Fox News put up a chyron during the Tucker Carlson show that perfectly demonstrates the political dynamic in this country. It is now assumed knowledge among Fox viewers and Republicans generally that working with Democrats violates a duty inherent to their office.
Read the Fox News chyron pictured below:
the chyron says it all pic.twitter.com/GZ6BaqEE9p
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) June 18, 2022
The “gun control” measures are as meager as they can possibly be and still be called an improvement with a straight face.
But even more to the point, if there is a non-partisan political issue in existence in this country, it is the near-universal agreement that something should be done about guns and the mass shootings that continue to infect this country. The infection proves to be fatal, week after week. And don’t take this site’s word for it; one need only look at Fox News’s own poll released just two days ago:
On specific gun proposals, voters are most supportive of requiring background checks on all gun buyers (88%) and improving enforcement of existing gun laws (84%).
Another 8 in 10 favor raising the legal age to buy assault weapons to 21 (82%), passing “red flag” laws that allow police to take guns from people shown to be a danger (81%), background checks on buying ammunition (80%), mental health checks (78%), and raising the legal age to buy any gun to 21 (78%).
Other than providing for a national red flag law, the proposed deal between the ten GOP Senators looking at compromising with the Democrats contains none of those measures. Near 80% agreement on every proposal, almost 90% on universal background checks. A functioning democracy finds a way to implement what 80% of the citizens want. A functioning democracy finds a way to get what 60% of its population wants to be done. Easily.
But Republicans fear that 15% of the population. One need only compare the boos John Cornyn received at the Texas Republican Convention versus the cheers for Ted Cruz.
For John Cornyn:
US Sen John Cornyn gets viciously booed during much of his speech here at the Republican Party of Texas Convention. Here’s his closing remarks and the cascade of boos. pic.twitter.com/m2Hua9WdrV
— Jeremy Wallace (@JeremySWallace) June 17, 2022
And for the man who abandoned Texas during one of the state’s most dangerous periods in recent history, when at least 246 official victims died due to a power failure during an extreme cold front.
After John Cornyn gets drowned out by boos at the TX State GOP Convention, NRA darling Ted Cruz enters to the Rocky theme and a standing ovation. pic.twitter.com/rrtoAHmLoq
— Ron Filipkowski ???????? (@RonFilipkowski) June 17, 2022
Yes, guns are perhaps the single biggest issue to the average Republican voter (Which seems incomprehensible to some of us). But that 80-90% includes a lot of Republicans, the majority of the Republicans.
It is likely that the boos stem from the fact that Cornyn is working with Democrats at all about anything, as they are specifically about gun control. Uvalde is in Texas. The chyron also uses the word “betraying,” as if Republican voters put people in office specifically to fight Democrats on everything. Cooperating in any way is a betrayal?
“Betraying voters” on an issue that has as much agreement as one can imagine in modern America? It does say it all. In a democracy, it would be the politicians who won’t compromise on what 80% of Americans want that are betraying the voters.
Jason Miciak believes a day without learning is a day not lived. He is a political writer, features writer, author, and attorney. He is a Canadian-born dual citizen who spent his teen and college years in the Pacific Northwest and has since lived in seven states. He now enjoys life as a single dad of a young girl, writing from the beaches of the Gulf Coast. He loves crafting his flower pots, cooking, while also studying scientific philosophy, religion, and non-math principles behind quantum mechanics and cosmology. Please feel free to contact for speaking engagements or any concerns.