Gun Control's Demise The story after the 2004 election remains the same, only some of the names have been changed. Following the 2000 election, respected members of his party observed that calls for gun control cost Al Gore the presidency. Now, in a story titled "The Last Nail in Gun Control," The Hill reports that Democrats re-arranging their party for a victory the next time out are maneuvering to drop the tired call for more unpopular restrictions on law-abiding gun owners. The issue of gun prohibitions played a part in keeping presidential hopeful and long-time gun control supporter John Kerry at his desk in the U.S. Senate. It's such a favored cause among some of the strongest of the party's faithful, that at least one political scientist predicts the doomed notion will certainly re-appear despite the attempts of moderate Democrats to ignore it.