Poll: NRA’s Popularity Declining

According to Public Policy Polling’s latest national poll, the National Rifle Association has seen its public image decline significantly since its CEO Wayne LaPierre’s unhinged press conference in response to the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting.

PPP finds that 45 percent of voters now have an unfavorable view of the NRA, with 42 percent viewing it favorably. That represents a 10 percent swing from PPP’s previous national poll — conducted two days before LaPierre’s press conference — in which 48 percent viewed the NRA favorably, and 41 percent unfavorably.

Steve Benen of MSNBC’s MaddowBlog helpfully illustrates the reversal with this chart:

The decline in popularity has been bipartisan; among Democrats the NRA’s net favorability dropped 15 percent, and among Republicans it declined by 4 percent.

PPP concludes that the NRA’s “solution” to school shootings — putting more guns in classrooms — is driving the group’s image problem… 50 percent of voters oppose LaPierre’s proposal to put armed police officers in all schools, while 41 percent support it.

Furthermore, 64 percent disapprove of the idea of giving teachers guns, while only 27 percent support it. That proposal is opposed across the board; Democrats 77 to 19 percent, Republicans 50 to 35 percent, and independents 59 to 31 percent. Additionally, gun owners oppose arming teachers by a 52 to 37 percent margin.

Overall, 53 percent of voters say that they favor stricter gun laws in general, while 40 percent do not.