Perhaps, but I have yet to be convinced of that. If we define the cliff as cutoff-point at which further gun-control measures are applied, and that the free-fall is increasingly prohibitive gun laws, and the splat at the end as a total ban on handguns, rifles or shotguns, I think the analogy holds up well. Democrats and Republicans both seem to be edging towards greater acceptance of gun controls, where Democrats are in a hurry and Republicans are a little more circumspect.