It’s no secret that gun owners are a significant voting block in national elections. After all, there is a reason that anti-gunner politicians and the mainstream media hate the NRA: the NRA is (accurately or not) seen by many as the face of political activism by gun owners in America. That anti-gunner politicians and the mainstream media hate the NRA so much says a lot about how much political sway gun owners have a group have in elections.
But it’s not just the most prominent anti-gunners who have noticed the political clout that gun owners have. Those who study politics have noticed it, too. A University of Kansas political science professor recently wrote a piece for the Oxford University Press’s website stating that he believed the gun owners may be the deciding block of voters in the 2020 election. That professor, Mark R. Joslyn, writes,
In 2000, the Democrat Party Platform celebrated Al Gore’s record of standing up to the NRA, the legislative successes of the Clinton administration, namely the Brady Bill and the Assault Weapons Ban, and called for mandatory gun locks and a host of federal programs regulating gun purchases.
Al Gore lost. Democrat leaders attributed the loss in part to gun owners support for George W. Bush, especially in states Gore was defeated including his home state of Tennessee. Public opinion surveys showed Bush won a historically large share of the gun owners vote – 66%, only Bush senior in 1988 attracted a greater proportion – 68%. To win elections, centrists Democratic strategists, concluded “Democrats need to reason with gun owners rather than insult them.”
Gun owners have long been a reliable GOP voting bloc. The General Social Surveys demonstrate that in 10 of the last 12 presidential elections, a majority of gun owners supported Republican candidates. Even when the nation supported a Democrat, gun owners typically remained loyal to Republicans. And in 2016, Donald Trump garnered over 60% of gun owners, which was the largest share since Bush in 2004. In the 2018 midterms, 61% of gun owners voted for Republican candidates compared to just 26% of non-owners, a 35-point gap.
This is not a small or insignificant political group. Opinion surveys estimate a third to 40% of households have a gun. That percentage increases notably among the all-important rural voting population. Moreover, in several key swing states gun owners comprise a substantial proportion of voters, including Minnesota, Pennsylvania, Florida, Michigan, and Wisconsin. As Democrats remember, in a tight election, gun owners’ vote can be decisive.
Joslyn continues,
Which party prevails [in November] may turn on whether swing state gunowners believe the factory worker [who confronted Joe Biden about his support for gun control] or Joe Biden [who says that he supports gun ownership with gun control].
We’ll have to see what happens in November, but one thing is clear to me, Biden, with his support of expanded gun control, won’t get my vote. Period.
We need to have 80% voting for pro second amendment candidates, not just 60%…
Brad – nope = we need 100% voter turnout of pro 2A folks – there are (at least) 80 MILLION of us – if we vote as a solid block there is no candidate that we cannot elect – or reject. Same applies at all levels of government. Key is turnout plain and simple – staying home based on ‘principles’ is what created the debacle that is going on in Virginia (among other places).
There is NOT one Democrat in Congress or state governor seat that care about FREEDOM AND LIBERTY! You people who are aganist guns need to move into the city for one years! There are MAYOR who push for guns control and IT NOT STOPPING ANY CRIMINAL FROM DOING HARM TO OTHER! You want the truth about it? Just sit down and think about what or how this came about. These POLITICAN are NOT INTELLIGENT ENOUGH AND NEITHER ARE THESE MOM DEMAND GUNS CONTROL! JUST PLAN STUPIDITY! Reason I said that ,you can go all the way to the years there was a RISING IN GUNS VOILENT. You can see how it all got STARTED. You ready? It all started when THESE POLITICAN WOULD NOT ENFORCE THE LAWS AT THE BORDER! It true! What came across and people started using it? DRUGS! Right in California was the beginning! So what happened NEXT? People who were selling it, need to keep the MONEY IN THEIR POCKET! Lot of them could not go to police or stand up for to other DEALER! So GUNS CAME AS A WAY TO FIX THE PROBLEM! Then GANGS WHERE FORM. Somebody get a couple of guys to beat up or kill the other seller. Or those who were working for him or her. You can say what you want but I bet there are POLITICAN who are also drugs user or pusher. So to protect themselves they had to remove guns from other people. Get the picture? Even HUNTING WAS AGANIST THEIR RULES! Another thing you don’t know is this. WE MIGHT HAVE A MILITARY FORCE. BUT IT NOT the reason why no other countries has INVADED AMERICA. Like the Japanese leader said during World War two. It would be a BAD IDEA TO INVASION AMERICA. BECAUSE EVERY HOUSEHOLD HAD A GUNS FOR PROTECT
Biden’s exchange with the factory worker was recorded, so we’re not just “believing the factory worker”. Biden clearly told the factory worker that he was “full of shit”, and asked him if he wanted to “take it outside”. The conversation that Biden had in “Whataburger” was also recorded, which is what the factory worker was referring to. Evidently, Biden doesn’t like being reminded of the truth of what he’s said in the past. Or the present. Biden also bragged on camera about extorting the President of Ukraine to fire the prosecutor that was investigating his son, and then lying about it later — along with the MSM trying their best to cover it up — make it impossible for me to ever vote for him (and have a clear conscience about it), or ever believe the MSM about anything that they say about anything. They’ve proven that they can’t be trusted any more than Joe Biden can.
We know the reason we need guns. It’s simple.
DEMOCRATS.
Men will never be free until the last Democrat is strangled with the entrails of the last Communist
I’m a Proud One Issue Voter. That issue is the 2nd Amendment. A candidates stance, statement and support for the 2nd will get my vote. That’s how I’ve voted for 40+ years.
BB – not a bad way to start looking at a candidate’s values at all. Look at it this way – if they are wrong on 2A issues – which other Amendments are they willing to compromise?
Me too! Thanks!
I certainly hope that gun owners and those that believe in the Constitution are a majority of voters against the gun-grabbers and Communist”s …
Me neither.
If you don’t support the Second Amendment, or any other part of the Constitution, you will NEVER get my vote! Sorry Joe.
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