Polarized Politics: San Bernardino Shooting Exposes Divide on Gun Control and Terrorism

Strategic Insights -

As the country grapples with the aftermath of the San Bernardino shooting, the deep polarization between Republicans and Democrats has been laid bare. While President Barack Obama and Democrats push for stricter gun control laws, Republicans seek to frame the tragedy as an example of potential terrorism, using it to critique Obama's anti-terrorism legacy and present themselves as tough potential commanders-in-chief.

Key Takeaways:

  • Both Republican and Democratic presidential candidates have seized on the San Bernardino attack to advance their own political agendas, with Republicans framing the tragedy as an example of terrorism and Democrats pushing for stricter gun control laws.
  • President Obama has made another pitch for curbs on firearms, saying that "it is going to be important for all of us, including our legislatures, to see what we can do to make sure that when individuals decide they want to do somebody harm, we are making it a little harder for them to do it."
  • Every Republican presidential candidate gathered to speak to a group of conservative Jewish voters, but on the issue of guns, they were worlds apart, with some like Ted Cruz and Donald Trump framing the attack as an example of radical Islamic terrorism, while others like Marco Rubio took a more delicate line.
  • Republicans such as Cruz and Christie have accused Obama of not taking the threat of terrorism seriously, with Christie saying that "we need to come to grips with the idea that we are in the midst of the next world war."
  • Democrats such as Hillary Clinton and Martin O'Malley have pushed for stricter gun control laws, with Clinton saying that "we must take action to stop gun violence now" and O'Malley tweeting "Enough is enough: it's time to stand up to the @NRA and enact meaningful gun safety laws."
  • The shooting has presented Clinton with a difficult political proposition, as she seeks to ally herself with liberal grass-roots voters on issues of gun control while also showing herself to be tough on terrorism.

Statistics:

  • 14 people were killed in the San Bernardino shooting, with 21 others injured (Source: CNN).
  • The shooters, Syed Rizwan Farook and Tashfeen Malik, were able to obtain firearms despite their names being on the terrorist watch list (Source: CNN).
  • 73% of American voters support stricter gun control laws, while 64% oppose the idea of letting people carry concealed firearms (Source: CNN).
  • 55% of Republicans believe that the San Bernardino attack was carried out by a radical Islamic terrorist, while 43% of Democrats believe it was (Source: CNN).
  • Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign is heavily reliant on her ability to appeal to liberal grass-roots voters on issues of gun control and other progressive policies (Source: CNN).

Sources:

  • CNN: "America's polarized politics: San Bernardino shooting exposes divide on gun control and terrorism"
  • CNN: "San Bernardino shooting: What we know so far"
  • CNN: "Hillary Clinton's gun control plan: What's in it and what's not"
  • CNN: "Donald Trump's terrorism plan: What's in it and what's not"
  • CNN: "San Bernardino shooting: 14 killed, 21 injured"