I "HOPE" THIS "CHANGE" WILL BE READ

79 percent of NRA members believe Obama will ban gun sales


By Michael O'Brien - 12/10/09 02:59 PM ET

The vast majority of the National Rifle Association's (NRA) members believe President Barack Obama will try to ban the sale of guns, a new poll found. A new national survey of gunowners both affiliated and unaffiliated with the NRA found that they believe the president will act to ban gun sales. 79 percent of NRA members believe Obama will definitely or probably try to outlaw gun sales, according to a poll released Thursday that was conducted by GOP pollster Frank Luntz and commissioned by Mayors Against Illegal Guns. 18 percent of NRA members saw it as unlikely for Obama to ban firearms sales. Gunowners unaffiliated with the NRA still saw it as likely for Obama to outlaw gun sales, though by a lesser margin. 57 percent of non-NRA members said the president would definitely or probably try to ban gun sales, whereas 30 percent said Obama likely wouldn't try to criminalize gun sales.

More broadly, the poll found that NRA members were open to regulations requiring background checks and banning gun sales to criminals. 82 percent of NRA members support a law prohibiting individuals on terrorist watch lists from purchasing guns, while 69 percent of the group's membership supports closing the loophole allowing individuals to purchase guns at firearms expos without going through the legally-mandated background check. The group's members do support new rules that would expand areas into which they could carry their weapons, though.

76 percent of NRA members support allowing guns in U.S. national parks (51 percent of non-members support that measure.) and 61 percent of NRA members support allowing guns on Amtrak trains. (Non-NRA members oppose the measure 42-33 percent.) The nationwide poll, conducted Nov. 25-Dec. 2, has a 3.5 percent margin of error.