Likelihood of Success

Montana has passed a law, certain to be declared unconstitutional or otherwise rendered a nullity, declaring that, as the AP puts it, “guns manufactured in Montana and sold in Montana to people who intend to keep their weapons in Montana are exempt from federal gun registration, background check and dealer-licensing rules because no state lines are crossed.”

Color that dead on arrival.  That doesn’t mean I’m pro-guns or anti-guns — I’m mostly pro-, for a guy who’s never touched one — but it’s just some very simple lawyering by yours truly.  I think a political science major could figure this out, too.  So I don’t mind that gun control advocates are describing this measure as entirely symbolic, even provocative.

But that’s never good enough.  Because remember:  Being liberal means never having to say your adversary is rational or moral.  So here’s the money quote from the same AP story:

“Guns cross state lines and they do so constantly, and this is a Sagebrush Rebellion-type effort to light some sort of fire and get something going that’s pleasing to the gun nuts and that has very little actual sense,” said Peter Hamm, communications director for the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence.

That’s the communications director, folks.  He’s in charge of choosing words.

And you?  You agree with him.

Or… you’re a nut.  A gun nut.

New regime, not-so-new tone of debate:  My way or the nut way.