President Obama was recently quoted as telling interviewer Fareed Zakaria
that he sees his biggest as his inability to impose more gun control on the
 United States. That goal was just a bridge too far. Even the docile
 leadership of the Republican Party, who had done little to seriously
oppose the President’s agenda, feared a pro-gun backlash from voters
more than they feared the establishment media. Enough politicians
 feared the clout of gun culture voters to stop irrational bills fueled by
 raw emotion.
In response to Obama’s emotional speech, House Speaker Paul Ryan

issued a statement which accused the president of going after the

wrong people when it comes to gun control.
“From Day One, the president has never respected the right to

safe and legal gun ownership that our nation has valued since

its founding,” Ryan’s statement reads. “He knows full well that

the law already says that people who make their living selling

 firearms must be licensed, regardless of venue. Still, rather than

focus on criminals and terrorists, he goes after the most law-

abiding of citizens. His words and actions amount to a form of

intimidation that undermines liberty.”
President Obama has left a lasting legacy for the gun culture. But there
 are still some loose ends to wrap up.
Investigation into the Fast and Furious scandal, where the administration
 facilitated the transfer of thousands of semi-automatic rifles and pistols to
 Mexican drug cartels, has been delayed and stymied by the Obama
 administration at every turn. It’s unknown if a Trump administration,
working with a Republican Congress, will be willing to dive into such an
investigation. They may not have much choice; a lawsuit is in progress.
There is also the increased homicide rate, and the lingering Ferguson effect.
The repeated bashing of police and implicit support for (or unwillingness to
criticize) the false narratives of Black Lives Matter has resulted in a serious
spike in attacks on police. In places like Baltimore, in Chicago, in
Milwaukee, police report a reluctance to vigorously enforce laws in some
 cases, resulting in the homicide rates have skyrocketed.
There is the spike in suicides with guns, particularly with older white males,
 who saw their jobs, careers and medical insurance all wither and disappear
 under Obama’s policies. For the first time in decades, the life expectancy
 for Americans has actually declined.
Which brings us to the third, and greatest legacy of President Obama
regarding guns. One one can deny. No one even tries. President Obama has
 been the greatest gun salesman on planet earth, ever. No one else is even
 close (though Hillary tried hard).
Under President Obama, gun sales in in the United States broke record after
 record. We’ve seen new highs for NICS checks for 19 consecutive months.
On Black Friday alone, enough guns were sold to private parties in the
 United States to outfit the entire Marine Corps.
Under President Obama, the private stock of firearms in the United States
will have increased from about 308 million to over 405 million firearms by
 most estimates. The ammunition industry has had to add new plants and
 capacity to keep up with the demand. Record numbers of women and
 minorities have become gun owners. The number of carry permits for has
passed 15 million. The number of states the do not require a permit to
 carry a firearm, openly or concealed, has increased from three to eleven,
 and more appear to be on the way. Four states were added in 2016 alone.
While many factors were involved in the election of President-elect Trump,
one of the starkest policy contrasts between him and Mrs. Clinton was their
 stances on guns and gun rights. Trump vigorously defended the Second
 Amendment. Clinton vigorously pushed for more infringements,
following on President Obama’s lead.
President Obama can (but probably won’t) be justly proud of the
 appellation History’s Greatest Gun Salesman. It will likely be a long
time before anyone else comes close. The gun culture found its footing
 and fought against him at considerable cost in time and treasure. But
they should thank him. In this regard, he has performed an enormous
 service for the United States. President Obama may not appreciate the
 title, but he has well and truly earned it.
©2016 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this
 notice is included.