The Brady Campaign’s Imaginary Tipping Point

Brady President Dan Gross’ CNN op-ed yesterday states we’ve reached a “tipping point” on gun control—but nowhere in his 875-word missive did he present any real evidence. 

Gross claims a “pop culture echo chamber” is forming, but can cite only two comedy shows (“SNL” and “Blackish”) and a tweet by Kim Kardashian. But Hollywood’s been staunchly and vocally anti-gun for decades. This hardly constitutes a new trend.

He mentions the presidential race, but there’s no tipping point here, either: Anti-gun Democrats are nothing new. And the supposed backlash against “candidates who side with the gun lobby” appears entirely manufactured—especially since exactly zero Republicans have renounced their pro-gun stance. (In fact, the only backpedaling on guns has come from Hillary Clinton’s camp.)

Gross’ appeal to opinion polls fares no better: One is nearly three years old, and the other shows opinions holding steady. There appears to be no tipping point here—or really any point at all.