Analysis: Why the Gun Issue Has Shifted (Its Not What You Think)

[billh58]

The gun debate has shifted dramatically. Suddenly, it looks as if the issue will benefit Democrats in November, not Republicans.

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No, the reason why the gun control issue was a big advantage for the GOP for decades but now favors the Democrats can be traced to the shift in the electoral coalitions of the two parties.

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But in many states and districts, swing suburbanites — and particularly suburban women — are a much more important constituency than are NRA members because those suburban voters can decide which party wins — just the way anti-gun control voters once could.

This increased attention from suburbanites has changed the electoral equation for 2018, and that is why Democrats now should benefit from any focus on gun control issues.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/analysis-why-the-gun-issue-has-shifted-it%E2%80%99s-not-what-you-think/ar-BBJVvRO?li=BBnb7Kz

To remain within the constraints of the four-paragraph rule, I picked those points that make up the crux of the article. A full reading will lead to a greater understanding of the salient points of the author's observations.

The bottom line is that the Democratic Party has been correct all along: this nation needs sensible gun control in order to stem the bloody tide of gun violence. We now have an open political door to counter the right-wing NRA gun-worshiping culture with reasonable gun control legislation for the benefit of ALL US citizens.

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1. fair point. i think the nra has far more influence on the republican primary than on the general

while there are obviously some democrats who are fans of guns (here on du, no less), there don't seem to be very many swing voters among the gun fans anymore.

if republican gun fans will predictably vote for republican, and democratic gun fans will predictably vote for democrats, then the gun issue isn't much of an issue in the general election, and the nra can't influence much there.

the nra can certainly influence the republican primaries, though, because republican gun fans will certainly shift their voting to vote for the most extreme gun supporter. or, in any event, whoever the nra tells them to vote for.