Short and simple answers are in short supply

[discntnt_irny_srcsm]

There is no single reason why the country is politically voting more Republican at the moment. I've read some highly plausible thoughts from folks here that I respect. I've seen it mentioned a few times and beyond this group that gun regulation, at least that at the more burdensome end of the spectrum, needs to be step away from.

My point is that this is a nation of minorities. I'm not just thinking about religion, race or any other usual groups. I'm talking about gun owners. While they are not monolithic, they all share one thing. They have time, money and often training invested in their guns. Will those that have those investments feel threatened by our party's candidates? There are some that will, when call upon, sell or destroy any guns they have. I think those folks are in the extreme minority of gun owners. IMHO > 65% of Democratic gun owners have no intention of giving up, giving away or selling what they own because it may have been redefined as an assault weapon/rifle or whatever.

To qualify mathematically as a minority group the members must be represented by fewer than 50% of the whole of the group. IMNSHO, groups in the US that make up a higher percentage of population than gun owners would be: men, women, white folks and monotheists. The number of US gun owners exceeds the populations of California, Texas and Florida even by the most conservative estimates. Gun owners are not a minority that the party can afford to treat like the embarrassing cousin who burps at dinner.

This is a problem with a solution. Stop following Republicans. I recognize that most Democrats who want more regulation have specific reasons and some specific ideas about what they'd like to see. But some in our party are only against guns because Republicans are for them. It's time to be Democrats for all the best reasons rather than just anti-Republicans.

Just because a policy is opposite to that of the Republicans doesn't make it the best idea in town. We have some candidates that campaign for laws that have no chance of passing and would do no good even if passed. Those folks need to do with those ideas what it says in the commercial: "Let's sell it on LETGO."