Opinion Today
May 28, 2022
Views on semiautomatic weapons remain partisan AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research Fifty-one percent of Americans favor a nationwide ban on the sale of AR-15 rifles and similar semiautomatic assault weapons, while 32% are opposed.
The consensus of dissensus Clifford Young & Sarah Feldman, Ipsos After multiple violent mass shootings in recent weeks, we, yet again, return to the topic of gun control and the role it plays in our tribalized divided time. These incidences of mass violence have become all too familiar in recent years. Guns are at the center of our hyper-partisan world, politically, legislatively, and culturally. Are real solutions possible? Where does the public stand on gun control? Will Buffalo and Uvalde be turning points?
Misinformation About COVID-19 Vaccines and Pregnancy is Widespread Kaiser Family Foundation Misinformation and confusion about the COVID-19 vaccines and pregnancy remains widespread, with most people – including women who are pregnant or trying to get pregnant – either believing or being uncertain about at least one of three false claims they’ve heard, a new KFF COVID-19 Vaccine Monitor shows. Americans Want Biden and Democrats to Focus on Inflation, Jobs and the Economy Navigator Research A majority say inflation is one of their top four most important issues and a quarter say it is their number one issue; only a quarter see Biden and Congress focused on it and Republicans hold an 8-point trust advantage. Americans report feeling frustrated, uneasy, and angry about politics; among those who feel “hopeful” or “engaged and interested in taking action,” abortion is their top priority. Many back strict gun laws, but opposition tends to be louder Hannah Fingerhut, Associated Press Majorities of U.S. adults think mass shootings would occur less often if guns were harder to get, and that schools and other public places have become less safe than they were two decades ago, polling shows. Still, public attitudes on guns and gun policy are complicated, and the issue has seen little by way of federal legislative changes in more than a decade. State gun laws and public opinion Charles Franklin, Marquette Law School Poll Public opinion substantially favors allowing concealed carry of handguns with a permit or license required. This is true of both a Constitutional right under the Second Amendment and as a matter of law. In contrast, there is substantial majority opposition to laws allowing concealed carry without a licensing requirement. Why Texans Can’t Get the Gun Laws They Really Want Joshua Blank (U. of Texas at Austin), Politico Magazine There’s a disconnect in Texas between public sentiment toward guns and the state’s increasingly lenient public policy toward gun ownership. As part of the Texas Politics Project at the University of Texas at Austin, we’ve been polling Texas voters for more than a decade on this topic, and it turns out that Texans, like most Americans, favor stricter gun control laws. The gun debate roadblock you might not expect: Swing states Natalie Allison, Politico In some top Senate battlegrounds, gun-drenched GOP primaries and high firearm ownership rates thwart any chance of serious reform. Democrats Biggest Opponent In 2022: Economic Headwinds Amy Walter, Cook Political Report with Amy Walter Incumbent Democrats up this year are a battle-tested bunch. None have had an "easy" race, and none of them expected one this cycle. But, they've also never had to run in an environment as ugly as this one, where even a flawed opponent isn't enough to turn the tide. Biden goes for the safer play on canceling student loan debt Aaron Blake, Washington Post Polling student debt is a complicated subject. On the one hand, people like the idea of free money. On the other, the criticisms that this would accrue to the benefit of people who are generally wealthier already are valid. Trump’s Primary Losses Puncture His Invincibility Shane Goldmacher & Maggie Haberman, New York Times With many of Donald J. Trump’s endorsed candidates falling to defeat in recent primaries, some Republicans see an opening for a post-Trump candidate in 2024. Ohio GOP wins favorable state voting maps, flouting reform attempts Jane C. Timm, NBC News Ohio voters created a bipartisan redistricting commission, but Republicans on the panel refused to support non-GOP map proposals. The strategy proved successful. Census Miscounts & Trump's Bad Primary Night Poll Hub podcast, Marist Institute for Public Opinion The Census Bureau has said it undercounted or overcounted the number of people in 14 states, including some big ones like Texas and New York. What does that mean for all the users of census data -- such as pollsters? Plus, what Trump's very bad awful primary election night says about his hold over the GOP.