The attempted assassination of Donald Trump may have put a stop, at least publicly, to the flood of Democratic politicians demanding Joe Biden step aside as their presidential candidate, but that doesn’t mean that Biden has shored up support for his flailing campaign on the left. According to the New York Times, a group of House Democrats are pushing for changes to convention rules that would allow for a fresh start when the DNC meets in Chicago next month, while pundits and talking heads continue to promote a change to the ticket.
Arizona Republic columnist Greg Moore, for instance, thinks he’s found the perfect guy to take on Trump in the general election: U.S. Senator and gun control advocate Mark Kelly.
“Gabby and I are horrified by the incident in Pennsylvania,” Kelly said after Saturday’s shooting. “No one should ever have to experience political violence — we know that firsthand. We’re keeping former President Trump, his family, and everyone involved in our thoughts.”
But Kelly, more than anyone, knows how empty such “thoughts and prayers” messages can feel during a time such as this.
To that end, Giffords and Kelly have become leaders in searching for commonsense gun control laws. As Time magazine said last year, they have “become reluctant leaders … even their biggest critics know better than to call them anti-gun activists. After all, before the assassination attempt, she had bought herself a Glock in the wake of two home robberies. The family still has guns, and Kelly, a former combat pilot and astronaut, is among the most fluent in firearms in the Democratic Party. He has also seen what guns in the wrong hands can do.”
If Biden decides to exit the race in the coming days, it makes that much more sense for Democratic Party leaders to push for Kelly to step forward as the nominee.
Was that the same Time magazine article that featured Gabby Giffords telling reporters that her goal is “no more guns”? Why, yes it was.
As we wrap our interview in her office, I ask how she keeps coming back to a challenge so deeply ingrained in politics. She pauses for 12 pregnant seconds.
“No more guns,” she says.
Ambler, her aide and adviser, tries to clarify that she means no more gun violence, but Giffords is clear about what she’s saying. “No, no, no,” she says. “Lord, no.” She pauses another 32 seconds. “Guns, guns, guns. No more guns. Gone.”
Yeah, I feel completely comfortable calling Giffords and Kelly anti-gun activists, even if the couple still claim to own a few. Of course, that activism doesn’t hurt Kelly, at least among his fellow Democrats. In fact, it’s a selling point.
Moore is right that Kelly would make for a pretty formidable candidate for Democrats… or at the very least, a better one than Joe Biden (which, admittedly, is an awfully low bar to clear). Kelly and Giffords have a compelling personal story; and his career in the military and as an astronaut would stand in stark contrast to career politicians like Gavin Newsom, Kamala Harris, and Gretchen Whitmer if Democrats do decide to dump Biden. Kelly’s job as senator from Arizona would also likely put that state in play for Democrats, who are watching Donald Trump’s polling lead grow ever larger in the battleground state.
Kelly has also been fairly quiet as a senator when it comes to his most important issue. He doesn’t routinely take to social media or the Senate floor to demand more restrictions on the right to keep and bear arms, like his colleague Chris Murphy, even though he’s a co-sponsor of the gun ban bill that would prohibit the sale and manufacture of the vast majority of semi-automatic rifles. Much of Kelly’s advocacy has taken place behind the scenes, so there aren’t a lot of outrageous Second Amendment-related soundbites that could be used against him in attack ads.
On the other hand, Moore is the only pundit I’ve seen to suggest Kelly as a replacement for Biden, so I think it’s fair to say he’s a dark horse candidate in a doubtful scenario where Biden willingly steps aside or is forced out at the convention. And if Kelly did manage to pull off an upset and emerge as the man at the top of the ticket, Giffords’ work to infringe on the right to keep and bear arms would become a major campaign issue between now and November, with his wife’s “no more guns” comment featured front and center in attack ads in key swing states like Wisconsin and Pennsylvania.
Biden still insists he isn’t going anywhere, and I’d say the odds of Mark Kelly becoming the 2024 Democratic candidate are incredibly low. In four more years, however, he could end up being an attractive candidate for Democrats… especially those who view gun control as their top (or even only) priority.
