Lessons Learned From the 2020 Election

United States – -(AmmoLand.com)- As the dust fades from this election, some states are too close to call, and it looks like there will be litigation in those states. But it is not too late to see what Second Amendment supporters can learn from the results that are available, with more lessons to come from the litigated election contests.

What we do know: The Senate seems to be remaining in pro-Second Amendment hands, pending two runoff races in Georgia that will require a lot of work (plus a potential recount in Michigan) to keep out of the hands of anti-Second Amendment extremists, and the House of Representatives and state legislatures saw some improvement in a pro-Second Amendment direction. The fact is, whether President Donald Trump wins re-election, or loses, Second Amendment supporters will need to make some adjustments in the future.

Outreach Works

One big story, win or lose, was Donald Trump’s improvement among Hispanic and black voters. His campaign made extensive outreach efforts and pushed the message. It took a lot hard work, but the results in Texas and Florida are undeniable, and exit polls show that in other states, Trump had double-digit improvement from 2016 to 2020. Second Amendment supporters need to continue that outreach. There’s nothing to lose, and a lot to gain. Incidentally, many of the pro-Second Amendment Republicans who flipped seats from anti-Second Amendment extremists were from diverse backgrounds. These are important steps.

Suburbia Is the Big Threat in Terms of Votes

The fact of the matter is that the big threat to the Second Amendment in terms of anti-Second Amendment extremists being voted into office actually comes from the flips we are seeing in suburbia, particularly among women. The DC exurbs in Prince William County, Loudoun County, and Fairfax County once-reliable sent pro-Second Amendment lawmakers to Congress. Like it or not, the fact is that Michael Bloomberg has managed to generate significant anti-Second Amendment activism with a lot of money and fear-mongering, something that Second Amendment supporters must address. But that is possible to do.

Collins Shows How to Win In Hostile Territory

Susan Collins may not be the most liked Senator among loyal Ammoland readers, but she deserves respect for one simple reason: She wins elections. If you want to see how to win elections against massive media bias and social media headwinds, she has given a clinic in the 2020 campaign, and her playbook is worth emulating.

If You Put Off Voters, You Will Pay

In contrast to Senator Collins, President Trump may have been a fighter, but his tone turned enough people off that they didn’t support his re-election. It is a safe bet that Trump’s abrasive personality may have cost him far more votes from people who grew exasperated or took offense with his tone than the bump-stock ban did. Note that despite Biden having a lead that will be subject to recounts, there were major Republican gains in the House.

Candidates Matter

A good candidate can win an uphill battle – see Senator Collins. A bad or lackluster candidate who is good on our issue can lose – and Martha McSally may be an example of that. A big part of it is determining which pro-Second Amendment primary candidate really knows their electorate. What plays well in Wyoming or rural Kentucky may be a huge liability in the suburbs of Washington D.C. or Philadelphia.

Third-Party Votes Don’t Defend the Second Amendment, Nor Does Sitting Out

In Wisconsin and Michigan, third-party votes appear to exceed the margin that Biden got slight leads in. This is the harsh truth that is not going to go down well with those who claim to be “true” defenders of the Second Amendment, but the fact of the matter is that what is achievable in a given two-year political cycle is often a fraction of the way to the ultimate goal. While the latter must always be in mind, getting the former each cycle is how we get to the latter.

Silicon Valley Censorship Tilts the Field

When it comes right down to it, the election may well have been decided to some degree in Silicon Valley cubicles. Facebook, Twitter, and Google’s actions arguably count as massive, unreported, in-kind donations to Joe Biden. For the short term, that will have to be lived with, and finding ways to work around it will be a necessity for grassroots Second Amendment activism.

The Double Standard Will Be a Fact of Life

Second Amendment supporters are on the short end of a double standard, and it will be enforced from multiple angles – be it politicians, the media, and Silicon Valley. It’s unfair, it’s not right, but we have to deal with the world the way it is, not how we want it to be.

Should the Presidency fall to Biden, it is a serious defeat for the Second Amendment. There will be serious dangers that Second Amendment supporters will have to confront (more on those later), but learning the lessons and being ready for 2022 will be vital steps in mitigating those dangers.

About Harold Hutchison

Writer Harold Hutchison has more than a dozen years of experience covering military affairs, international events, U.S. politics and Second Amendment issues. Harold was consulting senior editor at Soldier of Fortune magazine and is the author of the novel Strike Group Reagan. He has also written for the Daily Caller, National Review, Patriot Post, Strategypage.com, and other national websites.