There aren’t many details yet, but Paul Helmke, current President of the Brady Campaign, has announced his retirement. He served since 2006.
Bringing him on was a shrewd move for the Brady Campaign. Helmke was ostensibly a Republican. He presented himself as a moderate, and he was a master of spin who helped tailor their image accordingly. Under Helmke, we started hearing phrases like “sensible gun laws” and “reasonable regulation” more often.
He vehemently opposed the Heller case, but immediately after the decision, he pronounced it a victory for their agenda. He deftly turned a direct idealogical loss in the McDonald case into a set of talking points about what current and potential restrictions would or wouldn’t pass constitutional muster.
Ten years ago, this guy could have been truly frightening, but his tenure came a bit too late. The culture and the debate have changed, and even he couldn’t render the Bradys’ message palatable to the general public. He was quite unique for his role, however, and it remains to be seen if they can find someone equivalent to replace him.