Thread by @davekarpf

Okay, allow me to be the cranky strategic political communication professor for a minute.

I've got some stuff to say about this ludicrous "arm the teachers" gambit. (1/?)

It's a ridiculous proposal. It's an unserious proposal. It's an offensive proposal.

And the thing is, that's the whole point. (2/?)

The NRA camp has a strategic problem right now, because the latest massacre happened to children who are (1) old enough to articulate political demands, (2) savvy enough to make those demands effectively, and (3) working nonstop to do something with this political moment. (3/?)

The NRA knows how to deflect conversations away from grieving parents and grieving communities. But the old "Mortal Kombat is ruining the young'uns, amirite" schtick isn't working when the kids can talk back and say "that's ridiculous. You're being ridiculous." (4/?)

The strategic logic of the gun lobby's response to these massacres is generally to deflect, delay, and wait for public attention to turn elsewhere. (hence "thoughts and prayers/now is not the time.")

That has been a tremendously effective strategy. (5/?)

It's an effective strategy because policy subsystems tend not to change during quiet times. If an advantaged interest group can wait out the storm of public attention, then it will regain its advantage. (6/?)

So that brings us back to "arm the teachers." THE WHOLE POINT of this garbage proposal is to deflect and delay. Rather than being forced to defend the gun show loophole and their opposition to the assault weapons ban, they need us to talk about *something else.* (7/?)

If they can make the conversation about arming teachers last a week or two, then they can duck the conversation about their indefensible positions. And then some other tragedy will probably happen. (Deporting the DREAMers, global war, etc.) (8/?)

The best response to this gambit is to ridicule-then-pivot.

"That's a stupid and unserious proposal, & we know they don't mean it because they haven't introduced it as actual legislation. There are real bills that congress can pass right now. Let's finally talk about them. 9/?

Probably the best moment in last night's town hall was when Cameron Kasky asked Rubio to pledge not to take NRA money. That's a meaningful line in the sand, and it sets the terms of the debate moving forward. The NRA is toxic, politicians should reject their toxic donations. 10/?

Make that the demand. Make renewing the assault weapons ban the demand. Make closing the absurd loopholes the demand.

When the NRA and Trump try to deflect the debate over to fantasy-school-hero daydreams, ridicule them and then pivot. Don't let that become the new debate. 11/?

The dead, their families, and their classmates deserve better than this ridiculous, offensive, unworkable arm-the-teachers fantasy. The American public deserves better than this. But understand that running out the clock by deflecting the conversation is the *whole point.* (12/?)

Don't try to win the argument that the NRA and Trump have decided to have.

This time, WE are going to set the terms of the debate. (end)