you for your time. Dr. Jawa: Thank you. Geoff: As the 2024 presidential race heats up, several Republican hopefuls are headed to Indianapolis and Nashville for the NRA's annual convention and the Republican national committee donor retreat this weekend. We turn now to the analysis of brooks and Capehart. That's "New York Times" columnist David brooks and Jonathan Capehart, associate editor for "The Washington post." Let's start by talking about guns and abortion, two issues where Republicans have achieved their policy goals but are potentially threatening the party long-term viability. Governor Ron Desantis last night quietly signed a six week abortion ban into law. The only evidence we have is the photo he tweeted out, very different from when he made a big event of signing a 15 year ban -- a 15 week ban into law. What might that suggest about the politics of the moment? David: Apparently only women live in Florida. Abortion was obviously a big issue for the Democrats in the midterms, and a lot of Democrats think abortion will be a big issue in 2024, and it could be, but let me make a case for against that. First of all, only 68% -- 68% of Americans basically agree with Democrats on the issue, so it is a minority position the Republicans have embraced, but when you ask people they really care about, abortion is way down there, about 5% who care about it. When you look at what they really care about, the economy and protecting democracy are really big, so it may not be as salient of an issue as it has been. Secondly, Brian Kemp of Georgia also signed an aggressive abortion measure. Did not seem to hurt him at all in his race against Stacey Abrams. Finally, I think it is likely that Donald Trump will be on the ballot in 2024, so Donald Trump will be an issue in 2020 four. That is a case why it may not be as powerful as it was last time. Geoff: A six week ban could spell trouble for Desantis trying to get independent and suburban voters on his side. Jonathan: Absolutely. I am going to take issue with what David said. I disagree that abortion is an issue that is not top of mind. Maybe if you asked specifically about abortion, but when you wrap it into the overall threats to liberty, attack on liberty, voting rights, abortion rights, and other things happening in school libraries, people look at that and look at what is happening in Florida, looking at what happened with the Texas decision, and see, whoa, this is not what we want. This is a big issue for Democrats, but what we saw in Kansas over the summer, but we saw in Wisconsin a couple weeks ago is that this is clearly becoming an issue where women who are Democrats, independents, and Republicans, and particularly the Republicans might not say whole lot, but they make their voices heard at the ballot box. We have seen that in two places and I think we will continue to see that, which is why governor Desantis hiding under the cover of darkness signed in a six week abortion ban. That might play well in the only place where the red wave hit last November, but it is not going to play well if he is a candidate for president or any Republican running in 2024. >> To Jonathan's point, there were Republicans who derisively referred to Florida as a sanctuary state in the south, because it had a less restrictive abortion policy until now. There are people who say Desantis took this step of signing a six week ban to make the point that he is a reliable antiabortion voice. >> You've got to be there in the Republican party. Six weeks is where you've got to be. I did there is going to be complete unanimity. To preserve the wreckage of my case for why it will not matter -- [laughter] David: I would say a couple of things. It was not only Brian Kemp you did fine. Desantis was pretty clear of where he stood on abortion and did fine. Greg Abbott in Texas did fine. When voters can say, I want my voice heard on abortion, like in Kansas or Wisconsin, then they are going to make their voices heard, but a presidential race is the sum total of where this country is going, and they tend to be highly polarized. So, we'll independent voters be moved on this issue? Maybe. It is the future. It will wait to be heard. Geoff: Let's shift our focus to the debate around gun safety, because some of the Republican candidates are addressing the NRA's convention in Indianapolis. We have a picture of the folks who are planning to address the convention. You can see Mike Pompeo there. He told foxnews tonight he is actually not going to seek the presidency, so you can mark a X by his name. David: I will never smile again. Geoff: But in terms of the and ra, you still see Republican after Republican flocking to that convention even as Nashville and Louisville are mourning the massacres in their cities. David: I think what has happened with the gun issue is there has been an evolution in the Republican world about it. It was, why do we want to have guns? We want to protect ourselves. That is a position you can argue with, but it is a position. Then it became a cultural sign, you support guns because you do not like these are the latests -- you do not like the northeastern elitists telling us what to do. But it has migrated into a form of idolatry. If you are a Republican congressman sending a Christmas card, you are going to gather the family around the tree with your assault rifles. It is just what you do. That is the maga-ization of the Republican party. It has become aggressive "Own the libs." It has morphed into an unreasonable version of what is, in my view, pretty unreasonable. Geoff: On the left, gun safety has not been as potent of an issue as abortion access or public perceptions of Donald Trump and his influence. Might that change? Jonathan: I take issue with that. And safety has been a big issue. It's just that now we are living through a time where we have children living through their second mass shooting event at school. Geoff: Well, in the sense that voters do not always a site gun safety as their top issue. Jonathan: That may be, but let's see what people say come 2024 when we get into the presidential election and go through yet another period of mass shootings. The donor conferences in Nashville, were six people were killed, three of them children, and Republican legislature, what did they do? They kicked out two Democrats who were advocating on behalf of people who were mowed down in a mass shooting. I think this aspect of owning the libs, they don't realize that their own constituents are dying. Their own constituents want something done about this. The fact that they don't feel any compunction to do anything about it because of the NRA, even though it is a shell of its former self, says a lot about the NRA, but says a lot more about the Republican party. David: I could play the moralist and when I think about guns, but we probably don't disagree much about that. Just as a coldhearted political pundit, a, it is low down when U.S. People what they are going to vote on. Two, it used to be a powerful issue for Democrats when they were running against Republicans and affluent suburbs, northern Virginia, Delaware county, Pennsylvania, when that, Illinois -- winnetka, Illinois, those places have already turned Democrats. Those are former Republican places that have shifted. Finally, where is the election probably going to be fought out? The Democrats put their convention in Chicago for a reason. It is the upper midwest. Will the gun issue help win voters in rural Michigan, Wisconsin, those upper midwest states? Maybe. I am not saying whether it is right or wrong. I am just trying to assess whether it will be a powerful issue. Geoff: As we wrap up, Dianne Feinstein says she plans on serving out her term despite growing calls for her to resign. She is 89 years old. She has not cast a vote since February 16. She has missed nearly all of the senate's 82 votes so far this session. What do you think of the democratic pressure on her? To include a tweet from congressman Rowe, that said we need to call for her to step down. Jonathan: Very aggressive move by the congressman, but he got an assist from Amy klobuchar of benesova, who said, let me give her some time. But there is an issue on the city judiciary committee, which I think Lisa Desjardins pointed out well, that the whole goal of the senate majority is to get some judges through, get the presidential nominations through , and you cannot do that if you do not have a functioning democratic majority on the judiciary committee. I think what we are going to see over the coming weeks, especially with the senate coming back into session, maybe a growing call. Something needs to be done. If there were a 60 seat democratic majority, no one would care. The senate would function, but it cannot function when it does not have a key vote on a key committee. Geoff: What is your take on this perceived pressure campaign? There is an active campaign to replace her in California. >> One might have ulterior motives. I don't think ro Khanna does. He said he's not running. That I have an extremely high regard for ro Khanna, so when he said that, I thought, oh. This is a question we can solve. If she has a press conference and can answer questions, issue over. Have I seen senators who were incapable of that and were still serving? Yes. Geoff: Is there a double standard? What do you think? David: I have been around members of the senate who were not up to their job, let's put it that way. Jonathan: Yes, it is a double standard generally, but I do think because of the issue with the judiciary committee, and let's also keep in mind that does not so much the age that is the issue, because folks keep talking about Bernie Sanders running for president, and he is, if not in his 80's, almost. But it is about her health. And her health, she is recovering from shingles now, but before then there were questions about mental acuity, her mental fitness. I think that is also feeding this. This is not coming from out of nowhere. Geoff: Thanks to you both. Have a great weekend. >> Tanks. >> You too.
