The NRA Is so Toxic that Their Support Could Lose Elections for Republicans

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Last updated on February 8th, 2013 at 05:47 pm

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According to a new PPP poll, the NRA’s position on gun control has become so toxic that voters view NRA support as a reason not to support a candidate

The latest PPP survey, found that 39% say they would be less likely to vote for a candidate who had the NRA’s support to just 26% who say they’d be more likely to, with 32% saying it wouldn’t influence them one way or the other. Among independents 41% consider an NRA endorsement to be a turn off to 27% who say it’s a plus.”

The NRA strategy of trying to stop gun control through a combination of fearmongering and threats appears to be backfiring. Despite Wayne LaPierre’s best efforts to both misinform and frighten , 53% of voters support stricter gun laws, while 39% are opposed. This is the same result as last month’s 53%/40% split. Fifty one percent of voters support an assault weapons ban. Forty two percent oppose. Surprisingly, 26% of Republican support banning assault weapons. It seems tht the impact of the Newtown shooting is stronger than the NRA’s propaganda push back.

These numbers suggest that the once coveted NRA endorsement may become a political liability in future elections. Candidates could actually lose elections because the NRA supported them. Judging from the fact that the NRA lost $17 million backing losing candidates demonstrates that their money doesn’t go as far as it used to either. (The NRA managed to lose $3.4 million on six Republicans Senate candidates who all lost, and they flushed another $11.7 million down the drain supporting Mitt Romney.)

For the last 20 years, 83% of the NRA’s political donations went to Republicans. In 2012, the NRA got even more partisan by making 89% of their donations to Republicans. The NRA may still be effective in red state congressional districts where their membership is high, but much like the Republican Party, the organization is marginalizing itself by taking positions that are out of step with the nation as a whole. (The political pitfalls that come with an NRA endorsement should give the few Democrats that the organization supports cause for concern.)

Wayne LaPierre’s increasingly crazed television appearances are hurting the NRA. The gun lobby has tried every trick in the book to try to beat back the popular tide of gun control, but instead of halting the pro-gun control cause, the NRA may be destroying itself.

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