The NRA and the fundies constitute a larger share of the electorate than any "identity" the Dems play to and the GOP go after them much more overtly and shamelessly. The Dems, having embraced neoliberal ideals for a generation now, don't even prentend to do much for organized labor anymore. In contrast, the GOP seize every opportunity to propose constutional amendments to ban gay marriage, filibuster the most common sense background checks for gun purchases, ban Shariah law, and so on. The GOP is, at its core, an organization hellbent on corporate plutocracy, but they are well attuned to what needs to be done to accomplish those means through the democratic process.
If Republicans aggressively court the NRA demographic, why does the NRA issue report cards for every federal politician? Besides Texas and a few Rocky Mountain states, the NRA intimidates people into compliance, particularly those who believe in gun-rights, but may not enjoy the gray-market activities at gun shows or online. Furthermore, AWB 1994 was probably the worst lame-duck "gun control" legislation ever passed into law. Democrats threw away their political capital. No underhanded right-wing political tactics were necessary.
The only high-profile Democrat to openly embrace neoliberalism was Clinton, and he was only able to embrace neoliberalism after his own party was deposed in the 1994 midterms. Neoliberals would never protect social security, medicare, medicaid, welfare, education, etc in their current guise. New Dealers believe that social spending should be socially just with little or no emphasis on economic productivity. Obama says "hands off of entitlements". What socioeconomic school of thought would qualify his remarks?
Low income tax rates for upper-income-earners do not create corporate plutocracy. Quite the opposite, in fact, since non-corporate business income/taxes are generally filed on the owners' 1040s. The Clinton and Obama tax rates could be construed as corporate protectionism, but if you understood how taxation works, you might not vote Democrat. Somehow the Democratic Party has led itself to believe that targeting CEOs and other high profile
employees, is synonymous with targeting the asset-owning elites. Naturally, the plutocrats become entrenched.
Democrat Party is primarily vaporware and a confused melange of social initiatives. It's not because they are stupid, it's because they have nothing else. Republicans captured virtually all neoliberal territory in the 1970s and 1980s. Democrats are stuck with the same tired rhetoric from the 1960s. No more Vietnam. No more racism. No more persecution of gays. A bunch of flower-children having one last demonstration before they croak.
