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takyon [soylentnews.org] writes:

Vilifying President Obama has become a routine for the National Rifle Association, but firearms manufacturers should be praising him for massively raising sales [marketwatch.com], even late into his second term:

If you're into gun stocks, then Merry Christmas to you: Smith & Wesson has more than doubled in market value, while Sturm, Ruger & Co. has jumped two-thirds. Both saw sharp gains last week in the wake of President Obama's speech on terrorism, a good chunk of which was devoted to guns.

Which leads me to the following statement: Barack Obama is the best friend the American gun industry has ever had, and it is going to miss him when he's gone. With Obama as a lightning rod, the gun industry has profited like never before during his presidency.

By now, the pattern is familiar: A terrible shooting. A movie theater. A schoolroom full of children. A church. The president comes into the briefing room, and we scribble down his words of sorrow, of indignation — and pleas for Congress to do something. He goes back to the Oval Office. Gun sales surge. A few weeks, or even days later, the cycle repeats.

[...] How good [is President Obama] for business? Some data from the pro-gun National Shooting Sports Foundation:

• When Obama was sworn in seven years ago the economic impact of the U.S. firearms industry was $19 billion. Last year: $42.9 billion.
• Full-time jobs in the gun industry have increased 58% to 263,000.
• More than 100 million guns have been sold in the United States since Obama was first elected.
• "Some people jokingly refer to [Obama] as the salesman of the year for the industry," NSSF Senior Vice President Lawrence Keane once quipped.

No question: There's big money to be made vilifying Obama, and the gun industry should thank its lucky stars that he'll be around for another year. But, not to worry, another villain is waiting in the wings: Hillary Clinton.

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