Listening to Never Trumper republican strategist Mike Murphy tonight On Brian Williams' @11thHour was clarifying about why democrats must be cautious about who we call our friends. And that becomes clear nowhere more than with the gun issue.
His argument (ironically generally from so-called Never Trump republicans) that democrats should go small and narrow on gun reform because going big might reinvigorate the NRA is BS. The reason that the NRA is in bankruptcy and on it's death bed is the investigation by the NY AG.
Democrats passing ANY bill will not change any of that.
Even with the NRA on the ropes, that doesn't mean that the gun lobby has gone away. The manufacturers' lobby will still continue to put money in the pockets of corrupt politicians.
Even with the NRA on the ropes, that doesn't mean that the gun lobby has gone away. The manufacturers' lobby will still continue to put money in the pockets of corrupt politicians.
But if there was ever a moment to move on legislation, it's now while the pro-gun, second amendment fanatics are in some disarray. If it does not happen now, then at some point in the not too distant future, the NRA will be replaced,...
...the movement will reorganize, and the window of opportunity will close. Never Trump republicans know that. So their counsel on guns to democrats is disingenuous at best, as it couches their own pro-gun position behind friendly obfuscation.
Yet he and other Never Trump republicans continue to breath life into the NRA boogeyman argument not as friendly advice, but as a fear tactic against democrats to freeze us in place and cause political paralysis to maintain one of their own treasured ideological planks.
So when people say that the democrats should welcome those former republicans to the democratic party, and get pissed when other folks urge caution, it's because those Never Trumpers never stopped being republicans.
They still believe what they believe, and it's not what we want as part of progressive policy goals. And I was disappointed that Carville, the other guest, didn't push back.
So no, the enemy of our enemy is not necessarily our friend. They just happen to not be today's enemy.
So no, the enemy of our enemy is not necessarily our friend. They just happen to not be today's enemy.
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