The N.R.A. Wins Again - TheNewYorker

[DanTex]

112. True. But, as I posted above, even Texas voters support AWB by a margin of 49-41.

And Texas Democrats support it by a margin of 75-18.

I haven't, of course, looked at data for every single state, but given that Texas is a red pro-gun state, the implication is that resistance to gun control is not nearly as strong as pro-gun advocates claim it to be, even in red states. And, I doubt there is a single state in the nation where the majority of Democrats oppose the AWB. Which means that any Democratic politician that votes against AWB is, at best, going against the desires of most of the people who voted for them, and most Americans, and quite possibly also most voters in their home state.

Keep in mind also that most politicians routinely underestimate how liberal their constituents are. In fact, there was a study about this that came out recently -- both Democrats and Republicans in congress believe their constituents are more conservative than they actually are.

I get that politicians need to be pragmatic. But I see the same thing happening on issue after issue. Most Americans supported the public option on health care reform. Most Americans don't want cuts to Social Security or Medicare, but it looks like we are headed in that direction. If Democrats can't get bills through the senate even though with 55% to 60% of support from the American people, they are doing something wrong.