feel better. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2013, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-obama-really-the-best-gun-salesman-in-america/675641/23 "2013-12-06T14:26:46Z")
You mean, like the universal registration the NRA performs? ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2013, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-obama-really-the-best-gun-salesman-in-america/675641/24 "2013-12-06T14:31:12Z")
Post #9 wins. Absolutely brilliant post, in keeping with what should be the highest traditions of the SDMB. ---
**Author:** ![Kable](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ed655f/32.png) [@Kable](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kable)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2013, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-obama-really-the-best-gun-salesman-in-america/675641/25 "2013-12-06T14:36:17Z")
> [@UDS](#): > > I say it’s not true. I just did the math and it looks pretty close to true. Here’s a better link for you: [http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/nics/reports/total-nics-background-checks-1998\_2013\_monthly\_yearly\_totals-113013.pdf](http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/nics/reports/total-nics-background-checks-1998_2013_monthly_yearly_totals-113013.pdf) When I add it up, the first 5 years of Bush in office there were 43,486,717 background checks, compared to Obama’ 83,542,439. That’s 40,055,722 extra, not counting December and we still have 3 years to go. > [@](#): > > The article you link to claims that “according to data compiled by the FBI, the number of Americans purchasing guns has skyrocketed since Obama was elected”. So you don’t think it has? > [@](#): > > In other words, your source is misrepresenting his data. He claims the FBI figures show firearms sales; the FBI says flatly that they do not. Naturally, he’s not going to link you to the FBI data. Well of course, some people who get background checks get denied. Some people buy more than 1 gun at a time, so I think there would be only one check. Some people, like me who are CCW carriers don’t get background checked. That said purchases should be reasonably correlated with background checks. Or do you disagree? > [@](#): > > Your chosen source is pretty frank about its agenda (“The right news. Right now . . . [CNSNews.com](http://CNSNews.com) relies on individuals like you to help us report the news the liberal media distort and ignore.”) This is news for people who already know what they think, and only want to be presented with material which confirms that, so you probably should read everything it offers you with a fairly jaundiced eye. Well of course the liberal media probably wouldn’t want to play up the idea that Obama has sold an extra 40 million guns and counting, in a bad economy no less. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2013, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-obama-really-the-best-gun-salesman-in-america/675641/26 "2013-12-06T14:38:17Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > No, the salesmen are the ones going “Obama’s going to take all the guns away; get yours now, NOW, **NOW!!** ” Which they’ve been saying since November 2008. Despite the fact that the only slight interest the entire administration gave guns was to strengthen a few ownership laws. But everybody **KNEW** , so… ---
**Author:** ![Kable](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ed655f/32.png) [@Kable](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kable)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2013, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-obama-really-the-best-gun-salesman-in-america/675641/27 "2013-12-06T14:45:28Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > By the way, it’s very likely that in the future we’ll have this discussion again with the name of a different Democrat subbed in for Obama. Probably true. What does that say about the efforts of Democrats to make America safer by banning guns? ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2013, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-obama-really-the-best-gun-salesman-in-america/675641/28 "2013-12-06T14:48:03Z")
> [@Kable](#): > > Probably true. What does that say about the efforts of Democrats to make America safer by banning guns? As noted earlier, it says gun salespeople are great at their jobs. ---
**Author:** ![Crotalus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crotalus/32/41_2.png) [@Crotalus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crotalus)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2013, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-obama-really-the-best-gun-salesman-in-america/675641/29 "2013-12-06T14:51:12Z")
Sturm, Ruger and Smith and Wesson are publicly traded companies that seem to be doing quite well. [SWHC since 2008](http://finance.yahoo.com/q/bc?s=SWHC&t=5y&l=on&z=l&q=l&c=)[Sturm, Ruger](http://finance.yahoo.com/q/bc?s=SWHC&t=5y&l=on&z=l&q=l&c=) I’m a gun owner. I go to gun shops and shooting ranges. I have seen and heard references to gun grabbing in these places and also heard references to purchases driven by paranoia. It seems to me that the chief driver of gun and ammunition sales is the paranoid language of gun owners and gun store owners. ---
**Author:** ![Kable](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ed655f/32.png) [@Kable](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kable)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2013, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-obama-really-the-best-gun-salesman-in-america/675641/30 "2013-12-06T14:51:57Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > As noted earlier, it says gun salespeople are great at their jobs. I bought a lot of guns since 2009, and I don’t recall reading much propaganda to do so. I didn’t even join the NRA till last year. In my case it was more in response to hearing democrats rail against guns and talk of reinstitution the assault weapon ban. ---
**Author:** ![Kable](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ed655f/32.png) [@Kable](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kable)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2013, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-obama-really-the-best-gun-salesman-in-america/675641/31 "2013-12-06T14:53:22Z")
> [@Crotalus](#): > > It seems to me that the chief driver of gun and ammunition sales is the paranoid language of gun owners and gun store owners. I used to think those guys were paranoid too, then the dems tried to ban guns again. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2013, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-obama-really-the-best-gun-salesman-in-america/675641/32 "2013-12-06T14:55:52Z")
> [@Kable](#): > > I bought a lot of guns since 2009, and I don’t recall reading much propaganda to do so. That weasel-worded anecdote has utterly demolished all the facts posted to this thread. I surrender! ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2013, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-obama-really-the-best-gun-salesman-in-america/675641/33 "2013-12-06T14:57:49Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > That weasel-worded anecdote has utterly demolished all the facts posted to this thread. I surrender! And you just saw a Budweiser ad and didn’t run out to suck one down, so there! ---
**Author:** ![Crotalus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crotalus/32/41_2.png) [@Crotalus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crotalus)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2013, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-obama-really-the-best-gun-salesman-in-america/675641/34 "2013-12-06T15:08:39Z")
> [@Kable](#): > > I used to think those guys were paranoid too, then the dems tried to ban guns again. When did that happen? ---
**Author:** ![Kable](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ed655f/32.png) [@Kable](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kable)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2013, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-obama-really-the-best-gun-salesman-in-america/675641/35 "2013-12-06T15:20:13Z")
> [@Crotalus](#): > > When did that happen? 2012, don’t you remember? > **[Federal Assault Weapons Ban](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_Assault_Weapons_Ban#Efforts_to_renew_the_ban)** > > The Public Safety and Recreational Firearms Use Protection Act, popularly known as the Federal Assault Weapons Ban (AWB or FAWB), was subtitle A of title XI of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, a United States federal law which included a prohibition on the manufacture for civilian use of certain semi-automatic firearms that were defined as assault weapons as well as certain ammunition magazines that were defined as large capacity. > The 10-year ban was passed by the U.S... ---
**Author:** ![Kable](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ed655f/32.png) [@Kable](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kable)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2013, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-obama-really-the-best-gun-salesman-in-america/675641/36 "2013-12-06T15:21:28Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > I surrender! 40+ million extra guns and counting, mostly “assault weapons.” You probably should. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2013, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-obama-really-the-best-gun-salesman-in-america/675641/37 "2013-12-06T15:24:01Z")
> [@Kable](#): > > Funny, I never saw that commercial on TV. Yeah, [I don’t know where gun owners](http://talkingpointsmemo.com/muckraker/check-out-the-last-16-covers-of-the-nra-s-pure-news-magazine) [get these ideas](http://talkingpointsmemo.com/images/americas-1st-freedom-2012-11.jpg). ---
**Author:** ![Great\_Antibob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Great\_Antibob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Great_Antibob)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2013, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-obama-really-the-best-gun-salesman-in-america/675641/38 "2013-12-06T15:27:42Z")
> [@Kable](#): > > 2012, don’t you remember? > > [Federal Assault Weapons Ban - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_Assault_Weapons_Ban#Efforts_to_renew_the_ban) If you’re equating instituting a few ineffectual restrictions with “banning guns”, you’re going to have to start defining some terms, because you are using the language differently than the other posters (and the dictionary). As a gun owner, I want to be able to take your side more, but you’re arguing the debate very poorly and embodying undesirable gun owner stereotypes. ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2013, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-obama-really-the-best-gun-salesman-in-america/675641/39 "2013-12-06T15:28:09Z")
> [@Kable](#): > > If I recall correctly he said he wouldn’t when he was running, but a lot of 2nd Amendment advocates didn’t believe him. And it turns out they were right not to believe him. Burying 20 bullet-ridden first graders can affect a person’s priorities. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2013, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-obama-really-the-best-gun-salesman-in-america/675641/40 "2013-12-06T15:29:15Z")
> [@Great\_Antibob](#): > > If you’re equating instituting a few ineffectual restrictions with “banning guns” _If?_ [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-obama-really-the-best-gun-salesman-in-america/675641.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-obama-really-the-best-gun-salesman-in-america/675641.md?page=3)