Presidential Survey: Who will your fellow gun owners vote for?

by Dean Rieck

Gun owners are one of the most active and adamant political groups in America. Our votes have the power to sway elections. So, who we vote for matters.

It may seem obvious who most gun owners will vote for, given the presidential candidates and the realities of our political system. However, we don't like to take anything for granted, so we decided to ask.

Recently, we surveyed our newsletter subscribers and 5,716 people responded. We asked three simple questions. Here are the responses:

Are you registered to vote?
Yes - 99.2%
No - 0.8%

Do you plan to vote in the upcoming November election?
Yes - 99.2%
No - 0.8%

Which presidential candidate will you vote for?
Mitt Romney (Republican) - 91.6%
Barack Obama (Democrat) - 3.8%
Gary Johnson (Libertarian) - 4.7%
Due to rounding, the total does not add up to 100%.

On the last question, we provided a space for additional write-in answers. The majority were "Ron Paul." Other answers included variations on "undecided" and "not sure but not Obama."

No big surprises here. For the most part, Second Amendment advocates are smart and pragmatic voters. They know that Obama presents a threat to gun rights if he can act without political consequences as a lame duck. And he poses a major threat if he has the chance to appoint anti-gun judges to the Supreme Court.

Romney, while not the rootin' tootin' gun guy hardcore gun rights advocates would like in the Oval Office, is lightyears better on the Second Amendment. And it's just icing on the cake that he chose Paul Ryan, a true rootin' tootin' gun guy who likes to shoot and hunt.

Just a word for those 0.8% who said they're not registered and won't vote. GET REGISTERED AND VOTE. We get the public servants we deserve. If you're not registered, you can't vote. And if you don't vote, you have only yourself to blame if anti-gun candidates get elected and infringe your rights.

And one more thing: Vote in every race, not just the presidential race. Those who win lower level offices are the "farm team" for future upper level offices. It's vital to elect pro-gun Senators, Representatives, Judges, and others.

Download our Pro Gun Voter Guide to see our grades and endorsements for hundreds of Ohio candidates.

Dean Rieck is the Marketing Director of Second Call Defense and a Leader with Buckeye Firearms Association.