“NRA members are not legion, and their views on gun control are increasingly out of touch with that of the median US voter. But they are motivated, and form a loyal army the NRA can call out in general elections and, crucially for issue discipline, primaries. And while it is today an effectively Republican-only organization, its ratings of politicians on gun issues – and threats to take out anyone with less than an A rating – keeps Republicans firmly in line.
“This explains why lawmakers in Florida, where the Parkland high school massacre occurred, are still scared to cross the NRA, despite the fact that the group has not made a contribution to a single member of the state legislature in a decade.” – Michael Paarlberg in After the supreme court blow, unions should look to a new model: the NRA [via theguardian.com]