Remember, Clinton’s gun ban passed in 1994 (coincidentally, just before the Republican Revolution). To be sure, it wasn’t the sole reason Republicans swept the House, but — coming on the heels of Hillarycare, etc. — it was a symptom of a larger problem for Democrats.

Conservatives don’t like the term “reactionary,” but their success is almost always predicated on liberal overreach. (And liberals typically overreach after a series of wins — once they are no longer “gun-shy” — and become convinced they actually have a mandate to actually impose their ideas. Sound familiar?)…

Regardless, just as in 2009 and 2010, Democrats will have to win elections in 2013 and 2014 without the president at the top of the ticket. Consider how even “common sense” gun control might play out in gubernatorial races in places like Virginia, or in some of the most hotly-contested races for the U.S. senate.