>Maybe they do know what an assault rifle is and just assume that their voters don’t. They know what their voters think an assault rifle is. And what their vo

>Maybe they do know what an assault rifle is and just assume that their voters don’t. They know what their voters think an assault rifle is. And what their voters think assault rifles are is anything painted black and lacking a "traditional" appearance, which is why rifles identical in mechanical function to "assault rifles" tend not to be banned by the laws these politicians think their voters want. Ignorance of this voting bloc about the way guns work (and the qualities that make one better suited to a particular task than another) acts in the favor of those who are against their prohibition. Being on national news and saying a barrel shroud is a "shoulder thing that goes up" does not help endear people who know that's false to your cause.