How not to be a Democrat

John Thune, the South Dakota Republican, was interviewed in the wake of a GOP victory yesterday.  A bunch of Democrats crossed over to pass the amendment which will loosen restrictions on guns in national parks.

"Obviously, with our diminished numbers,"  Thune said, "there is more pressure on us to hang together or hang separately.  We've recognized that we have to band together when we can. It’s not going to happen every time, it’s not going to happen on every issue, but I think there’s a realization that we’re a lot stronger when we operate as a team."

You betcha!  Thune went on to say more when an NPR microphone was in the room.  He said 1) that enough "red state" Democrats had moved over, and 2) that, after all, the 2nd amendment guarantees the  right of Americans to carry guns.   In doing so, he nailed two memes in a way no Democrat has learned how to do, much less refute two misstatements. 

Yup. Republican legislators have learned to "hang together" -- much to their advantage.  Disheartened Dems tend to assume Republicans are ideologically identical.  Of course, that's a crock.  There is probably as much disagreement within the right as on the left.  Where the two parties differ is in the Republican ability to nail talking points successfully whenever they're in public.  They sound stronger and more cohesive, and that makes them all the more difficult to challenge.

Take Thune's statements.  For starters, a "red state" is not a red state -- is not wholly-owned Republican territory -- if  Democrats have been elected from that state. If that seems like a quibble, we're discounting the salutary, rah-rah effect on Republican voters of seeing certain regions as solidly Republican.  Notice how quickly this expanding redness gets used by the GOP and (shudder!) on Hanni-baugh.

Thune's wrong, of course. The 2nd amendment doesn't guarantee the entire population the right to carry guns.  Thanks to the Republican talent at creating talking points, the 2nd amendment is now seen as granting all of us unfettered freedom to own military-grade weapons.  With a good deal of help from the NRA, the house organ of the arms industry, Republican politicians have changed the context in which we talk about the 2nd amendment and have successfully guaranteed its interpretation in their terms.  Thune is guaranteed another big campaign contribution.

All of this is picky-picky stuff, quibbles.  But Democrats will have to get one helluva lot better at shooting down Republican talking points if they're going to have anything like continued success at legislative -- and voting booth -- levels.