Florida’s political professionals agree that the National Rifle Association has weakened, but they still don’t expect any movement on gun reform, according to a new poll from the Tampa Bay Times.
The newspaper surveyed over 180 political campaign operatives, fundraisers, political scientists and other political professionals about the NRA and gun laws in the state of Florida. The NRA’s recent controversies over its finances and leadership has conservatives avoiding the group, despite their support for firearm ownership.
- 56 percent of “Florida insiders” think the NRA holds less power today than it did two years ago.
- 28 percent think Florida legislators will change gun laws.
“I wouldn’t dream of sending them a penny,” one unnamed Republican said of the NRA. “The corruption at the top and money wasted on clownish acts like Dan Bongino instead of smart advocacy are infuriating. They owe America’s gun owners an apology and frankly I don’t care if they shut down. Another group will step up.”
A Democrat added, “Even though the NRA is slightly wounded because of their internal scandals and the mass shootings that have taken their toll on public opinion in favor of stronger background checks, I’m skeptical that the Republican majority in the Legislature that’s strongly beholden to the NRA will do anything constructive about gun control.”
Another Republican said, “The media has always overestimated the political power of the NRA," one Republican said. "It’s not the NRA’s power that’s feared among Republican politicians. It’s Republican primary voters. Republican primary voters will vote out any Republican who betrays the Second Amendment.”
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