LUNCHTIME POLITICS: Gun Laws – NRA – Obama – More Post-Debate Numbers

 

 


Your Daily Polling Update for Thursday, August 8 *

TRUMP JOB APPROVAL: AVERAGE 45%

Up 1 from yesterday

RON’S COMMENT: Today’s average is based on four polls, ranging from 43% (Reuters) to 47% (Rasmussen). Without these two extremes, it would still be 45%…. President Trump’s disapproval rating averages 52% today (-3 since yesterday), which is 7 points higher than his approval rating.

NATIONAL: DEMOCRATIC NOMINATION

Among Democratic primary voters nationwide

Joe Biden: 25%
Elizabeth Warren: 18%
Bernie Sanders: 13%
Kamala Harris: 8%
Pete Buttigieg: 7%
Tulsi Gabbard: 3%
Beto O’Rourke: 2%
Cory Booker: 2%
Andrew Yang: 2%
Candidates with 1% or less not listed

RON’S COMMENT: This new post-debate poll taken for The Economist by YouGov has Biden in first place and Warren in second place. Since last week’s poll, the biggest loser is Harris, down 3 points. The only gainers are Gabbard +1 and Buttigieg +1. Among African Americans, this poll shows Biden topping the field with 33%. He’s followed by Warren at 13%, Sanders at 10%, Harris at 7%, Buttigieg at 4%, Booker at 3% and O’Rourke at 3%.

GUNS

Among voters nationwide

Do you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion of the NRA?

Very favorable: 23%
Somewhat favorable: 17%
Somewhat unfavorable: 11%
Very unfavorable: 39%

RON’S COMMENT: In terms of total favorability (very + somewhat), the NRA is 40% favorable and 50% unfavorable. The NRA does better with men (45%) than women (35%). It also does much better with Republicans (72%) than Democrats (17%) or independents (40%).

Which is more important?

The right of people to own guns: 18%
Protecting people from gun violence 37%
Both are equally important: 43%

In general, do you feel the laws covering the sale of handguns should be made more strict than they are now?

Make gun laws more strict: 59%
No change: 26%
Make gun laws less strict: 10%

RON’S COMMENT: 59% of voters want more strict laws covering the sale of handguns. It’s 80% among Democrats, 49% among independents and 35% among Republicans.

Do you think new gun laws or just better enforcement of current gun control laws would have prevented the El Paso shooting?

New gun control laws: 37%
Better enforcement of current gun control laws: 39%
Not sure: 24%

RON’S COMMENT: Voters are almost evenly split as to whether new gun laws or better enforcement of existing laws would have prevented the El Paso shootings. Of course, the premise of this question is that gun laws would have prevented the shootings, a proposition with which some voters may disagree.

BARACK OBAMA

Among voters nationwide

Do you have a favorable or an unfavorable opinion of Barack Obama?

Favorable: 55%
Unfavorable: 42%

RON’S COMMENT: 86% of Democrats, 89% of Democratic primary voters, 46% of independents and 16% of Republicans have favorable feelings toward former Pres. Obama.

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SOURCES
Presidential job rating average based on recent nationwide polls.
NATIONAL DEMOCRATIC NOMINATION, GUNS, OBAMA: The Economist/YouGov, Aug. 3-6

When poll results add up to more than 100%, it is usually due to rounding.
L = Libertarian candidate
G = Green Party candidate
Ind = independent candidate
O = Other candidate(s)
D poll = conducted by or for organizations generally associated with Democrats.
R poll = conducted by or for organizations generally associated with Republicans.

Lunchtime Politics is owned and published by Ron Faucheux. For interviews or speeches about polling and political trends, contact Dr. Faucheux at rfaucheux@aol.com.

The publisher of this report cannot attest to the reliability or methodology of surveys that it does not conduct.

Copyright 2019 Ronald A. Faucheux


 

Ron Faucheux
rfaucheux@certusinsights.com

Dr. Faucheux is a nationally respected public opinion analyst with a unique background in public policy and legislative research, public communications and message strategies. He combines professional competence with pragmatic problem solving skills.