Support for same-sex marriage has become a mainstream political position at head-spinning speed, but that is far from true when it comes to gun control. The diverging trajectory is in a sense bewildering. There are no bandwagons for new gun safety laws, no senators rushing to the cause on a […] Read more »
The end of majority rule?
… Universal background checks are supported by 91 percent of Americans. Yet there is enormous resistance in Congress to passing a strong bill to keep arms out of the wrong hands. … Or consider the Morning Joe/Marist poll last week showing 64 percent of Americans saying that job creation should […] Read more »
Don’t Know Much About Gun Laws
In polls, a slight majority of Americans consistently say that we need better enforcement of our gun laws. But there’s a problem with that: many don’t really know what our gun laws are. … Of the 50 percent of people who prefer enforcement over new laws — over half of […] Read more »
The Cultural Divide Over Guns
For many, Washington’s stalemate over gun control is viewed as just another example of “broken Washington.” Republicans, supported by the National Rifle Association, oppose gun control efforts. Democrats, supported by anti-gun lobbies, favor it. The result is no movement. But the real story is more complicated than that. When you […] Read more »
Why the Culture Wars Now Favor Democrats
It’s no coincidence that gay marriage, gun control, and immigration are all in the news this month. Their prominence measures a critical political shift: In the culture wars, the offense and defense have switched sides. For decades after the cultural upheavals of the 1960s, Republicans regularly provoked confrontations on a […] Read more »
60% of Americans want stricter gun laws
Strong majorities of Americans say they favor stricter gun laws, including an assault-weapons ban and universal background checks for private gun sales, according to a new national Morning Joe/Marist poll. Six in 10 respondents – including 83 percent of Democrats, 43 percent of gun owners and 37 percent of Republicans […] Read more »