When pollsters asked people three decades ago how they felt about the National Rifle Association, 27% said they strongly supported the gun lobby. By last month, that share had grown 38%, an 11-point increase. Meanwhile, the share that didn’t side with the NRA declined.
By an 8-point, registered voters in the Journal/NBC survey last month said they were more concerned that the government would go too far in restricting gun rights than that it fail to do enough to regulate access to firearms. When adults were asked the same question in 1995, the greater fear was that access to firearms was too widespread.
In July polling, the Journal/NBC survey found that 43% of the public had a positive image of the NRA and 32% a negative one—a more favorable view than the public held of the Supreme Court or either political party. By a 15-point margin, political independents, also viewed the NRA more positively than negatively.
– From the Wall Street Journal article: Rising Support for NRA Stymies Obama
Love guns or hate guns, one thing is becoming perfectly clear. The American public’s perception of guns and the NRA is moving in the exact opposite direction of Barack Obama’s message and agenda.
To hear Obama speak, you’d think the NRA is simply using boatloads of money and propaganda to thwart the impassioned gun control desires of the American public. In reality, nothing could be further from the truth. First, let’s take a look at some powerful charts from the Wall Street Journal.
As you can clearly see, the numbers regarding NRA support have virtually flipped over the past thirty years. This is also consistent with a recent ABC News poll which showed for the first time that a majority of American are against an assault weapons ban. From the post, A Majority of Americans Oppose “Assault Weapons Ban” – Highest Number on Record:
A majority of Americans oppose banning assault weapons for the first time in more than 20 years of ABC News/Washington Post polls, with the public expressing vast doubt that the authorities can prevent “lone wolf” terrorist attacks and a substantial sense that armed citizens can help.
Indeed, while the division is a close one, Americans by 47-42 percent think that encouraging more people to carry guns legally is a better response to terrorism than enacting stricter gun control laws. Divisions across groups are vast, underscoring the nation’s gulf on gun issues.
Now here’s another chart from the same Wall Street Journal article, which is even more compelling.
Although Democrats hate the NRA (the same group that supports Hillary for President despite admitting she’s untrustworthy), Independents show strong support. Why is this important? Because according to a recent Gallup poll, a record 43% of Americans identify as Independents.
From Gallup:
PRINCETON, N.J. — An average 43% of Americans identified politically as independents in 2014, establishing a new high in Gallup telephone poll trends back to 1988. In terms of national identification with the two major parties, Democrats continued to hold a modest edge over Republicans, 30% to 26%.
Since 2008, the percentage of political independents — those who identify as such before their leanings to the two major parties are taken into account — has steadily climbed from 35% to the current 43%, exceeding 40% each of the last four years. Prior to 2011, the high in independent identification was 39% in 1995 and 1999.
The recent rise in political independence has come at the expense of both parties, but more among Democrats than among Republicans. Over the last six years, Democratic identification has fallen from 36% — the highest in the last 25 years — to 30%. Meanwhile, Republican identification is down from 28% in 2008 to 26% last year.
Now here’s the chart. There’s a well defined bull market in Independent-identifying Americans:
Finally, let’s end this post with some excerpts from the Wall Street Journal article from which the previously highlighted charts were pulled:
When pollsters asked people three decades ago how they felt about the National Rifle Association, 27% said they strongly supported the gun lobby. By last month, that share had grown 38%, an 11-point increase. Meanwhile, the share that didn’t side with the NRA declined.
That is just one measure of the challenge that has forced President Barack Obama to sidestep Congress and put in place new gun regulations through executive action. Mr. Obama knows through hard experience that lawmakers have little appetite for passing tougher gun laws. Polling shows that skepticism is rooted among the broader public, as well.
So there you go. King Obama sees political trends he doesn’t like, knows that Congress can’t do anything about it because the public doesn’t want it to, so he does it by himself by executive decree.
As I noted on Twitter the other day:
Yeah, then this will flip once Trump is elected, and Obama supporters will suddenly discover the Constitution: pic.twitter.com/O6x0U8cA0B
— Michael Krieger (@LibertyBlitz) January 6, 2016
Now back to the WSJ:
By an 8-point, registered voters in the Journal/NBC survey last month said they were more concerned that the government would go too far in restricting gun rights than that it fail to do enough to regulate access to firearms. When adults were asked the same question in 1995, the greater fear was that access to firearms was too widespread.
But as Mr. Obama seeks any small patch of common ground, one of the most powerful forces he must deal with is skepticism of any new laws—even the widely backed expansion of background checks. A majority in Gallup polling said background checks would have little or no effect in reducing mass shootings. And a majority believed the country would be safer if more people carried concealed weapons—a finding in tune with the NRA’s contention that “the only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun.’’
While support for the NRA skews Republican, it is not exclusively Republican. Some 41% of political independents rate themselves as highly supportive of the gun lobby, more than twice the share that doesn’t support the group, December’s Wall Street Journal/NBC News survey found.
In July polling, the Journal/NBC survey found that 43% of the public had a positive image of the NRA and 32% a negative one—a more favorable view than the public held of the Supreme Court or either political party. By a 15-point margin, political independents, also viewed the NRA more positively than negatively.
“The gun lobby may be holding Congress hostage right now, but they cannot hold America hostage,’’ Mr. Obama said in announcing his new gun regulations. But in going up against the NRA, he is working against a force that is not only powerful but popular among many in the country.
Substitute “the American public” for “the gun lobby,” and you’ll find out what’s really irking King Barry.
For related articles, see:
New Gallup Poll – Americans Consider Government a Much Bigger Problem than Guns
A Majority of Americans Oppose “Assault Weapons Ban” – Highest Number on Record
How Obama is Using the Grossly Unconstitutional “No Fly List” to Push Gun Control
How to Spot a Hypocrite in the Gun Debate and Other Reflections on Newtown
ACLU: Gun Control Bill Threatens Privacy Rights and Civil Liberties
In Liberty,
Michael Krieger
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In the President’s last year in office here is what needs to be done. “Restoring America’s moral standing by closing Guantanamo Bay and prosecuting torturers and their bosses. President Obama has the authority to close Guantanamo Bay and transfer the remaining inmates to equally secure federal prison facilities. He has one last chance to keep his promise and do so. He must also direct his attorney general to prosecute CIA employees who tortured prisoners, their bosses, and the Bush administration appointees who enabled and led the torture program.”
Would be nice…
But check out the story of Obama secretly (media was fed a story about a secret meeting at the Clintons house… never happened) slipping into a Virginia Bilderberg Meeting (Obama even left his media plane on a runway in Washington without an explanation) to “kiss the ring” of the shadow power.
It happened… and when I found and confirmed the story (yes Bilderberg was in Virginia on that day… with the usual a media blackout) just after the election, I knew he was just like all the rest… and powerless to make affect meaningful change.
So Wall Street, and the Military Industrial Complex call the shots… and Mr Global does not want any of what you’re selling!
You are an Idiot….
Not sure where you get your facts but Congress passed a law that requires the President to get permission from Congress to transfer any prisoners out of Guantanamo. But of course since he does not believe in the Constitution, his oath of office, or following the law he does what he wants.
That’s the problem with a Muslim President who tells Blacks and Hispanics
what he is going to do for them and then they wind up the most negatively impacted groups economically under his Administration. You really need to read more.
Are you out of your flipping mind, Ricardo? Do you really want to put more potential suicide bombers and beheaders on American soil? What’s next after federal prison? Acquittal?
If el presidento would shut up about stupid things like “gun control”, “workplace violence”, and “climate change” and concentrate on important things like ISIS, Iranian nukes, North Korea, etc. maybe we could all rest a little easier and stop buying more guns.
I’m a life member of the NRA, and I’ve never had as many compliments about my lifer stickers on my truck as recently. Obama is convincing a LOT of people by his lies that it is time to own a gun… they KNOW it isn’t about hunting. They don’t trust him, and know he is plotting against us. It’s kind of obvious at this point… he’s not as good of a liar as he thinks he is.
I have a few NRA hats. Don’t Tread on Me and Free People Bear Arms and have had compliments on both. Interesting enough from young people. I wear them specifically to push back and if anyone confronts me I will simply say: “Don’t you find it interesting that the anti gun person is being the aggressor?” That ought to give them something to think about.
Yup… and the tens of $millions in propaganda, corruption of lawmakers, and a 30 year all out media blitz had nothing to do with the change…
All funded by the military industrial complex old Ike warned you about… you drank the Kool-aid, and now have > 30,000 dead Americans each year to celebrate.
But no worries please disregard the fact… that no other country in the world would sit back and ignore such carnage… let alone celebrate and defend the status quo to the death.
yeah,lets all sit back and let obamy do what he wants and see where your little rear end will end up if you don’t tow the “state” line.you will not have a chance in the future to spout your ignorance because your gun rights and most importantly free speech will be gone forever.
Its unfortunate that like so many anti gun folks you have no idea of the facts so let me give you a few. These are all verifiable with the FBI Statistics on gun violence. Gun violence in the US had been on the decline as firearm purchases have increased. 60% of firearm deaths are suicides and another 3% or so involve police shooting criminals. Of the remainder a small percentage of deaths are caused by rifles and this is why the FBI concluded the last assault weapons ban was ineffective. Every state that has enacted Make My Day Laws or Castle Domain Laws has seen a significant drop in home intrusions and burglaries, most mass shooters have some form of mental problem and most are in someway connected with the Democratic Party, I live in Colorado which has background checks for sales, transfers and gun shows. This did not stop any of the mass shooting that have occurred in this State. Obama lied when he said felons could buy guns online. If you buy a firearm online it has to be transferred to a licensed FFL dealer and their license has to be verified by the Company.
The firearm is shipped to them and the purchaser must pass a background check to pick up the firearm. Obama’s Executive Orders are meaningless and will have no impact whatsoever on crime. Very few weapons bought at gun shows are used in crimes.
On the application for a background check it states that lying on the form may result in a $250,000 fine and 5 or 10 years in prison (not sure of the exact amount or time line but they are significant). The FBI does NOT prosecute most of the folks lying. They simply deny them the weapon. Case to be made, enforce the laws you have before adding laws that don’t amount to anything but window dressing.
Last point is about people like yourself. You anti gun folks are lazy because you could do this research and come up with everything I just told you. But you choose to be confused by the facts, just ignore them because you don’t want the truth, and parrot everything you hear because you want to hear it that way. So my advice to you is instead of making a fool out of yourself, how about getting off your butt and looking for the truth.
Why Does The NRA Still Support NICS?
The NRA recently re-stated its longstanding support for the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), a program that was originally mandated by the Brady Bill in 1993.
In a statement directed at the North Carolina Sherriff Association last week, the NRA said:
“[North Carolina’s] antiquated and inefficient system has been in place for nearly a century and was enacted long before the age of computers and computerized records. Unfortunately, the [North Carolina Sherriff’s Association] has determined it would like to continue to use discretion to deny permits to purchase handguns, rather than simply use the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) utilized by the majority of other states.”
The NRA has publicly supported NICS for years, arguing it should be “improved” and “limited” rather than completely eradicated.
The reasons for this are almost certainly political. As The Truth About Guns pointed out recently, the NRA would take a serious hit with lawmakers and the public if it came out against any and all criminal background checks.
But this “compromise” approach gives the enemy a permanent foundation to expand gun control.
Just yesterday, New York Rep. Carolyn Maloney introduced a bill that would require anyone buying or selling firearms to undergo a NICS background check, and further require that every gun transfer be reported to the United States Attorney General.
Maloney’s bill has no chance of passing, but it won’t be the last. For as long as NICS is around, the anti-gun crowd will keep using it as a foundation for laws that limit our rights.
By continuing to publicly support an unconstitutional system, the NRA is playing with fire.
If you look at the application for a background check you will see about 10 categories that disqualify you from buying a firearm ie: judged mentally ill, felon, restraining orders, illegal immigrants, non US Citizen, etc. I think if you go down the list you would agree with all the disqualifications. Information in that system is suppose to be destroyed after the application is approved ( not sure if within 24, 48 or 72 hours but retention time is short). Information is not suppose to be shared with other Government Agencies and is not to be used as a registration for firearms. So you might argue it violates “uninfringed” but the truth of the matter is we have a good many laws that infringe one way or the other on firearm ownership. I believe the NRA is concerned with safe ownership of firearms and that is why they support the system.
Forget the polls. Just count the number of firearms sold during the Obama Administration which holds the all time record. By the time he is out of office he will have sold over 100 million firearms. Those are the real polls about how people feel.
Yes, we need guns to protect us from the taxpayer funded mind-control programs. Otherwise we will be perpetually locked into these government sponsored torture programs with no accountability and no responsibility. Praise to the ACLU for trying to protect our rights. In this case the 4th amendment to keep the intelligence gathering pedophiles out of our homes.
Obomba believes it is safer without guns. Why then does he not surround himself with unarmed school teachers, instead of, armed to the teeth guards. I bet that Banks don’t believe in being unarmed, but I guess Obomba thinks money is more valuable than children’s lives.
Well well a new Forrum room not quite cloaked! I’ve decided to offer my services to Predident Elect Trump…