Democratic pollsters: Don’t blame gun control for Virginia loss

[SecularMotion]

Gun control advocacy did not sink Democrats’ chances of taking the Virginia state Senate this week, pollsters for both the state party and a gun control advocacy group argue.

Everytown for Gun Safety, a group founded by former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg, put more than $2 million into two races Democrats needed to win to take control of the upper chamber of the state legislature. They won one but lost the other, a seeming rebuke of a campaign focused on tighter restrictions on gun purchases.

“This election is a clear repudiation of Governor [Terry] McAuliffe and his out-of-state supporters like Michael Bloomberg,” Virginia GOP Chairman John Whitbeck said in a statement.

Pete Brodnitz, who did polling for Everytown and has worked on several Virginia elections, disputed the idea that gun control is “political poison” in the state.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/virginia-politics/democratic-pollsters-dont-blame-gun-control-for-virginia-loss/2015/11/06/7d94f65a-84ae-11e5-9afb-0c971f713d0c_story.html

[friendly_iconoclast]

1. A pollster who is paid by Bloomie dares not disagree if he wishes to retain his job

[LoveIsNow]

2. Indeed.

Maybe I would believe this if it had said independent pollsters, rather than someone with the incentive to fabricate a particular outcome.

[Kang Colby]

3. Ummm...

Pete Brodnitz, who did polling for Everytown

And do tell, what do you think Everytown would say? "I'm sorry, Virginia, we cost you the state senate and for that we apologize." Of course not, they need people to believe in gun control as a politically sound position...which based on demonstrable results just isn't.

[GGJohn]

4. Well, of course they're going to say that,

what else did you expect them to say?
Their candidate(s) got the snot kicked out of them because of their gun control stance and the perception of an outsider (Bloomberg) coming in and trying to buy the election for a pro gun control candidate.

[beevul]

5. Methinks they doth protest too much...N/T

[pablo_marmol]

6. Ha ha ha.......that is a flashing neon sign, is it not?

It's tragic beyond words how deep in denial Democrats are on this issue.

[branford]

7. The reason for the loss is so patently obvious

that the Everytown pollster needs to offer spin in the WaPo, lest morale decline among Democratic gun control true believers, or more importantly, the money stops flowing from the Republican billionaire.