Poll: more Americans oppose gun control than ever

[Min]

http://blogs.chron.com/txpotomac/2009/05/gallup_boss_more_americans_opp.html


Gallup boss: More Americans oppose gun control than ever

Amid a wave of publicity about school shootings and drug-related gun violence along the Mexican border, more Americans than ever oppose government efforts to regulate guns, Gallup's top pollster said today.

Frank Newport, the editor-in-chief of the Gallup Poll, told a breakfast meeting of reporters hosted by the Christian Science Monitor that "every bit of data is showing us that Americans are getting more conservative about gun control."

Newport cited polling conducted by Gallup, the Pew Research Center and CNN to back up his contention that "attitudes toward gun control have become more conservative -- not wanting more gun control."

The veteran pollster said the growing opposition to gun control is "counterintuitive" because of the heavy media focus on the use of assault weapons to kill police officers and school students, as well as the coverage of drug-cartel lawlessness in Mexico.

But he said that Americans are clearly saying that they want gun laws to "stay as they are" or become "less strict" rather than becoming "more strict."

"The NRA is in a pretty good position, public-opinion-wise," Newport said.

A CNN poll conducted in April found that 39 percent of Americans wanted stricter gun control laws, down from 50 percent in 2000. Another 46 percent said the gun laws should stay as they are, while 15 percent said they should be loosened--up from 9 percent in 2000.

When asked to identify the best way to reduce gun violence, 61 percent of Americans said stronger enforcement of existing laws, while 27 percent opted for stronger laws, according to an ABC News-Washington Post poll, also conducted in April.

Even an assault-weapon ban is not the political "sure thing" it once was. An Apr. 23-26 poll by NBC News and the Wall Street Journal found that support for curbing the sale of assault weapons and semiautomatic rifles has dropped from 75 percent in 1991 to 53 percent today.

The shifting public mood on gun issues is the reason why the Obama administration is not trying to reinstate the assault-weapons ban that former President Bush allowed to expire in 2004. Obama and other administration officials said they have decided instead to adopt a strategy of enforcing existing laws.

 

[Lone_Gunman]

And yet a majority of people vote for a gun banner for president.

There is some type of disconnect involved here.

 

[jaybr]

And yet a majority of people vote for a gun banner for president.

There is some type of disconnect involved here.

Trust me, I'm not an Obama supporter, but I do know folks that voted for him. I think there are many Americans who when ask support gun rights, but that is nowhere near their top issue when it comes to voting. I know some very liberal folks that support RKBA, but they vote liberal because of all of the other issues they agree with.

For instance, do you believe that there are no voters out there that support both RKBA and are "Pro Choice"

McCain was too liberal for me, but working with a lot of liberals I understand how this happens.

 

[Kwanger]

Lone Gunman,

I'm an Obama supporter. I'm also an NRA member.

The disconnect here is that there is a whole ton of other issues facing the country right now and people voted the way they did because of those issues.

I personally feel that constitutional rights should have concrete power to be what they are completely aside from the politics of the day (Ain't that the way they are supposed to be?!)

 

[Lone_Gunman]

What exactly made you vote for him?

 

[Kwanger]

Whole host of reasons, but probably the number one was that I feel that the outgoing presidency did a truly awful job on a lot of different counts; but defense and the economy being the two main ones.

By defense, I mean the major error was going to Iraq (no threat) when we should have been upping the ante in Afghanistan.

By the economy, I kinda hold the deregulation policy responsible for what ensued.

 

[JImbothefiveth]

I personally feel that constitutional rights should have concrete power to be what they are completely aside from the politics of the day (Ain't that the way they are supposed to be?!)

That;s not the way Obama wants them to be

By the economy, I kinda hold the deregulation policy responsible for what ensued.

Nothing to do with the trillion dollar deficit? You know the one that Obama just doubled.

 

[Yo Mama]

Yes!

 

[Just One Shot]

You know, Obama has so much going for him.

Pro abortion

Pro homosexual

Anti gun

Born abroad

Why wouldn't America vote for him?

:banghead:

 

[DagoRed]

Whole host of reasons, but probably the number one was that I feel that the outgoing presidency did a truly awful job on a lot of different counts; but defense and the economy being the two main ones.

By defense, I mean the major error was going to Iraq (no threat) when we should have been upping the ante in Afghanistan.

By the economy, I kinda hold the deregulation policy responsible for what ensued.

And yet, you weren't voting against "the outgoing presidency", he was as you said, outgoing. You voted against a new candidate who had some good ideas and experience. Color me confused at that logic.

 

[Harve Curry]

Poll: more Americans oppose gun control than ever
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
And then view some recent THR Polls ; the 2nd Amendment is antiquated, doesn't mean what it says, is a flexible frame work, and so called common sense gun control laws are needed. Go figure.

 

[KBintheSLC]

By the economy, I kinda hold the deregulation policy responsible for what ensued.

Sounds like a regurgitated tape recording of the latest presidential blurb in "People Magazine". Let me fill you in on something... removing several constricting regulations does not equate "deregulation". There are more corporate regulations still on the books than you could ever read in one lifetime.

Anyway, we all know that under socialist rule and massive government control there are never financial catastrophes... right? I'm sure the new guys can spend their way right back into prosperity. After all, when you are so eloquent, intelligent, and sophisticated on camera, you've gotta be right... right?

..

 

[Coltman 77]

We'd all better wake up, join the NRA, write our legislators and do whatever is necessary to protect our 2nd Amendment Rights.

It's just a matter of time before the Democrats/Liberals make their move to curtail our RKBA.

 

[Arbor]

Obama was born in the USA. Period. This is a known fact.


I voted for him. I think he is better than McCain overall.

RKBA is important, but it's just one issue. On top of that, McCain has been known to support some ridiculous gun laws when it suits him, so he can't be trusted either.


Oregonians haven't forgotten about this

 

[Armed012002]

The shifting public mood on gun issues is the reason why the Obama administration is not trying to reinstate the assault-weapons ban that former President Bush allowed to expire in 2004.

Sentences like this annoy me. Did people not pay attention in high school?

Congress never passed a new "assault weapons ban." Therefore, President Bush did not "allow" it to expire. Congress allowed it to expire. The President can only veto or sign into law a bill passed by Congress. Bush never had the opportunity to do either.

end rant :banghead:

I can see the idea or opinion that it's the President's job to work with Congress to pass certain legislation; however, when we're talking about certain legislation, focusing on the President and not even mentioning Congress suggests a flawed understanding of our system of government.

 

[Tommygunn]

Descending merrily merrily merrily into politics ........

 

[Kwanger]

DagoRed,

I actually think that individually McCain is a decent guy. But to answer one of the other comments too about not voting for the outgoing president, I should clarify and say I had had enough of the Republican Party as a whole. I just have an overriding feeling that the Republican Party has gotten to stand for greed and selfishness, keeping the rich folk rich at the expense of everyone else.

I'm not rich, so way I see it, issues aside and on a personal level, it's still not in my best interest to vote that way.

Im sure you can debunk anything I'm saying as its all to do with my own personal viewpoint, but I know Im not alone in thinking it, and its overriding impressions that make people vote the way they do. (well, not alone except on this board maybe!....)

But the crux of it is that viewpoints aside, I like to own firearms and like to shoot - but I honestly don't think it is or should be a political issue.

 

[rbernie]

Sadly, y'all just could not keep this focused on the RKBA, and instead chose to drag in all sorts of known off-topic issues.

IATL.

Those of y'all that chose to take this thread astray should consider yourself warned not to do that again, lest your posting privledges be endangered.