The Republican candidates have taken to the gun ranges and political stump, using the San Bernardino shooting to challenge President Obama’s strategy against the Islamic State.

Ted Cruz talks about “carpet bombing” terrorists. Umm – does that mean San Bernardino? Or the neighborhoods in Syria where IS partisans lay down their heads at night? Yes, Ted, if you were president, you could order the American military to indiscriminately kill people. Yes, you could become the biggest terrorist on the block.

But what really does IS have to show for San Bernardino? They managed to add fourteen people to the 30,000 killed annually in American gun violence? Wow, impressive. (Not!) Actually, given the parade of politicians going to the shooting range, maybe we should give them more credit. Maybe the marketing boost for the gun industry will increase the number and potency of weapons owned by Americans, and we’ll do a better job of killing each other as a result.

A little hard for IS to claim credit for that, though. Especially in comparison to Al Qaeda and 9/11. Clearly, something being done by the Obama Administration is working.

We are defeating terrorism by chopping the head off the snake and sowing suspicion among the violent cells that are scattered in its death throes. Keep your eye on the ball, people.