Illinois State Rifle Association “Push Poll” Fails to Sway Many Illinois Democrats on Conceal Carry

(Springfield, IL) — March 29, 2011. According to partial information of a new released yesterday by the Illinois State Rifle Association, legislation that allows Illinois residents to carry guns enjoys majority support in only two of four Democratic-controlled Illinois state senate districts that were polled and barely mustered a majority in the third.

Conducted by We Ask America, the telephone poll surveyed approximately 1,000 adults in each of four Illinois State Senate districts and the group said that the full details of the poll will be released at a Springfield press conference today, Tuesday, according to the group’s press release.

The news release, which did not include the precise questions asked but contained enough information to suggest that the survey was a glorified “push poll”, provided a sample of the poll’s results, results which must be read with some skepticism.

For example, the survey reported that between 83% and 88% of citizens polled believe that they have the right to defend themselves and their families from harm. It is a type of set-up question, such as, “Do you love America?” oh, and by the way, “Do you support flag burning?”

Anyway. Here are the results:

• In the 3rd Senate district seat is currently held by Senator Mattie Hunter (D-Chicago), 45.9% of those polled supported the group’s conceal carry legislation while 35.3% of those polled opposed such legislation.

• In the 14th Senate district seat is held by Senator Emil Jones III (D-Chicago), 50.6% of those surveyed supported concealed carry legislation while 34% of respondents opposed such legislation.

• In the 22nd Senate district is currently held by Senator Mike Noland (D-Elgin), 47.4% while opposition to such legislation was found to be 35.2%.

• In he 43rd Senate district seat is held by Senator A. J. Wilhelmi (D-Crest Hill), 55% of citizens polled expressed support for concealed carry legislation while 29.3% of those surveyed opposed such legislation.

Additionally, the poll claims only 36.2% of respondents from the 3rd Senate district expressed confidence that police can protect them from being robbed or assaulted.  Likewise, only 41.8% of those polled from the 14th Senate district feel that the police are capable of protecting them from harm.

All polling results are subject to a +/- 3% margin of error.

“Personal security is a big issue for so many Illinois citizens,” commented ISRA Executive Director Richard Pearson.  ”From our polling data, it is clear that a large majority of citizens believe that they have a right to defend themselves and their families from harm.”

“We selected these four senate districts for polling because we believe that they serve as a bellwether for both urban and suburban populations on key issues like concealed carry,” continued Pearson.

Pearson’s observation on the political demographics of those senate districts is correct. However, Hunter, Jones, Noland and Wilhelmi, who certainly know their districts, surely will not be stampeded into the arms of the Illinois State Rifle Association’s legislative agenda because of its push poll.

Final arrangements for the press conference are still pending, according to the group’s press release.