I think this is similar to the gerrymandering issue where, since only the Republicans have abused it for years, they have had 0 reason to vote for any legislation put up against it.

Now that the D's are doing it, they might consider the risk is higher than the reward with Gerrymandering and say nobody is allowed to do it.

Just gotta start pumpin out gen images of Rs for them to reconsider their stance.

To be clear, I am very against AI gen images. But, like you were saying, I don't see any reason for them to take any action against it until it affects them.

interest in NOT policing deepfakes

Neither do I. Check sources like they taught you forever in school. Demanding supervision by adult protection services is for bitches.

I don’t see how current laws can’t handle this. Publishing a deepfake is basically libel. It’s the same as if you published an editorial under someone else’s name.