This will be short, and I'm surprised I couldn't find this here (maybe I missed it). If so, it's good news and perhaps worth repeating. But some news out of the Houston Chronicle shows polling indicating that the NRA's endorsement of a candidate will now do more harm than good.
It's already been shown that "more gun control equals lost elections" is a myth. I look forward to the day when the NRA is properly understood, not as a prized endorsement, but for the pestilent blight that it is.
According to a poll done by Democratic pollster Public Policy Polling, 39 percent of Americans say they are less likely to vote for a candidate who is endorsed by the NRA. Among independent voters, 41 percent say that they would be deterred from voting for an NRA supported candidate.
On the flip side, 26 percent say an NRA endorsement would increase their likelihood to vote for a candidate, and 32 percent say it would have no effect.
It's no majority by itself, but the net effect is negative, with an impressively negative effect on independents -- the ones we're often told will turn on Democrats who vote for gun control legislation.
I also found a related article on the PPP site.
In general 53% of voters say they support stricter gun laws in the country to 39% who are opposed to them. Those numbers are basically identical to a 53/40 spread a month ago, suggesting that the desire for stronger legislation has not died down as Newtown gradually fades from voters' minds. On the specific issue of an assault weapons ban 51% of voters are supportive to 42% who are opposed. It has support from a solid majority of Democrats, as well as 26% of Republicans.
Queue up the broken records spouting the
argumentum ad Bill Clinton, natch. But the pile of data disputing his conventional wisdom keeps on growing. It doesn't hurt -- well, the rest of us -- that Wayne LaPierre continues to make the rounds shooting himself in the foot.
I object to the Detroit Free Press referring to LaPierre as a moonbat, though.
9:12 AM PT: http://thinkprogress.org/...
I see now that if I'd kept looking, I would have found this related article on ThinkProgress from last night.
"This information serves to bust the myth that the NRA is an all-powerful lobbying group that dictates political outcomes."
The links in their article are worth a look; I used some of them when I wrote about that busted myth here.