An old rule of thumb holds that when someone says it's not about the money, it's really about the money.
But there are exceptions to almost every rule. The National Rifle Association is a case in point.
In the wake of the horror in Las Vegas this week, countless politicians, journalists and commentators are insisting that the National Rifle Association has a "stranglehold" on the Republican Party. Hillary Clinton claimed that the GOP-controlled Congress simply does "whatever they are told to do" by the NRA and the gun lobby.
The Washington Post and New York Times laid out splashy reports chronicling how much money the NRA has given to Republican congressmen.
"Since 1998, the National Rifle Association has donated $3,533,294 to current members of Congress," the Post reported in 2016.
The New York Times listed total NRA donations to certain GOP politicians alongside their statements offering condolences and prayers for the victims in Las Vegas. And the op-ed pages have been suffused with claims that the NRA has bought Republicans with blood money, stifling the popular will and thwarting democracy in the process.
There's just one problem: It's not true.
Oh, it's certainly the case that the NRA and related groups have given a good amount of money to Republican politicians (and quite a few Democrats) over the years. But in the grubby bazaar of politician-buying, the NRA is a bit player.
Consider that $3.5 million in donations over nearly 20 years the Washington Post made such a fuss about. According to Opensecrets.org, the legal profession contributed $207 million to politicians in 2016 alone. Fahr LLC, the outfit that oversees the political and philanthropic efforts of billionaire anti-global-warming activist Tom Steyer, gave $90 million (all to Democrats) in 2016.
In terms of lobbying and political contributions, the NRA and the gun industry generally spend next to nothing compared with the big players. According to OpenSecrets, the NRA spent $1.1 million on contributions in 2016 and $3 million on lobbying. The food and beverage industry has spent $14 million on lobbying in 2017 alone. Alphabet, Google's parent company, spent $9 million on contributions in 2016.
In fairness, NRA-related outside PACs do bundle a good deal more cash, but it's still a fraction of what big labor and the trial lawyers pony up. All NRA-related outside expenditures in 2016 added up to about $54 million. A single liberal super PAC, Priorities USA, spent $133 million.
Some people, even when they know these numbers, still can't let go of the idea that opposition to gun control is bought and paid for.
https://townhall.com/columnists/jonahgoldberg/2017/10/06/politicians-and-guns-follow-the-votes-not-the-money-n2391347
