This 17 minute interview with historian Heather Cox Richardson describes some the history of the rise of the NRA to power. It still exerts enough power to block federal gun regulation legislation that a vast majority of Americans support. The Republican Party is firmly in the grip of the NRA in large part because gun demagogic propaganda has a firm grip on most of the GOP rank and file. Republican politicians still fear NRA opposition. They feel they need to tow the NRA line to stay in power, contrary public opinion be damned.
The NRA doesn't have as much power as it did even 5 yrs ago, due to a bankruptcy and other troubles. But the their cause, and reputation on the Right remain intact because the socialization of 2 generations of Republicans into the GOP-style gun culture described by Richardson, has been so effective that, as one expert on gun violence says, "the machine can run on auto-pilot, with or without the NRA at this point." In essence, few GOP candidates want to defy the "base" on this issue anymore than on Trump, Roe, Climate Science and other issues that have now become emblematic of the Republican Identity.
I am just as disgusted by the foolishness and detachment from reality in the Dem party as by the (to me) well-known depravity of Trump and his sycophantic GOP. The Dems present profiles in cowardice, and have not acted on the historical truth that they are under siege by a no-compromise party intent on winning by extra and/or anti-constitutional means if necessary, and imposing its ideology on the majority of Americans. .... Add the petty infighting between moderates and progressives (even worse than it seems from the headlines) and you get a weak and amorphous Dem party not only hated by all hard core Repubs, but increasingly by those who expected them to find common cause in the face of the GOP threat, and put aside differences for later on.
I'll keep warning about the Republican Party, the power of its propaganda and lies Leviathan as long as I can. The day may come fairly soon (~4-6 years ?) that people like me will be shut up by threats or force. Opposition will be deemed national security threats or whatever other excuse that Republican Party focus group data says would work best to crush opposition while still looking be democratic. That would start in earnest after Republican neo-fascism has come into full power. The process is likely to take shape after the 2022 elections.
Acknowledgement: Thanks to PD for his comments and bringing this interview to my attention.
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