[Facepalm...]
There are several components to this. First, there is the step of finding just the right kind of survey that shows "the public is on my side!" Surveys are manipulable, though.
Once you do that, you move on to making two arguments. First, you claim to have moral authority on the basis of public support. Of course, this is total fucking bullshit. After all, if we followed this line of reasoning, Brown v. Board was a terrible miscarriage of democracy, and anyone making the argument must immediately concede when the polls run against them. Do you think they will? No. Of course not. Bullshit hypocrisy.
Anyway, we move from there to a misunderstanding of politics. Democracy means a majority wins!
OK, time for some political science from my grand-advisor (my advisor's advisor). Robert Dahl. His best book was A Preface to Democratic Theory. Despite the title, Dahl didn't even like to use the term, "democracy." He preferred, "pluralism," and distinguished between a variety of forms of pluralism. The key to pluralism is that power is held, not by a single figure or a single group, but by multiple groups. Pluralism, though, is not majoritarianism, and preference intensity matters, as it should in economic terms. A committed minority will frequently defeat a more apathetic majority. So, even when those surveys-- manipulated though they often are-- show a real majority on one side, what they frequently miss is that the minority is often more committed than the majority.
Yes, committed minorities defeat apathetic majorities. This is a very good predictor of policy disputes. Robert Dahl.
What it lacks, though, is the kind of psychologically satisfying angle that the committed people within the less-committed majority want, because they get really pissed off when they lose.
So, they need a villain. Pluralism just isn't sufficiently villainous-sounding.
You know what sounds villainous?
Money!!!! "Special" interest groups!!!! By the way, I never use the word, "special." A "special" interest group is just an interest group you don't like.
No, people, the issue is that Robert Dahl is still right. A Preface to Democratic Theory. Good book.
See? I got through that whole post without talking about gun control or the NRA! Damn... oops!
