Philly Daily News Poll says PA Supports more gun control ?!?!?!?

[son of the revolution]

Philadelphia Daily News Article/Poll today says PA Residents ready to support tighter gun control ??!?!?!?




Posted on Wed, Mar. 25, 2009


Pa. favors limit on gun buys, poll finds
By DAVE DAVIES
Philadelphia Daily News

daviesd@phillynews.com 215-854-2595

Pennsylvanians are ready for more gun control, fed up with drivers who use cell phones, and tolerant of expanded gambling, according to the latest Franklin & Marshall/Daily News poll.

And on a day when U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., took a congressional position likely to please conservatives, the poll found the greatest threat to his re-election comes from conservative Republicans.

Despite Pennsylvania's reputation as a haven for gun-lovers, two-thirds of those surveyed said they support Gov. Rendell's proposal to limit handgun purchases to one per month. Fifty-two percent said they strongly support the measure; 31 percent said they are opposed.

"There's statewide support for moderate gun control," said poll director Terry Madonna, "but at the same time, Pennsylvanians aren't in favor of letting municipalities pass their own gun laws."

Philadelphia has unsuccessfully sought approval from the Legislature to enact its own gun controls.

The poll also found overwhelming support for legislative proposals to ban the use of hand-held cell phones while driving, by a margin of 71 percent to 27 percent.

"I'm a little surprised at the large margin in favor of making this against the law," Madonna said. "Maybe by now nearly everybody has had a near-accident experience driving with a cell phone in their hand, so they believe it makes sense."

And the poll found respondents receptive to expanded gambling with 63 percent ready to permit table games at the state's licensed slot parlors, and 73 percent favoring legalization of small games of chance to benefit organizations and clubs.

"It's clear Pennsylvania has an established gaming culture," Madonna said.

The poll also showed Specter with a commanding early lead over his two potential GOP rivals next year, while also indicating his problems with the party's conservative base.

Among registered Republicans, 33 percent favor Specter in the 2010 party primary, 18 percent prefer former U.S. Rep. Pat Toomey, and 2 percent were for anti-abortion activist Peg Luksik.

Poll results are at http://go.philly.com/marchpoll. *

[fingers80002]

Poll had to be taken in Filthy, and the 'burg......

[RoyJackson]

You really need to take polls with a BIG grain of salt. I use statistics in my work, and they do work well with things and processes.

But, when it comes to peoples' opinions...well, you can pull a sample and ask the same questions two days in a row and get drastically different results.
The pollster's questions (how they're phrased...tone of voice when the question is asked) can influence the results.

Also, many people who give their opinions want those rules to apply to the other guy...not them. See how much support that cell phone ban gets if actually enacted...not much, I'd wager.

And, as far as gun owners...we're a pretty solid, focused and vocal group, as a whole. And the politicians know we vote...unlike many of those people that were polled.

[Nomad]

I believe it was Mark Twain who wrote (and I'll paraphrase), there are lies, there are damn lies, and then there are statistics.

[RoyJackson]

I believe it was Mark Twain who wrote (and I'll paraphrase), there are lies, there are damn lies, and then there are statistics.

Wasn't Twain...I believe it was Benjamin Disraeli (British PM a few centurys ago)

[son of the revolution]

Wasn't Twain...I believe it was Benjamin Disraeli (British PM a few centurys ago)

See I had always heard that quote attributed to Twain as well

[Nomad]

You are correct and I appreciate the clarification. Disraeli first, then popularized in Twain's autobiography..


Figures often beguile me, particularly when I have the arranging of them myself; in which case the remark attributed to Disraeli would often apply with justice and force: "There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies and statistics."
- Autobiography of Mark Twain

[RoyJackson]

Nomad PM'd me...wasn't Disraeli either. Apparently, there's some controversy on who origined the phrase.
Thanks for the correction, Nomad!
Still, a good and accurate comment about statistics (and polling)!

[GunLawyer001]

That's exactly why we have a constitution, so that 51% of the people don't tyrannize the other 49%.

Otherwise, we could get a majority to vote to deport all the citizens of Mexican descent, send the blacks back to Africa, make 10% of the workers pay for benefits for everyone else (oops), burn the gays in the town square, and question the right of the citizens to keep and bear arms.

I dismiss the opinions of people who don't know what they're talking about. Let's see a show of hands, should my neighbor pay more in child support? Would it help at all if you knew what he paid now?

MOST people are totally ignorant of the current restrictions on gun purchasing and ownership, they think that teens can buy them at gun shows. So their opinion that we need "more" of what they are totally ignorant of, is without value.

[ehidle]

The poll questions were probably something like:

1) Do you support or oppose new laws to keep guns out of the hands of criminals by limiting handgun purchases to 1 per month?

2) Do you support or oppose reducing infant fatalities on the road by banning the use of hand-held cell phones while driving?

3) Do you support or oppose increasing the collection of funds for saving puppies and kittens by allowing increased casino gaming?

I was called for several polls last year by Gallup and Quinnipiac (sp?) and nearly all of the questions incorporated a hypothetical yet completely impossible to guarantee "intended outcome" of the proposed legislation.