Republicans Losing Support from Sportsmen (conservation cited as chief reason)

[draft_mario_cuomo]

==June 07, 2007
Republicans Losing Support from Sportsmen
A new poll of registered hunters and anglers found that sportsmen voted for President Bush over John Kerry by more than a 2-to-1 margin in 2004. However, in 2006 the poll found that two parties tied for their support -- Republicans took 36% and Democrats got 35%.

Key finding: The biggest reason Republican sportsmen voted Democratic in 2006 was because of the "conservation platform of a specific candidate." Conversely, Democratic sportsmen who supported Republicans cited guns rights as their main reason. Overall, sportsmen told pollsters that they were looking for pro-gun, pro-conservation candidates.==

http://politicalwire.com/archives/2007/06/07/republicans_losing_support_from_sportsmen.html

[SteveM]

1. This result is heatening. Keep in mind hunters are only 20% of gun owners.

[IA_Seth]

2. Pro-Gun, Pro-Conservation.

Do we have any?

I am one of these Democrats. I'd be hesitant to claim the label "pro gun" due to the stigma that brings, but I am an avid hunter and not-as-avid shooter and agree that overall I try to look for a gun-friendly conservationist as my candidate.

I think their are lots of Dems like me in the midwest/south.

[Solon]

4. I'm a pro-gun enviromentalist and a Socialist...

Generally speaking, I don't really care about the gun issue, outside of what laws are already in place, I don't really think more such laws are needed. I feel that the biggest purveyor of violence in our society is the fact that our safety net is full of holes, big ones, leading to desperation, violence, and crime. Maybe I should run on that platform, though I think I'll try to avoid the "Socialist" label.

[madrchsod]

3. i`vie heard big ed hammer the administration over this issue

any real sportsman that votes for any of these clowns should be ashamed

[benEzra]

5. I'd say at least as big a reason is the renaissance of pro-gun Dems...

like Webb, Tester, Casey, Strickland, Reid, etc.; Howard Dean's statements since 2004 that there should be no new Federal gun bans, and that the issue should be settled at the state level; and the fact that the "assault weapon" bait-and-switch is dying a well-deserved death.

Only 1 in 5 gun owners is a hunter; it was primarily the backlash against the Feinstein ban by nonhunting gun owners (and by hunters who also own nonhunting guns) that was such a big factor in the 1994 loss of the House and Senate, and that hurt Gore so badly on the issue in '00 and Kerry in '04. Dropping the "gun rights for hunters only" meme after the '04 loss opened the way for the gains by pro-gun Dems in '06, IMHO.

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Dems and the Gun Issue - Now What? (written in '04, largely vindicated in '06, IMO)