Is Obama trying to appeal to the majority of gun owners? Probably to some extent. Could he give a shit what the extreme fanatics think? No, they won't support him on anything anyway, even if it was originally their idea. I am not a huge Obama supporter policy-wise and I am also not a huge gun control supporter. Admittedly, I don't own a gun and feel safer when they are not around, but as a social libertarian, I can't pick and choose the freedoms I support. The ongoing Obama witch hunt is pathetic. Look at the weather when he is firing, it was August! I am not claiming the house wouldn't lie or stage something for public perception, but I also don't think they are stupid enough to do it at the drop of a hat for something irrelevant. They knew upfront that the lunies would call it a fake and said as much in their release. So if anything the value for the white house in this is not showing that he really fired a gun, it is in proving once again how toxic and psychotic the opposition has become.