Gun Control Off the Voter Radar

In this profile of planned gun control group election spending, there’s a key nugget of information quite relevant for the gun control crowd:

The subject barely registers in polling that shows voters far more focused on the economy and terrorism. This week’s Associated Press-GfK poll showed less than 1 percent of likely voters named guns as the nation’s top issue — a view that many House and Senate contests reflect.

It’s not completely surprising given headlines that make it appear like the new normal includes workplace beheadings and organ-liquifying diseases around the country.

That said, that also means our people also aren’t that engaged on the political front, or they are more motivated by other issues than guns. If something else is pissing them off to get engaged for our candidates, that’s still great. Though, if that description fits you, make sure campaigns and politicians know that you’re also motivated by gun rights. Telling a campaign coordinator that you’re motivated by Second Amendment issues goes much father than telling a pollster.

8 thoughts on “Gun Control Off the Voter Radar”

  1. This news can be taken in two different ways. On one hand, voters don’t seem to be concerned for gun control and we all know that the anti-gunners always lose in the enthusiasm column compared to us. So not only is their base notorious for being fickle midterm voters but they aren’t getting the ears of the massive piece of the electorate that will get anything done for them.

    However, the biggest concern to have with this is that it may result in us own-goaling ourselves in a few races. Sure, the anticipated wave that is coming next month will benefit the party that generally supports gun rights, which is great, but with voters focused elsewhere an anti-gun candidate can possibly be elected via other issues. A good example of this is Tom Wolf, who indicates support for NY-style gun control here in PA but will get elected on nearly every issue but guns, and will surely win the votes of many gun owners. Thankfully though this should be an atypical result based on polls right now.

  2. I wonder how much of that 1% the pollster quoted are our people, too…

  3. Gun Control may be a loser and that is good. However gun rights are very much on the radar this 2014 elections. Malloy, Hickenlooper and Udall are slated to fall and a good parts of that is the gun control measures they instigated or supported.

    Tom Wolf is slated to win. Why? because the Governor though supports gun rights has not been a good and effective governor or campaigner. Plus a good portion of the Pa legislature are Democrats. PA really is purple state.

    My regret is Hagen who voted for Manchin Toomey is going to survive. I wanted every Senator who voted against gun rights in a red state to go down as a message.

    Gun rights are also a thorn in DC councils side. The entire council is against people having guns or right to carry and are being brought along kicking and screaming.

    I hope that Scullin will go with a injunction and refuse the emergency bill the council voted on. If that happens and there is not enough time to get a good mechanism for carry permits in DC then it will go no permit by default on 10/22.

    DC Council may have screwed themselves by refusing a reasonable mechanism to allow carry. The have asked the Court ( same judge Scullin ) to change his mind because they don’t like his judgement. They have until 10/17 to file their petition and the stay is only active until 10/22.

    1. The voter backlash in CO has been a pleasure to watch from afar. Two state Senators recalled, another forced to resign to avoid a recall, and now hopefully the booting of both an incumbent Governor and Senator who rather take calls from Obama and Bloomberg than their own constituents.

      CO sends a message to the antis that so-called “purple” states may not be as purple as they think. How a state goes in the electoral college due to a few urban areas does not tell the whole story.

      The I-594/591 referendum in WA is another battle I’m watching closely. If I-594 goes down in flames, it not only embarrasses Bloomberg, Gates, etc., but sinks the antis’ credibility when they throw around the “90% of people want universal background checks” figure since this is being voted on by the people and not “NRA-bought politicians”.

      Tom Wolf is going to win because Corbett pissed off too many key groups of voters. PA might be pro-gun but it’s also bought and paid for by unions. When you piss off PSU alumni and teachers you lost about half of the state right off the bat. Hopefully the state legislature relegates Wolf to a bully pulpit if he decides to go all-in for Bloomberg.

  4. If he didn’t have a reasonably safe seat and a weak Democratic opponent, I’d bet our 8th District Republican congressthing Mike Fitzpartick would be kicking himself for allowing Americans for Responsible Solutions to run their anti-gun TV ads on his behalf.

    Tactically I’m hoping for Fitzpatrick to lose. While his opponent, Strouse, may be marginally “worse” on gun rights issues, we could spend the next two years reminding the Republican Party (and some Democrats) that the loss was a result of those anti-gun campaign ads losing more votes for him than they gained.

  5. The time to teach candidates not to conspire with the anti gun rights crowd is in the primaries. If your congresscritter is anti gun, teach him well why he is wrong. Get him to a range. Allow him to enjoy guns. Give him examples how guns save lives.

    Democrats are usually anti gun.It is part of the liberal doctrine. In the past 10 years , gun rights have got bi partisan so both Democrats and Republicans can be pro gun.

    1. “teach him well why he is wrong. Get him to a range. Allow him to enjoy guns. Give him examples how guns save lives.”

      Been there, done that.

      Primaries? What if your congressthing is such a part of a machine that there are never any challengers, and if once in a blue moon there is, he/she doesn’t stand one chance in hell? What if your district party is all about power and patronage, and ideology is nothing but a rhetorical tool and sick joke?

      Your suggestion would be really cool for say, Wyoming.

      I’m sorry for being snarky, but you seem to be preaching from someone’s middle school civics book crossed with the Boy Scout Handbook.

  6. Well next time if no decent candidates appear, you can run yourself. Or find one yourself and convince them to run. Help organize fundraising. I know it is not easy. It is matter how much you care.

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