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Political Stereotyping (cont.): The Case of The Gun Shop That Stopped Selling Machine Guns

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oLLXkQb9B8s

More than 150,000 have viewed the above video since 2010. Had you?

Our own Tom Jacobs recently reported compelling findings that liberals are more likely to stereotype conservatives, than the reverse. This week we're seeing anecdotal evidence for why that might be so.

Below, some selected results from a Twitter search for "Cheaper Than Dirt." If those words don't ring a bell for you, you're probably not a gun owner. CTD, as enthusiasts call the shop, is one of the largest and most successful online gun dealers in the country—the Amazon.com of firearms, including controversial assault weapons like the AR-15 used in the Newtown massacre. Earlier this week, the company announced it was suspending all firearms sales to review its procedures. Somewhere, someone is surely praising the decision—but their voice is certainly drowned out by the voices of dismay from customers and firearm enthusiasts, who have an active online presence—and probably like a deal as much as the next person. A selection of responses from the past few hours:

https://twitter.com/HaroldCoulter/status/281454683334275073

https://twitter.com/WellArmedWoman/status/281409319768031233

https://twitter.com/Phil_Elmore/status/281434680035782656

https://twitter.com/ConsrvativeDiva/status/281383979846877185

https://twitter.com/cpaulenka/status/281461919070699521

https://twitter.com/NEKsceptic/status/281451985767632896

https://twitter.com/thegunwire/status/281463625619734528

Compare that to responses from about the same time, to an identical decision by Dick's Sporting Goods, a retailer that's better known outside the gun community.

https://twitter.com/spoppe/status/281363499081412610

https://twitter.com/sexi_mexistatus/status/281257027794268160

https://twitter.com/Kamgirl47/status/281042975537127424

https://twitter.com/Right_All_Wrong/status/281084278698295297

Two Americas? Hard to say. Two Twitters, at least.

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