On January 5th, the progressive organization Move On issued this statement, “Today, with Move On members at his side, President Obama cracked down on the illegal gun sales of high-volume gun traffickers”. They went on to say that the move was “overwhelmingly popular with the majority of Americans” and that “The NRA lost today. Big time”. Really.

They were of course referring to President Obama’s Executive Orders regarding the sale of guns. So, let’s examine Move On’s claims. Now, I’m not a huge fan of the NRA mind you. Although they have done some good work they have committed their share of gaffs regarding legislation. They have also made some rather epic mistakes with regard to their support for certain politicians. Senators Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Harry Reid (D-NV) come to mind. However, lately, I have to say that the NRA has grown some spine.

As a result, their popularity has…..gone up! “Big time”. In fact, according to this headline from Zero Hedge posted last week, “Americans’ Positive Perception of NRA Soars as Obama Escalates Gun-Control Agenda”. According to its author, Michael Krieger, “Love guns or hate guns, one thing is becoming perfectly clear. The American public’s perception of guns and the NRA is moving in the exact opposite direction of Barack Obama’s message and agenda”. He cites a recent Wall Street Journal/NBC poll that found that “strong support” for the NRA is at a record 38% (up double digits since a similar poll almost 30 years ago) and 41% among Independents - the fastest growing political designation in America. Those opposing the NRA has dropped to 34%.

In a companion piece, Krieger cites an ABC poll that shows that a majority of Americans (53% - the highest number on record) now oppose an “Assault Weapons Ban” - the first time that’s ever happened. It also found that more Americans think that encouraging more people to carry guns legally is a better response to terrorism than more gun control. Leading Krieger to exclaim, “U.S. President Barack Obama is not just the world’s best gun salesman, he’s also the world’s worst gun control spokesperson”. Quite an achievement. To further show how out of step the president is, Gallup does a monthly poll asking people to identify our number one problem. At the top is “Government, Congress, Politicians”. At the bottom - you guessed it - guns. So much for presidential priorities.

Getting back to Move On, there isn’t much in their statement that is true. Including the reference to cracking down on “illegal sales” of “high-volume gun traffickers”. The president, in his recent speech, said that felons can buy guns over the internet. Now, that is simply not true.

Unless you think like that the folks over at FactCheck.org. According to them, the president said that felons “can” - he didn’t say they were “permitted” to buy guns over the internet. How about that for “progressive-speak”. Now, isn’t that all you need to know about FactCheck?

The president is clearly implying that felons routinely buy guns over the internet with impunity. However, if the president knows that to be the case, shouldn’t he mobilize the appropriate agencies to enforce the law and put a stop to it? As I reported in a previous column, ask Travis Bishop about how well existing gun laws are currently enforced. Travis, who owns a gun shop in Martinsburg, reported an alleged attempted straw purchase of a firearm to federal authorities. He’s still awaiting action.

In the meantime, instead of enforcing existing law, the Executive Branch of government is busy creating new law through executive orders such as those announced on January 5th. There were 23 issued in January of 2013. In fact, this administration is so proud of its unilateral actions that it lists some of them on its website under the heading “We Can’t Wait”. With an air of contempt, the White House website describes congress as “dysfunctional”. Come to think of it, that might not be so far off the mark, but it still doesn’t give the president the right to create new law. Congress makes the laws, the president executes them. That’s how it works. No wonder that the Gallup Poll mentioned above names government, congress and politicians as our number one problem.

What’s interesting is that through his astounding lack of awareness, President Obama seems to have inadvertently exposed a profound truth. That the presidency in America has evolved to a point where it has become unaccountable. The traditional so-called “checks and balances” have broken down. Here again, the president seems be a catalyst for change.

Consider this headline, “Texas Governor Calls For Constitutional Convention To ‘Wrest Power’ From Obama”. From the Zero Hedge article, “the Federal government and the state of Texas have been on collision course of many months, one which culminated on Friday [January 9th] when [Gov.] Abbott called for a Constitutional Convention of states, spearheaded by Texas, and which would amend the U.S. Constitution to wrest power from a federal government “run amok.” To achieve that, Abbott proposed nine amendments to “restore the Rule of Law and return the Constitution to its intended purpose.”

Image that. The president is on a roll. He has stimulated gun sales, caused public opinion to turn against gun control and has helped elevate public perception of the NRA. For an encore he has invigorated the states’ rights movement.

I suspect that when historians look back on this particular moment in time that it will be noted as coinciding with “peak progressivism”. It feels to me as if something has changed, that we’re ready to Move On. It might prove to be a profound irony for the president that campaigned on the “hope and change” meme.