Alphecca, by Jeff Soyer

Polls

World News and PollsJeff Soyer on 31 May 2013 08:31 am

I’m seeing this poll being touted around:

The United Kingdom is often held up as a successful example of gun control by those on the left. But a recent poll by the Daily Telegraph, one of England’s most widely-read publications, shows Britons themselves are far from sold on the laws.

In a poll asking readers what laws they would like to see introduced or changed, an overwhelming number of voters chose “repeal the ban on hand guns and re-open shooting clubs.”

Just one problem: It was a completely unscientific poll that simply asked readers to vote. There was no “randomness” in selecting who would vote, such as is done when legit pollsters randomly dial phone numbers.

Yes, 85% of the Telegraph readers who decided on their own to vote and for what, want the handgun ban repealed. That would be about as scientific as my putting up a poll and asking you readers if you support a ban on handguns in the U.S.

PollsJeff Soyer on 30 May 2013 08:59 am

New Poll: 62% of Americans to Congress: Drop Gun Control From “To Do” List

From Reason:

President Barack Obama has vowed to keep pushing for new gun control measures and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said the failed gun vote in the Senate was “just the beginning.” However, the latest Reason-Rupe national poll finds just 33 percent of Americans feel the “Senate should debate and vote on gun control legislation again,” while 62 percent want the Senate to “move on to other issues.”

More details at the link.

PollsJeff Soyer on 21 May 2013 10:10 am

Of the Idiots, By the Idiots, For the Idiots

That’s the only conclusion you can reach from reading this poll. Obama’s job approval rating is still at 51%. Then you scroll down and on individual items a different tale is told. And, this poll favored Democrats by 11 points.

PollsJeff Soyer on 02 May 2013 09:18 am

Poll: Almost 1/3 of Americans Think “Armed Revolution” Coming Soon

From United Press International:

The survey measures public attitudes toward guns and gun issues. It found that 29 percent of Americans agree with the statement, “In the next few years, an armed revolution might be necessary in order to protect our liberties.” Five percent were “unsure” about that statement.

Eighteen percent of Democrats said an armed revolt “might be necessary,” as compared to 27 percent of independents and 44 percent of Republicans. Support levels were higher among less educated voters, but similar along gender lines.

It turns out a full quarter of Americans believe the Newtown shooting was a so-called “false flag” operation orchestrated by the government to push stricter gun control.

Gee, why would the average American NOT trust the U.S. government?

As for a revolution coming . . . I’ll head South to Texas or West to Montana. Just anything I can throw in the back of my car, plus the cat.

PollsJeff Soyer on 24 Apr 2013 09:21 am

Poll: Not So Much Anger Over Gun Control Bill Defeat

Polls a few weeks ago claimed that 90% of the American public supported the Senate “expanded background checks” bill. Now that it’s been defeated, 39% are relieved that it was. It was probably the high information voters:

And, among those who said they were “very closely” keeping tabs on the vote, the split was even closer; 48 percent said they were angry/disappointed while 47 percent were relieved or happy. (That piece of data is indicative of the passion gap on the issue between those supporting gun rights and those pushing for more restrictions.)

BTW, This was a Washington Post/Pew Research Center poll.

PollsJeff Soyer on 23 Apr 2013 06:11 am

New Poll Shows Support For Gun Control Slipping

A new USA Today poll has support below 50%:

Americans are more narrowly divided on the issue than in recent months, and backing for a bill has slipped below 50%, the poll finds. By 49%-45%, those surveyed favor Congress passing a new gun-control law. In an NBC/Wall Street Journal poll in early April, 55% had backed a stricter gun law, which was down from 61% in February.

That number will continue to drop if we on the side of rights can get the message out that nothing will stop crazy people from doing insane things.

PollsJeff Soyer on 16 Apr 2013 07:15 pm

New Gallup Poll: Americans Don’t Care Much About Gun Control

Well, let me clarify that lede: They care about gun control FAR LESS than they do about the economy. From Gallup:

Few Americans mention guns or immigration as the most important problems facing the nation today, despite the current attention lawmakers in Washington are giving to these issues. The economy still dominates as the top concern, followed by jobs and dissatisfaction with the general way in which Congress and the government work.

The poll results for the last three months tell the tale. The numbers haven’t moved much over that time span so let’s use the April numbers taken so far. The poll asked: “What do you think is the most important problem facing this country today?”

Economy in general: 24% (this was the top vote-getter.)
Unemployment/jobs: 18%
Dissatisfaction with government: 16%
.
.
.
.
Guns/gun control: 4%

You know; Bill Clinton or his advisers were right about one thing: “It’s the economy, stupid.”

Every few months, whirligig Obama states that he is going to “pivot” to jobs and the economy. We’ve all seen the fantastic results thus far. Unemployment is still almost double what it was when he first took office. One-in-seven people in this country receive food stamps.

How’s that hopey-changy stuff workin’ out for ya’?

To quote Ronald Reagan, “Are you better off today than you were . . .”

PollsJeff Soyer on 09 Apr 2013 05:05 am

Nationwide Poll of Cops: “No” to More Gun Control

Policeone.com conducted a survey of law enforcement officers. 70% of the respondents are not the desk jockeys of the National Association of Police Chiefs, but of real, street-level cops. They wanted to know what these beat cops think of the huge push for gun control now being debated in Congress and in state houses around the nation. Here are some of the results:

1. Virtually all respondents (95 percent) say that a federal ban on manufacture and sale of ammunition magazines that hold more than 10 rounds would not reduce violent crime.

2. The majority of respondents — 71 percent — say a federal ban on the manufacture and sale of some semi-automatics would have no effect on reducing violent crime.

3. About 85 percent of officers say the passage of the White House’s currently proposed legislation would have a zero or negative effect on their safety . . .

[ . . . ]

6. The overwhelming majority (almost 90 percent) of officers believe that casualties would be decreased if armed citizens were present at the onset of an active-shooter incident.

Much more at the link. And keep in mind that these opinions are from those on the front lines of fighting crime and responding to violent situations such as school shootings. BTW: 80% support the NRA’s position that there should be an armed teacher, administrator, or security officer in schools.

NYC Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly: Call your office!

PollsJeff Soyer on 23 Mar 2013 05:49 am

The Difficulty of Counting Gun Owners

The Wall Street Journal must have read a recent post of mine. In an article yesterday, the difficulty of polling gun owners is discussed:

Some surveys suggest only 50 million Americans own guns. Others, depending on how they are interpreted, point to a number closer to 90 million. The National Rifle Association puts the total at 100 million. Household estimates are similarly varied.

Some surveys show ownership rates declining, but whether that’s simply because Americans have become less likely to tell strangers they own guns is “an open question,” said Arthur Kellermann, a policy analyst at the think tank RAND Corporation.

Another, related article is here.

In my own post (from March 11th) I said:

Maybe. Or maybe a lot of folks, have — over the years — realized that the day would come when the government might want to take those guns away from them, so they don’t admit to owning any. Even G.W, Bush endorsed renewing the AWB.

In a “random” poll, supposedly anonymous, your phone number is still recorded.

I can tell you that if some stranger called me on the phone and asked if I owned firearms, I’d deny it. Anyone can claim to be taking a poll: The government, a burglar (but I repeat myself), the local cops seeing if you own one and comparing that to their list of permit holders. . . .

I’m a one-man ‘think-tank’.

PollsJeff Soyer on 13 Mar 2013 06:08 am

Guns In Homes: NY Times vs ABC

This is why polls have to be taken with a grain of salt. Remember my Monday post about a NY Times poll stating that the percent of homes with a gun in it had dropped to a near low of 34%? A new ABC News poll claims it’s 42%. And, unlike the NY Times yearly poll, the ABC one says that percentage has remained steady for the last 14-years:

The prevalence of guns is one factor in these views; 42 percent of adults in this survey, produced for ABC by Langer Research Associates, report that they or someone in their house owns a gun, essentially steady in ABC/Post polls since 1999. (It’s ranged from 41 to 46 percent, averaging 43 percent in a dozen surveys.)

As I said Monday, I suspect that the real percentage is higher. Most people I know would never admit to having guns in their homes to a stranger on the phone.

Note to visitors from Facebook: Facebook has blocked my account. Someone claimed that I’m not Jeff Soyer. see this post for details and help me fight back.

PollsJeff Soyer on 04 Feb 2013 07:08 am

NV: Confusing Poll Results

They’re confused in Nevada. Or are they? Here’s the first paragraph from 8 News Now:

A majority of Nevadans say it is more important to protect the right of Americans to own any gun they desire than to control gun ownership but a larger majority favor a nationwide ban on military-style semi-automatic weapons, according to an 8 News Now poll released Monday.

Turns out that men and Republicans believe in the right to own any gun. Women and Democrats favor a ban on so-called “assault weapons.”

Especially scary was that 71% of those polled favored state-wide gun registration.

The demographics of those polled is given at the end. The very last sentence of the story reveals the reason for the conflicting results:

The political party affiliation was 40 percent Democrat, 31 percent independent and 29 percent Republican.

Talk about under-sampling Republicans! You can make a poll show almost anything that fits your agenda.

PollsJeff Soyer on 14 Jan 2013 07:40 am

Poll: Despite Media, Majority Satisfied With Gun Laws

There’s been a large uptick in the number of people (polled) who favor increased gun control laws. That’s not surprising considering that the media, liberals, and the President himself have decided to make this the issue du jour of the day. Yet despite their best efforts, a majority polled by Gallup a week ago are satisfied with current gun laws or (a small percentage) favor less restrictions.

Media Bias and PollsJeff Soyer on 20 Sep 2012 06:32 pm

To Hell With The Polls

I’ll admit that for many months, I kept reading every article about current polling in the presidential race. You’d get four different polls giving four different results. Some of the polls (okay, most) were skewed by over-sampling or poorly worded questions. Still, the onslaught of all these polls leaves me numb.

One poll shows Romney ahead in Virginia, another shows Obama leading. Ditto for all the other swing states and mimeograph it for national polls.

To hell with it. The only poll that matters is on November 6th. I pledge to not post about election polls until then. Why? Because Obama is the most corrupt, lousy, incompetent, worst president we’ve seen since Carter. And therefore, in conclusion, to summarize: I simply can’t believe that a majority of Americans will actually still vote for this asshole. Therefore, those polls showing that to be case must be false. Come November 7th, if I’m proven wrong, I’ll admit so here at Alphecca and then go into a life-threatening depression.

There must be a few — just one-in-ten maybe — Democrat/liberals with an ounce of integrity who realize just how terrible Obama has been and are willing to hold their nose, cross party lines, and vote for slightly less terrible Romney. That’s all it would take to correct course.

Media Bias and PollsJeff Soyer on 17 Sep 2012 10:10 am

CO: Still Not Wanting More Gun Control

After the Aurora theater shooting in July, a NY Times/CBS poll found (to their disappointment) that the majority of Coloradans* still favored gun rights over gun control. A new poll out today from the Denver Post reaffirms that:

Fifty-six percent said it was more important to protect the right to own guns versus 39 percent who said controlling gun ownership and 5 percent who answered they weren’t sure. Men tended to be more likely to defend gun ownership, with 63 percent supporting the right to own guns and 32 percent saying gun control was more important.

More at the link but the percentages are almost identical to the ones in the earlier poll I cited.

* Yes, it’s the preferred spelling for the moniker of Colorado residents.

Polls and 2012 ElectionJeff Soyer on 01 Sep 2012 03:05 pm

Current Polls Might Be VERY Wrong

Many presidential preference polls purposely over-sample declared Democrats because the pollsters ~~want to lie to us~~ try to duplicate exit polls from 2008. Thus, in actual poll results, the majority of respondents might prefer Romney over Obama but because the pollsters polled more Democrats than Republicans, the outcome still favors the incumbent. With that in mind, consider this report about a new Rasmussen poll:

According to new research released today by Rasmussen, more voters identify themselves as Republican than ever in the last 8 years. More importantly, by a 4 point margin, more voters identify as GOP than Democrat. This is the largest spread between the parties ever. Worse for Democrats, the number of voters who identify with their party is also approaching an historic low.

So. If your typical presidential preference poll over-samples Democrats, and more people are identifying themselves (we presume to the pollsters) then we can presume that the disparity between candidate choice is greater than results might show. That is: If (as currently reported today, that) Romney has pulled slightly ahead of Obama in current polls, it could very well be that he is truly much ahead of Obama.

Read the whole article for more details but — and THIS is the “hope and change” that I am pining for . . . — Romney could be headed for a decisive win in a couple of months.

Then, regardless of all the New Black Panther “poll watchers,” and the Democrat lawyers, and the dead or illegal voters that the Democrats deploy to the voting booths, the mandate will be clear. Maybe not to the liberal Obama amen chorus “reporting” for NBC, MSNBC, CBS, ABC, CNN, NPR, PBS, NY Times, WaPo, LA Times, etc., but to all of us regular, honest people.

PollsJeff Soyer on 24 Aug 2012 04:23 am

Chicago Area Residents on Crime: Don’t Blame Guns

In the murder capital of the United States, and in the one state that still does not make any allowance for CCW, residents there are smart enough not to blame it on guns:

Asked by Illinois-based pollster Michael McKeon to finger the major cause of the increase of violent crimes in Chicago neighborhoods, 20 percent of Cook County, Ill., residents blamed gangs as the major reason for violence in a poll conducted of 629 residents Aug. 15-17.

Thirteen percent blamed a lack of parental guidance, 12 percent blamed a lack of economic opportunities, eight percent blamed the need for more police officers and seven percent blamed young people having nothing to do.

At the bottom of the list? Only six percent claimed that the “prevalence of guns” was responsible.

Polls and 2012 ElectionJeff Soyer on 20 Aug 2012 10:43 am

Gallup: 4-Years Later, Swing-State Voters Worse-Off

That famous Reagan line: “Are you better off now than you were four years ago?” From Gallup Polls:

A majority of voters in key 2012 election swing states say they are not better off than they were four years ago; 40% say they are better off. Swing-state voters’ assessments of their situation compared with 2008 have varied little since last fall.

Plenty of details at the link. And yet . . . The bulk of the MSM continues to cheer-lead for Obama. I suppose that is why, with this crappy economy that hasn’t improved one iota under Obama, that he is still competitive in current polls and not a shoo-out headed for the Exit Door. Hey! Thanks, NBC, CBS, ABC, NPR, PBS, NY Times, WaPo, LA Times, etc. Your in-the-tank-for-Obama news reporting bias got him elected in 2008 and will probably ensure our continued misery this November.

I’m certainly not better off than I was four-years-ago and I’m grateful to many of you readers here who have been kind enough to help me out by hitting the “tip-jar” over the past years. My thanks to you and certainly not to Obama.

Romney wasn’t my ‘first choice’ but he and Ryan will, definitely, absolutely, positively, be better than Obama to attempt to lead us out of the current dismal state of our nation’s economic hard-times. He certainly couldn’t be any worse!

Four-more-years of Obama will doom us.

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