Grover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform, said Monday that Hillary Clinton's negative stance on fracking and gun control will cost her the general election in November on Monday.
"The first was that under her new rules, fracking would exist almost nowhere because of the rules she wants to put in. Democrats used to be able to insult the energy industry because they lived in Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, and Alaska-- they don't vote Democrat. But she declared war on Pennsylvania and Ohio with that statement. That's not the way to win the election--that's how you lose it," Norquist said on CNBC.
During Sunday evening's Democratic debate, Clinton came out strongly against fracking which is a complete change from her previous pro-fracking record. Clinton said that she would support states and communities that do not want fracking and wanted all of the chemicals used in the process disclosed. Her stance is a flip-flop from her previous support for the natural gas drilling.
"First, we’ve got to regulate everything that is currently underway, and we’ve got to have a system in place that prevents further fracking unless conditions like the ones I have mentioned are met," Clinton said.
The federal government has very limited regulatory power over it, except when it occurs on federal land.
In 2010, Clinton had argued in favor of fracking and said that it was the "cleanest fossil fuel available" and that shale gas would make an important contributoion to the energy supply.
Norquist also took issue with Clinton's answer on gun control.
"The other was her comment on guns. Hillary Clinton is old enough that she doesn't know that since she got involved in politics, 13 million Americans now have active concealed carry permits -- five and a half percent of the adult population. She announced it was her idea to reduce the number of people who have guns. Not 'bad people,' she said last night. 'PEOPLE' who have guns. There is a voting block of five percent of the electorate that did not exist 20 years ago," Norquist said.
Norquist's group, Americans for Tax Reform, highlighted Clinton's 1993 support for a 25 percent national tax on guns. Clinton's platform on gun violence calls for the repeal of the liability protection for gun manufactuerers; closing the so-called "gun show loophole;" and what she calls the "Charleston loophole," which would prevent gun purchases from being finalized before a completed background check is done.
"You can't declare war on five-and-a-half percent of Americans who have concealed carry permits and expect to win an election. That's a new voting group," Norquist said.