This is the most shocking chart I have ever seen:
Gun ownership reached a high in 1977 but has declined steadly over the last thirty years. Why?
Paul Waldman answers:
The explanations for this drop vary; a declining interest in hunting and the steady exodus from rural areas to suburbs and cities almost certainly play a role. Whatever the combination of causes, there have been steady declines in gun ownership among all age groups. Of particular note is the decline among young adults. In the GSS studies in the 1970s, around 45 percent of respondents under 30 years of age reported that their household owned a gun; in the most recent surveys that number has fallen below 20 percent, a decline of more than half.
I guess because gun owners seem to be a rather vocal and explicit lot, I thought there were more of them.
REPUBLICAN PRIMARY — PRESIDENT
OHIO (NBC/Marist): Santorum 34, Romney 32, Gingrich 15, Paul 13
OHIO (PPP): Romney 37, Santorum 36, Gingrich 15, Paul 11
OHIO (Quinnipiac): Romney 34, Santorum 31, Gingrich 15, Paul 12.
OHIO (Reuters/Ipos): Santorum 32, Romney 32, Gingrich 17, Paul 6
GEORGIA (Mason-Dixon): Gingrich 38, Romney 24, Santorum 22, Paul 3.
GEORGIA (PPP): Gingrich 47, Romney 24, Santorum 19, Paul 8.
GEORGIA (Landmark/Rosetta Stone): Gingrich 42, Romney 22, Santorum 16, Paul 5.
OKLAHOMA (American Research Group): Santorum 37, Romney 26, Gingrich 22, Paul 9.
TENNESSEE (PPP): Santorum 34, Romney 29, Gingrich 27, Paul 8.
TENNESSEE (Rasmussen): Santorum 34, Romney 30, Gingrich 18, Paul 8.
TENNESSEE (American Research Group): Santorum 35, Romney 31, Gingrich 20, Paul 9.
TENNESSEE (We Ask America): Romney 30, Santorum 29, Gingrich 29, Paul 12
VIRGINIA (NBC/Marist): Romney 69, Paul 26 (Santorum and Gingrich were too incompetent to qualify for the ballot)
GENERAL ELECTION — PRESIDENT. These numbers are just brutal for the Republicans.
OHIO (NBC/Marist): Obama d. Romney (50-38); Obama d. Gingrich (51-36); Obama d. Santorum (50-36); Obama d. Paul (48-38)
VIRGINIA (NBC/Marist): Obama d. Romney (52-35); Obama d. Gingrich (57-31); Obama d. Santorum (54-32); Obama d. Paul (53-32)
GENERAL ELECTION — SENATOR
OHIO (NBC/Marist): Sherrod Brown (D) d. Josh Mandel (R) 47-37