The opining about today's Virginia massacre has already begun. It's been a while since there was a real national conversation about guns. Over the past few years Democrats have largely dropped the issue for fear of upsetting culturally-conservative voters. The last big gun-control push followed the wave of school shootings in the 1990s, leading to the 1999 Million Mom March. The 2000 presidential campaign actually featured some real gun politics. (Remember George W. Bush's love for trigger locks?) By 2004 the gun debate amounted to the goofy symbolism of John Kerry's hunting trip. I suppose whether the debate re-emerges likely depends on what we learn about how the gunman acquired his weapon(s), and if he did so legally. For now, as the Hotline blog notes, the big presidential campaigns have limited themselves to politically-neutral expressions of grief. See the dramatic homepages of John Edwards and Barack Obama for representative examples. And for an interesting contrast--which may mean nothing--see John McCain's business-as-usual look. Update: McCain reaffirms his support for gun rights. Shameless oppportunism: A recent TNR piece calling for the abolition of the Second Amendment. --Michael Crowley