The suggestion comes from Senator Gillibrand, who has flip-flopped on that issue and nearly every other one.
Sanders, a paragon of political consistency who has almost never flip-flopped on a major issue, enters Tuesday’s critical primary here lagging badly behind Hillary Clinton among black voters. A significant drag on his popularity in violence-ravaged African-American neighborhoods remains his refusal to back a Democratic bill that would hold weapons manufacturers liable for gun violence. Clinton, fairly or not, is painting a solid small-state progressive as a callous gunslinger carrying the NRA’s ammo against the interests of black urbanites.
His option? Change positions. That’s what Kirsten Gillibrand, a proud, passionate turncoat on guns, urges her Senate colleague from Vermont to do for the sake of his politics and, you know, his immortal soul.
I won't even waste time on Gillibrand who does her usual "poor me" routine. But black voters aren't staying away from Bernie Sanders because of lawsuits against gun manufacturers. And in any case, Bernie Sanders already turned his coat on that at the last Democratic debate.
It's true that there's a major racial gap on the second amendment, but support for gun rights is even lower among Hispanics. And Bernie is doing better there so clearly that isn't the answer.
Finally support for keeping a gun for self-defense has been on the uptick among black voters. Sheriff David Clarke of Milwaukee County made headlines by speaking out on it. And if you're in some place like Detroit, then you may just need a gun.
And, most of all, gun control as a priority tends to rank fairly low compared to race. What most obviously sets black voters apart from the Bernies is that they want to see Obama's legacy preserved. This is where the Sanders campaign appeal, "elect a true progressive" has run aground.