This is somewhat related to the current thread 'Democrats rethink stance on gun control'. However they cite some interesting poll statistics. Some are reassuring in that most Americans beleive the 2nd ammendment is an individual right, others regarding the AW ban and the 'gun show loophole' are frightening to me.
http://www.jointogether.org/gv/news/alerts/reader/0,2061,567255,00.html
National Poll Redefines the Gun Issue
10/17/2003
Press Release
Americans for Gun Safety
Washington, DC
www.americansforgunsafety.com
Contact:
Deborah Barron
Phone: 202-775-0300 x204
Democrats Can Eliminate "Gun Gap" With Centrist Stance
Washington, DC - Democrats have had trouble with gun owning voters in recent years, but can make substantial headway with a moderate message of supporting gun rights, closing gun law loopholes, and vigorously enforcing existing laws, according to a poll and seven-step blueprint released today (Thursday) by Americans for Gun Safety (AGS).
The poll found that gun owning voters often assume that Democrats, particularly if they are silent on the issue, are anti-gun, anti-Second Amendment, and disrespectful of the values held by those who own firearms. It also found that a plurality of gun owners define themselves as moderates and will flock to Democratic candidates with a moderate gun position.
The poll was conducted for AGS by Penn Schoen & Berhland Associates with 802 interviews between October 1-6, 2003 among likely 2004 presidential election voters. In a generic congressional ballot, a Democrat trails a Republican who supports Second Amendment rights by a margin of 42-45%. When the Democrat is described as one who supports Second Amendment rights, closing gun law loopholes, and vigorous enforcement of existing laws, the Democrat wins 57-32%. Support for this "rights and responsibilities" Democrat increases from 30% to 44% among gun owners and from 52% to 68% among non-gun owners.
"If Democrats adopt a platform that balances gun rights with responsible policy the 'gun problem' could soon be a Republican problem," said AGS President Jon Cowan. "However, unless Democrats take back the Second Amendment, they could soon be extinct in many of the states that determine critical elections." The findings and the AGS document entitled "Taking Back the Second Amendment: A 7-Step Blueprint for Democrats to Promote Responsibility and Win the Gun Vote," take on conventional party wisdom suggesting that Democrats must avoid talking about guns. The poll shows that an enormous "gun gap" exists between gun owning and non-gun owning households. Gun owners have such hardened views on where Democrats stand on the gun issue that silence is not an option in so-called "red states" - states that voted for President Bush in 2000 and, not coincidentally, have gun ownership rates 35% higher than states that voted for Gore.
"The Second Amendment does not belong to any political party and the gun issue does not have to be a partisan issue," said Cowan " Democrats must wake up to the fact that gun owners prefer candidates who stand up for gun rights, responsible gun laws, and vigorous enforcement."
The poll found that Republicans are also vulnerable on the gun issue because while they traditionally adopt a powerful enforcement message on guns, they often fail to support responsible gun safety measures supported by the majority of gun owners. In addition, voters are poised to punish Republicans for failing to fulfill their promise to enforce the nation's gun laws. Eighty-eight percent of gun owners were receptive to a message on the paucity of Justice Department prosecutions for lying on the background check form used to screen gun buyers.
"The enforcement message is very powerful for Democrats because voters are aware that the Bush Administration promised tough enforcement of all federal gun laws," said Cowan.
Among the key findings from the poll:
Gun Owner Demographics: 47% of voting households have a gun in the home - 60% in the Plains states, 55% in the South, 47% in the Western, 44% in the Midwest, and 36% in the Northeast. 25% of women say they personally own firearms.
Gun Owner Views Toward Democrats: By a margin of 63-20%, gun owners say Democrats are the party that wants to ban guns (55-18% for non-gun owners). By a margin of 59-20%, gun owners say Democrats do not respect gun owners and their values (44-19% for non-gun owners). By a margin of 55-19%, gun owners say Democrats blame law abiding gun owners for the crime problems (39-25% for non-gun owners).
Views on the 2nd Amendment: Only 8% of voters believe that the Second Amendment does not protect an individual's right to own a gun. 74% take a moderate view of the amendment and believe that the right allows for restrictions to keep guns out of the hands of criminals. 14% are absolutists and believe that the right allows for no restrictions whatsoever.
Support for New Gun Laws: By a margin of 92-7%, voters support improving the background check system to make instant checks faster and more accurate (90-9% among gun owners). By a margin of 90-9%, voters support closing the gun show loophole (85-13% among gun owners, and 83-16% among those who have attended gun shows). By a margin of 86-12%, voters support making gun trafficking a crime as severe as drug trafficking (85-15% among gun owners). By a margin of 77-21%, voters support renewing the assault weapons ban (66-30% among gun owners).
The "7-Step Blueprint" outlining how Democrats can promote responsibility and win on the gun issue will be presented to state legislators from around the country this weekend in Atlanta at a conference co-sponsored by the Democratic Leadership Council titled "God, Guns, and Guts: Seizing the Cultural Center."
Americans for Gun Safety is a gun rights organization that works to build bipartisan support for federal legislation such as closing the gun show loophole and fixing the background check system, as well as tough enforcement of all federal gun laws. AGS tested voters views on Democrats and prepared a blueprint for the Party in hope that Democrats can improve their standing with gun voters by clarifying their support for the Second Amendment while continuing to promote the Party principle of common-sense gun safety laws. AGS hopes to work with Republican leadership on ways the Party can move to the center on issues like guns shows and the assault weapons ban and believes that the gun issue can be solved with bipartisan solutions. *For a copy of the poll please e-mail [email protected]
Date of Release: October, 16 2003
http://www.jointogether.org/gv/news/alerts/reader/0,2061,567255,00.html
National Poll Redefines the Gun Issue
10/17/2003
Press Release
Americans for Gun Safety
Washington, DC
www.americansforgunsafety.com
Contact:
Deborah Barron
Phone: 202-775-0300 x204
Democrats Can Eliminate "Gun Gap" With Centrist Stance
Washington, DC - Democrats have had trouble with gun owning voters in recent years, but can make substantial headway with a moderate message of supporting gun rights, closing gun law loopholes, and vigorously enforcing existing laws, according to a poll and seven-step blueprint released today (Thursday) by Americans for Gun Safety (AGS).
The poll found that gun owning voters often assume that Democrats, particularly if they are silent on the issue, are anti-gun, anti-Second Amendment, and disrespectful of the values held by those who own firearms. It also found that a plurality of gun owners define themselves as moderates and will flock to Democratic candidates with a moderate gun position.
The poll was conducted for AGS by Penn Schoen & Berhland Associates with 802 interviews between October 1-6, 2003 among likely 2004 presidential election voters. In a generic congressional ballot, a Democrat trails a Republican who supports Second Amendment rights by a margin of 42-45%. When the Democrat is described as one who supports Second Amendment rights, closing gun law loopholes, and vigorous enforcement of existing laws, the Democrat wins 57-32%. Support for this "rights and responsibilities" Democrat increases from 30% to 44% among gun owners and from 52% to 68% among non-gun owners.
"If Democrats adopt a platform that balances gun rights with responsible policy the 'gun problem' could soon be a Republican problem," said AGS President Jon Cowan. "However, unless Democrats take back the Second Amendment, they could soon be extinct in many of the states that determine critical elections." The findings and the AGS document entitled "Taking Back the Second Amendment: A 7-Step Blueprint for Democrats to Promote Responsibility and Win the Gun Vote," take on conventional party wisdom suggesting that Democrats must avoid talking about guns. The poll shows that an enormous "gun gap" exists between gun owning and non-gun owning households. Gun owners have such hardened views on where Democrats stand on the gun issue that silence is not an option in so-called "red states" - states that voted for President Bush in 2000 and, not coincidentally, have gun ownership rates 35% higher than states that voted for Gore.
"The Second Amendment does not belong to any political party and the gun issue does not have to be a partisan issue," said Cowan " Democrats must wake up to the fact that gun owners prefer candidates who stand up for gun rights, responsible gun laws, and vigorous enforcement."
The poll found that Republicans are also vulnerable on the gun issue because while they traditionally adopt a powerful enforcement message on guns, they often fail to support responsible gun safety measures supported by the majority of gun owners. In addition, voters are poised to punish Republicans for failing to fulfill their promise to enforce the nation's gun laws. Eighty-eight percent of gun owners were receptive to a message on the paucity of Justice Department prosecutions for lying on the background check form used to screen gun buyers.
"The enforcement message is very powerful for Democrats because voters are aware that the Bush Administration promised tough enforcement of all federal gun laws," said Cowan.
Among the key findings from the poll:
Gun Owner Demographics: 47% of voting households have a gun in the home - 60% in the Plains states, 55% in the South, 47% in the Western, 44% in the Midwest, and 36% in the Northeast. 25% of women say they personally own firearms.
Gun Owner Views Toward Democrats: By a margin of 63-20%, gun owners say Democrats are the party that wants to ban guns (55-18% for non-gun owners). By a margin of 59-20%, gun owners say Democrats do not respect gun owners and their values (44-19% for non-gun owners). By a margin of 55-19%, gun owners say Democrats blame law abiding gun owners for the crime problems (39-25% for non-gun owners).
Views on the 2nd Amendment: Only 8% of voters believe that the Second Amendment does not protect an individual's right to own a gun. 74% take a moderate view of the amendment and believe that the right allows for restrictions to keep guns out of the hands of criminals. 14% are absolutists and believe that the right allows for no restrictions whatsoever.
Support for New Gun Laws: By a margin of 92-7%, voters support improving the background check system to make instant checks faster and more accurate (90-9% among gun owners). By a margin of 90-9%, voters support closing the gun show loophole (85-13% among gun owners, and 83-16% among those who have attended gun shows). By a margin of 86-12%, voters support making gun trafficking a crime as severe as drug trafficking (85-15% among gun owners). By a margin of 77-21%, voters support renewing the assault weapons ban (66-30% among gun owners).
The "7-Step Blueprint" outlining how Democrats can promote responsibility and win on the gun issue will be presented to state legislators from around the country this weekend in Atlanta at a conference co-sponsored by the Democratic Leadership Council titled "God, Guns, and Guts: Seizing the Cultural Center."
Americans for Gun Safety is a gun rights organization that works to build bipartisan support for federal legislation such as closing the gun show loophole and fixing the background check system, as well as tough enforcement of all federal gun laws. AGS tested voters views on Democrats and prepared a blueprint for the Party in hope that Democrats can improve their standing with gun voters by clarifying their support for the Second Amendment while continuing to promote the Party principle of common-sense gun safety laws. AGS hopes to work with Republican leadership on ways the Party can move to the center on issues like guns shows and the assault weapons ban and believes that the gun issue can be solved with bipartisan solutions. *For a copy of the poll please e-mail [email protected]
Date of Release: October, 16 2003
:banghead: 
