While this is undoubtedly true, this actually represents a vast strategic miscalculation.
I watched a show last night (on youtube) that detailed the progress of the ME-262, the first production jet aircraft in the world, in Nazi Germany. The special showed how Hitler actually doomed the project by ordering it to be misused as a tactical bomber, when it really only excelled as a air-to-air fighter.
Obama is making a similar strategic error: He seems to think that America, who has repeatedly shown an affinity for firearms ownership, and who have often rejected politicians who defied that viewpoint, will change their mind and sweep his party into power ... ON THE GUN ISSUE.
Big mistake. Those who are pro-gun are extremely passionate about it, but those who are anti-gun are, with a few exceptions, ambivalent about the topic.
He thinks people view the issue like he does, and he is wrong.
We shouldn't claim victory yet. That bill only failed by 6 votes. There were 54 Senators who voted for it. That's a rather thin margin, and if another incident happens soon, they could easily find those 6 votes.