Polls Plummet For Senators Who Voted No On Gun Background Checks

[kpete]

Source: Talking Points Memo

Polls Plummet For Senators Who Voted No On Gun Background Checks

Sen. Jeff Flake (R-AZ)
TOM KLUDT APRIL 29, 2013, 12:11 PM 2800
Anyone who doubted that senators could suffer political fallout for their opposition to expanding background checks on gun buyers may want to talk to Sen. Jeff Flake (R-AZ).

The Arizona Republican who took office in January was one of five senators whose popularity at home has declined in the wake of their votes against the gun bill, according to a survey released Monday from Democratic-leaning Public Policy Polling.http://www.publicpolicypolling.com/pdf/2011/PPP_Release_BackgroundChecks_429.pdf The measure, which was co-authored by Sens. Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Pat Toomey (R-PA), fizzled in the Senate earlier this month despite polls showing staggering public support for strengthening background checks.

The backlash appears to be the harshest for Flake, whose standing in Arizona cratered following his “no” vote on background checks. With an approval rating of 32 percent, Flake is already among the least popular senators in the country, according to PPP. Fifty-one percent of Arizona voters said they disapprove of Flake, while a majority of 52 percent said that his opposition to the gun legislation makes them less likely to vote for him in the future. Moreover, a plurality of 45 percent of Arizona voters said they trust Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), who was one of only four Republicans to support the measure, more than Flake on guns.

Flake’s vote drew even more scrutiny last week after the New York Daily News unearthed a letter he sent to the mother of a shooting victim in which he pledged to support stronger background checks.

Read more: http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2013/04/poll-backlash-senators-background-checks.php

[edhopper]

1. We can only hope

that being anti gun control has ramifications to some of these craven assholes.

[billh58]

2. This is really

going to cost the NRA, and their supporters, a few bucks. They will need to spend even more money to promote the wholesome image of guns in America, and of the politicians they have bought to do their bidding.

Don't forget, the mean old Democrats will take your gunz away, so vote for Wayne LaPierre and his hand-picked band of right-wingers. The gun manufacturers' will appreciate it ever so much...

[Auggie]

3. Will people remember at the next election ...

or will their heads be spinning from the usual onslaught of "non-issue" propaganda?

[sofa king]

5. "That's the beauty of a six-year term," quipped Flake.

He's quoted in that article above as saying that. What he's effectively saying is, "f%&* you Arizonans, I know you'll forget by 2018." Sadly, he is probably correct.

But I am equally sure that our database-creators here will file this one away for future use. So the voters may forget for awhile, but you can bet your ass that they will also be reminded.

[NewJeffCT]

7. Yup

he's basically saying "fuck you" to the voters, you won't remember this vote in 5 years and I'll have had time to raise a zillion dollars from the NRA, Koch, Scaife, etc..

[hrmjustin]

4. Hopefully people remember this at the next election.

[frylock]

6. reap the whirlwind

[DallasNE]

8. Talking Out Of Both Sides Of His Mouth

Is an extra burden for Flake. Telling a mother that lost her son to gun violence in the Aurora massacre that he agreed with her on background checks then voting for the filibuster was a bridge too far. This talking out of both sides of his mouth will follow him around for a long time as a character issue.

[progressoid]

9. I wonder how people will view this at election time.

Or will Kim Kardashian be getting married again and confuse them.

[mountain grammy]

10. Opps, I'm starting to believe in Americans again.

[rurallib]

11. maybe we can finally get rid of that fucking Grassley.

[lady lib]

12. I voted in that poll.

Happy to do so and very glad, shocked really, that a majority of my fellow Arizonans agreed with me.

[bobclark86]

13. Excuse me, but...

Where's the methodology of the survey?

Anybody NOT a left-leaning group put this sort of survey on?

What about the OTHER 40 senators who voted no? Do we have figures on those (were they done and were unfavorable for the pollsters' purposes, or were the pollsters cheap/lazy?)

Care to explain why Andrew Cuomo's approval rating tanked after the SAFE Act was passed?

...and I'll be called an NRA operative or a Republican in 3...2...1...

And I'll fire back now, as I don't have the time to screw around later downthread:
1) I'm not a Republican. I've made it pretty simple to figure out who I am, and a call to the appropriate county elections board will show I'm a registered Democrat.
2) I'm not an NRA member. Call the NRA.
3) I said the same thing about similar polls which showed Romney was winning after the first debate last year.
4) I like Andrew Cuomo and voted for him. I was upset my Senate and Assembly districts are straight Republican and voted against the SAFE Act. The only part of the SAFE Act I don't support is the "7 in 10" rule for magazines... either make the ban 7 or 10, don't say "you can have 10, but you'll get slapped on the wrist if you put in 10." I like universal background checks (even though the "gun show loophole" closed in NY something like a decade or two ago). I'm alright with an AWB (my views on this have changed in the past year... I used to think it was completely pointless, now I think it's completely pointless, but I'm OK with not making it easy for shitheads like Adam Lanza). I don't mind having people re-up their pistol permits. (Figure out who I am, and you can find a local newspaper editorial I wrote when the act was passed voicing this opinion.)

[billh58]

14. I give up.

Is that you Elvis...?