After the Newtown shootings, Joe Scarborough (who doesn’t have constituents to answer to anymore) became an overzealous gun control advocate. He suddenly back so called “assault weapons” bans, limiting magazine size and of course, extending background checks to gun shows and “online” purchases.
Morning Joe has become gun control central for those who are on that side. Rarely do they have any guests who offer an opposing viewpoint on the issue. As such, it has become very easy for them to believe their own daily fulminations on the subject.
Joe has recently latched on to polls that show strong support for extended background checks (He has since dismissed any support of magazine size bans or bans on certain types of guns as they had no chance of passing) and since the failure of the gun bill, has attempted to make the case it will be an issue that gets Republicans and moderate Democrats kicked out of office.
The “90%” figure has been repeated ad nauseum by Scarborough and other members of the media and are behaving as though only “survivalists” and “extremists” would dare to oppose anything with such broad support.
In addition, Joe is convinced this is going to be something that hurts those who voted against it.
The video below is just a snapshot of what Joe has been repeating since the gun bill failed. It was recorded with an iPhone so excuse the lack of quality.
There are two major problems with Joe’s prognostications:
1. The 90% figure is based upon the results of a Quinnipiac poll with a very broad question being posed.
Do you support or oppose – requiring background checks for all gun buyers?
It’s not difficult to see how that doesn’t get 90% support. That’s like asking Americans, “Do you like puppies?”
2. Voter support does not always translate into voter action.
The poll was so generic, the results cannot possibly be an indicator those who opposed the bill will suffer at the polls. Joe laughingly proclaimed without a shred of evidence to support his contention, that Max Baucus, who had voted against the bill, announced his retirement not long after because he knew he was going to lose in 2014.
Joe needs to be reminded that Baucus more than likely was going to lose because of his support for Obamacare and not anything having to do with guns.
The big blow to any hopes of this being some election game changer came in the result of a Washington Post/Pew Research poll that specifically addressed the question of background checks and its relation to the gun bill failing to pass:
So for all the talk of “90%” less than half the country is disappointed or angry the bill did not pass.
Forty seven percent.
Not ninety percent.
Sorry, Joe.