Did Democrats become anti-gun in reaction to Dukakis’s defeat?

[darklordoftech]

Did Democratic politicians become anti-gun to peal away “law and order” voters from Republicans?

[Sumner 1868]

No. If anything, it's fascinating how little Dukakis' support of gun control hurt him in areas that by 2004 were considered conservative strongholds.

[Indy Texas]

Guns did not become a cultural talisman for white grievances until the early 1990s.

The National Rifle Association was once, as its name suggested, a very boring, obscure organization for hunting and sport shooters. Its primary purpose was teaching gun safety and marksmanship. It never opposed gun control, particularly of handguns which were regarded as outside its purview and associated with urban crime.

Wayne LaPierre is the one who really transformed the group into a Republican mouthpiece and haven for black helicopter conspiracy theorists.

[Hammy]

Guns did not become a cultural talisman for white grievances until the early 1990s.

The National Rifle Association was once, as its name suggested, a very boring, obscure organization for hunting and sport shooters. Its primary purpose was teaching gun safety and marksmanship. It never opposed gun control, particularly of handguns which were regarded as outside its purview and associated with urban crime.

Wayne LaPierre is the one who really transformed the group into a Republican mouthpiece and haven for black helicopter conspiracy theorists.

Came here to post this but you put it better than I could have.

[Person Man]

Did Democratic politicians become anti-gun to peal away “law and order” voters from Republicans?

Maybe they then approached it in a way that sparked a new culture war?

[McNukes™ #NYCMMWasAHero]

Guns did not become a cultural talisman for white grievances until the early 1990s.

The National Rifle Association was once, as its name suggested, a very boring, obscure organization for hunting and sport shooters. Its primary purpose was teaching gun safety and marksmanship. It never opposed gun control, particularly of handguns which were regarded as outside its purview and associated with urban crime.

Wayne LaPierre is the one who really transformed the group into a Republican mouthpiece and haven for black helicopter conspiracy theorists.

It actually rejected the post-Kennedy assassination gun control of the 60s, before Wayne LaPierre took control of the organization, and only flipped on one gun control law that it endorsed previously. It was originally established as a means to ensure that civilians would be able to use firearms so they could be drafted and sent to war, after all--and it received DoD subsidies until the Great Depression to fund that mission. Congress would often consult the NRA to see which gun control provisions it should support previously, thus giving rise to the idea that the NRA has literally written America's gun laws, but after the Congress began passing gun laws which were seen as negative for the country as a whole the NRA soon began its lobbying division.