I don’t think there’s an actual reason to not think it’s both you know?
I mean, we have the evidence of public acknowledgement of gun ownership back to 2019 as cited (we even have a thread here about it) - and the reasons stated for it remain the same. Whether or not posters then or now agree with the reasoning is another thread, but it’s at least consistent.
So I find it likely honest, and while there are many who disagree, and debate the reasons for the opinion, I still think that the majority of Americans still believe that self-defense is overall, a good thing.
Now, bringing it up on Oprah is, IMHO a political choice, rather than the “Ooops, I shouldn’t have said that” Harris immediately expressed. Sure, it’s possible it was, but that’s not how I read Harris. If anything, it’s (IMHO IMHO IMHO) both a politically calculated reminder that may play well with the undecided in the critical swing states (see my prior post) AND try to defang future criticisms of flip-flopping on the issue, which the opposition has been trying to make a big deal of for some time.
It -may- also be signs of long term political planning.
It seems to me (and please, don’t put much faith in my crystal ball) that in the nearish future, Trump is going to pass on from his age, health, or sheer apoplexy if he looses (Dear FSM, may it be so).
When that happens, most/much of MAGA is going to be stuck in it’s culture war, but hopefully splintered by the many persons who want to claim Trump’s crown. So what happens to those who still voted (R) but really didn’t like the drama?
If MAGA, post-Trump continues to double down, but without the unity of purpose that makes them effective, are they willing to join the noticeable (on this board even) group of former Republican voters who now vote for Democrats because of Trump?
Seems like a decent gamble. Harris, like Biden, is pretty centrist in (D) circles, and Walz has reasonable progressive credentials while his own gun ownership and hunting cred could be seen as reassuring.
Especially when the broad tent of the Democratic party has it’s own fracture points, as seen over the “Undecideds” who threaten to break (cutting the nose to spite the face) with Harris over Israel/Hamas.
So, a not unusual tactic of tacking back to center for Harris, and Democrats as a whole.
Just my two bits.