Polls Show Majority of Americans View NRA Favorably, Don’t Want New Gun Controls, and Recognize Right-to-Carry Makes Us Safer

Polls Show Majority of Americans View NRA 
Favorably, Don’t Want New Gun Controls, and Recognize Right-to-Carry Makes Us Safer

 

Earlier this month, we brought attention to Hillary Clinton’s recent comments about how the U.S. 

Supreme Court was wrong in recognizing that the Second Amendment protects an individual right 

to keep and bear arms, and just how wildly of step her view is with that of the American people. 

Polling data released this week from Gallup and ORC International/CNN further underscores the 

chasm between Clinton’s anti-gun rhetoric and the views of most Americans.

During the October 13 Democratic presidential debate, Hillary Clinton proudly declared the NRA 

as one of the political enemies she is most proud of. A Gallup poll conducted October 7-11 asked

 “Is your overall opinion of the National Rifle Association very favorable, mostly favorable, mostly 

unfavorable or very unfavorable?” Repudiating Clinton’s radical answer, 58-percent of those polled 

had a favorable opinion of NRA.

Moreover, in a piece accompanying the results, Gallup notes that the recent data shows “the highest 

recording of ‘very favorable’ opinions (26%) since Gallup began asking this question in 1989.” 

Broken down further, 56-percent of self-described political “moderates” had a favorable opinion 

of NRA. Among the non-gun owners polled, more held a favorable view of NRA than an unfavorable

view. Recent measures of Clinton’s overall favorability, and that of her party, are significantly 

lower.

As for the overall state of the American public’s willingness to embrace new gun controls, those

 numbers aren’t encouraging for the candidate either. An ORC International/CNN poll conducted 

October 14-17 asked respondents “Do you favor or oppose stricter gun control laws?” 52-percent 

answered that they oppose stricter laws. One wonders how lopsided the results would have been if 

respondents were asked if they support a Clinton-endorsed gun confiscation scheme.

Last May, at the national conference of the National Council for Behavioral Health, Clinton targeted 

the Right-to-Carry during a question and answer session. Clinton remarked, “We’re way out of 

balance. I think that we’ve got to reign in what has become an almost article of faith that anybody 

can have a gun anywhere, anytime. And I don’t believe that is in the best interest of the vast majority 

of people.” Clinton went on to further proclaim the dangers of people “carrying guns in public places.”

October 7-11, Gallup asked respondents “Suppose more Americans were allowed to carry concealed 

weapons if they passed a background check and training course. If more Americans carried concealed 

weapons, would the United States be safer or less safe?” 56-percent of those polled responded that

 more people exercising their Right-to-Carry would make the country safer. Among independents, 

that total was 59-percent.

Sophisticated gun control supporters are aware of this political reality, and therefore try to obscure 

their true goal of civilian disarmament whenever possible. In recent days, at least one member of the 

anti-gun press, Paul Barrett of Bloomberg Businessweek, has taken issue with efficacy of Clinton’s

 direct attacks on NRA. Whatever Clinton’s current strategy might be, her position on the topic is 

now, and has been, abundantly clear and is fiercely at odds with the American people.

In the days since last week’s debate between candidates for the Democratic Party’s presidential 
nomination, some commentators have suggested that Americans have seen enough, that no 
additional Democrat debates are necessary. In one respect, those commentators are right. 
In just a few seconds during the debate, the two candidates who harbor the most extreme 
views on guns showed why they shouldn’t be entrusted with our country’s highest elected office.