Today, Hillary Clinton announced a new, restrictive gun control platform. The move comes as the former Secretary of State is struggling to regain the lead in Iowa and New Hampshire from liberal Bernie Sanders.
However, in 2008, Clinton decided to be anti-gun control when running against Barack Obama in states like Ohio and Pennsylvania, opposing “blanket rules” on guns from the federal government:
Amid a heated moment in the 2008 Democratic primary, in a debate against then-Illinois senator Barack Obama that April, Clinton argued that “having any kind of blanket rules” set by the federal government on guns “doesn’t make sense.”
Clinton made the comments in response to a question from moderator Charlie Gibson regarding whether she favors the licensing and registration of handguns.
Clinton’s 2008 pro-gun push came after Barack Obama insulted voters who didn’t support him:
Hillary Clinton appealed to Second Amendment supporters on Saturday by hinting that she has some experience of her own pulling triggers.
“I disagree with Sen. Obama’s assertion that people in our country cling to guns and have certain attitudes about trade and immigration simply out of frustration,” she began, referring to the Obama comments on small-town Americans that set off a political tumult on Friday.
She then introduced a fond memory from her youth.
“You know, my dad took me out behind the cottage that my grandfather built on a little lake called Lake Winola outside of Scranton and taught me how to shoot when I was a little girl,” she said.
“You know, some people now continue to teach their children and their grandchildren. It’s part of culture. It’s part of a way of life. People enjoy hunting and shooting because it’s an important part of who they are. Not because they are bitter.”
The media took notice of Clinton’s pro-gun positions:
The New York Times’ Headline: Clinton Portrays Herself As A Pro-Gun Churchgoer
CNN Headline: Clinton Touts Her Experience With Guns
The only difference between Clinton’s 2008 and 2016 positions is which flank of the Democratic Party Clinton is desperate to shore up in her pursuit of the nomination.