Arkansas voters ''get it''. Do Ohioans?

7:02am Saturday, October 30, 2004

October 24, 2004
Arkansas News Bureau

Guns a big issue in Arkansas

By Rob Moritz

LITTLE ROCK - Hunting is a major sport in Arkansas, especially in the 1st and 4th congressional districts of its eastern and southern regions, which may explain why voters there see guns as a major issue in the race.

A new poll for the Arkansas News Bureau and Stephens Media Group found that 60 percent of voters think a candidate's stand on gun rights is important in deciding how to vote in the presidential race. Thirty-nine percent said it is "very important," and 21 percent said it is "somewhat important."

Seventeen percent said it is "not too important" and 22 percent said it is "not at all important."

The poll, conducted Oct. 18-20 by Opinion Research Associates Inc., of Little Rock, surveyed 500 likely voters, 125 in each congressional district. The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.5 percentage points.

The poll shows that support for gun rights is high in each district, and among Democrats, Republicans and independents.

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Political analysts said it's difficult to say how the gun rights issue will affect the presidential race because both candidates have said they support the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

They did note that President Bush has tried to paint his Democratic challenger, John Kerry, a U.S. senator from Massachusetts, as a liberal who favors gun control.

The Bush campaign's strategy appears to have gained some traction because the Kerry campaign has been pointing out the senator's interest in hunting and target shooting, said Andrew Dowdle, assistant professor of political science at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville.

"Kerry has made a point to say on a number of occasions that he is a gun owner and loves hunting," said Dowdle, who specializes in presidential campaigns and elections. He added that Kerry last week had a much publicized goose hunting trip in Ohio, a key battleground state.

"Arkansans love hunting and the outdoors, so gun rights is something you expect to be important all across the state," Dowdle said.

Among the parties, 70 percent of Republicans said gun rights are important - 49 percent very and 21 percent somewhat. Twenty-nine percent ranked it as not too or not at all important.

Among Democrats, 54 percent said gun rights issue is important - 32 percent very and 22 percent somewhat. Forty-five said the issue is not too or not at all important.

Of independents, 56 percents said important, 39 percent very and 17 percent somewhat. Forty-three percent said it is not too or not at all important.

Mitchell Lowe, executive director of the Arkansas Bush-Cheney campaign, said the president has a strong record in favor of gun rights, while Kerry has "voted 50 times against the Second Amendment."

Lowe said Kerry may talk about supporting gun rights, but his 20 years in the U.S. Senate show otherwise.

"If you want your gun rights to be limited ... John Kerry is your candidate," he said.

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Cartoon courtesy of Jeff Riffle