There is good news about gun policy in America. But it’s not the bipartisan agreement that emerged on Capitol Hill this week. …
First, those involved in public policy who are not accountable to hardcore Republican voters have come to agree that guns are the problem. As a result, many in the media, top Democratic Party officials, think tanks and advocacy groups that don’t usually focus on guns are all pushing for policies such as banning the sale and ownership of military-style weapons and high-capacity magazines. …
The second big shift is that the national Democratic Party is no longer afraid of gun control. A mythology developed in the early 2000s that supporting gun control was a key driver of the Democrats’ decline in the South. In particular, some strategists argued that Al Gore lost his home state of Tennessee, and therefore the 2000 presidential election, over his support for gun control. Now, it’s fairly clear that the Democrats’ struggles in the South was part of a broader political realignment, with the most important explanation likely being Southerners breaking with the party as it became more tied to Black people and causes. CONTINUED
Perry Bacon Jr., Washington Post
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