(The Root) — I used to think that the National Rifle Association was not only superpowerful but also fairly smart. But since the tragedy in Newtown, Conn., I've changed my mind. Hard. After the debacle of a press conference during which NRA Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre babbled on blaming everything besides guns for gun violence, you'd think that they'd regroup and attempt a reasonable conversation about something that most Americans actually support: reasonable gun legislation. But instead …
Amazing, ain't it?
This is a great plan. Attack the president's belief in sensible gun legislation by targeting his daughters with your ad! Because then, obviously, everyone will see what a hypocrite Barack Obama is! Or make your organization look like ridiculous idiots who are now using a politician's children against him and the rest of America?
Did no one at the NRA see the irony in targeting the president's kids to try to change the conversation on gun control, when the whole reason we're talking about this is the death of children? This didn't bring the fight to Obama; this simply damaged the NRA's already damaged brand.
And do I really have to point out how ridiculous it is to attempt to argue that the leader of the free world's children should have the exact-same security that the average American's child should have? The president has record numbers of death threats made against him on a regular basis, so of course the first family has armed guards.
The NRA has gone mad. And if you don't see an issue with this ad, I'm sorry for your loss of sanity.
Elon James White is a writer and satirist and host of the award-winning video and radio series This Week in Blackness. Listen Monday to Thursday at 1:30 p.m. EST at TWIB.FM and watch at TV.TWIB.ME/LIVE. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook, Google+ and Tumblr.