In 1994, the GOP won an historic landslide and swept the Democrats in Congress from power. The victory was due, in large part, to a recent assault weapons ban that had been enacted. No doubt with this in mind, former President Bill Clinton last night warned top Democrat donors not to be dismissive of those who believe in gun rights.

“Do not patronize the passionate supporters of your opponents by looking down your nose at them,” Clinton said. “A lot of these people live in a world very different from the world lived in by the people proposing these things,” Clinton said. “I know because I come from this world.”

Speaking to members of Obama’s National Finance Committee, Clinton added that he has had “many sleepless nights” after Democrats were swept from power as a result of the vote to ban assault weapons. In addition to the GOP sweep in 1994, Clinton also recalled how Al Gore had lost the Presidency in 2000 because of his anti-gun views.

He also cautioned them not to be misled by polls showing slim majorities in support of certain gun control provisions. Supporters of gun rights vote on that single issue. For gun control supporters, however, it is one of a range of issues on which they base their vote.

“All these polls that you see saying the public is for us on all these issues — they are meaningless if they’re not voting issues,” Clinton said.

Clinton closed his remarks with a warning that many Democrat lawmakers will lose their job if they support the current gun control proposals.

“Do not be self-congratulatory about how brave you for being for this” gun control push, he said. “The only brave people are the people who are going to lose their jobs if they vote with you.”

The current Democrat party, however, is no longer Clinton’s party.

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