Defeat Kelly Ayotte in 2016

Shameful. Cynical. Selfish. Egomaniacal. Callous. Machiavellian. These are all words that come to mind when I consider the 46 U.S. Senators (42 Republicans and 4 Democrats) who successfully filibustered a vote on the Manchin-Toomey gun safety bill. A majority of senators (54) did vote to break the filibuster and vote on the bill, but that was not enough to reach the required supermajority of 60 votes. Had there been a straight up or down majority vote, presumably these same 54 senators would have voted for Manchin-Toomey, and the bill would have passed the Senate.

The opposition of the 46 senators is hard to understand. Joe Manchin and Pat Toomey, the authors of the bill, are not only members of the NRA; they have been given A ratings by this group. In no way are they anti-gun.

Gun advocates are fond of saying that "guns don't kill people, people do." The Manchin-Toomey bill conformed with this saying. It had nothing to do with guns; only the people who might buy them. The legislation required background checks on gun buyers, thus closing the gaping gun show loophole. Poll after poll showed that 90 percent of the public supported this idea.

In addition, the bill prescribed penalties for "straw purchasers," people who can clear background checks and purchase guns. These straw purchasers then sell the guns to felons and others who cannot pass the check. What's not to like in this bill? Why did the ignoble 46 vote to filibuster it?

I have been working as an unpaid volunteer in politics since I was about 30 years of age. At this point, I think I know politicians pretty well. The political process encourages among politicians (guess what?) - cynicism, selfishness, egocentricity, callousness, and Machiavellianism. Honorable politicians (and there are honorable elected officials) don't fall prey to these pitfalls. They are honest, diligent, and work for the public good. Then, there are politicians like Kelly Ayotte and the other 45 whose actions clearly reveal cynical self-interest.

Surveys by UNH and New England College, respectively, showed that 94 percent and 88 percent of New Hampshire residents favor background checks. An overwhelming majority. Yet, Ayotte voted against background checks. Don't we have a representational form of government? Aren't our elected officials supposed to reflect our views? Ayotte completely ignored the overwhelming sentiment of her constituents. Why?

I think that many politicians secretly think of most voters as a sleepy beast with a short attention span and a bad memory. The beast can be roused to anger occasionally, but its fits of temper are short lived; its attention easily distracted to other matters; and the cause of its annoyance soon forgotten as it drifts back to sleep.

Kelly Ayotte is not up for election until 2016. That's plenty of time for these sleepy voters to become distracted and forget her deplorable vote against the Manchin-Toomey bill. However, that still doesn't completely explain Ayotte's vote. Okay, maybe, people will forget her vote, but why did she choose to cast a vote against the wishes of an overwhelming majority in the first place?

Here, let me introduce a small yapping and growling dog representing the strident minority of gun absolutists who will never compromise in any way on gun legislation. Unlike the sleepy beast, this dog never sleeps, never forgets, and constantly growls. In so doing, it unduly intimidates elected officials. If Ayotte had voted for the Manchin-Toomey bill, her rating with the NRA would suffer; her funding from that source would diminish; and the gun absolutists, even though they are a distinct minority, would never forget and would vote against her as a bloc in her 2016 election. Ayotte's conclusion: It is safer to assume that the majority of sleepy beast voters will forget my vote than to chance the wrath of the gun absolutists.

So what's the solution for the majority of voters who think it is high time for gun safety regulation? That's easy. Stay awake; pay attention; and vote Ayotte out of office in 2016. That's the only threat that many politicians, including the 46 senators who voted to filibuster the Manchin-Toomey bill, find credible. The thing that's most important to them is their own re-election. "So what if 30,000 Americans die each year as a result of guns. Will I be re-elected?"

If Ayotte's only sin was to filibuster Manchin-Toomey is that enough justification not to re-elect her? But it isn't the only thing. Kelly Ayotte has tied herself to and votes in lockstep with the far-right, Tea Party movement. In so doing, Ayotte puts herself at odds with the moderate views of most New Hampshire voters. As her vote on the Manchin-Toomey legislation shows, Ayotte does not represent the majority of people in this state.

One term in office is enough for Kelly Ayotte - one and done in 2016.