ABC News reported Friday that gun control is not playing well in campaign speeches in New Hampshire, where citizens view guns as an important part of defending their lives and the lives of their families.
Even those who do not own a gun view concerns over firearms “at the bottom of the list.”
According to the Associated Press, “Nearly half of New Hampshire’s residents either own a firearm or live in a household where they are present.” Guns are part of the culture, and “an influx of new residents from outside the state has not led to a significant shift in its conservative political leanings.”
Suffolk University Political Research Center’s David Paleologos points out that gun control does not even come “close to cracking the top three issues cited by voters: terrorism, the economy and illegal immigration.”
Fifty-five-year-old Karen Sobiechowski is “a former teacher and registered Republican voter.” She does not personally own a gun, but her observation is that “opposing gun rights in the Granite State is not going to win votes.” She has yet to determine for whom she will vote, but she has long determined that “the government is already too intrusive.”
“This is New Hampshire, a Live Free or Die state,” Sobiechowski said. “People do not like being told what they can or cannot do.”
AWR Hawkins is the Second Amendment columnist for Breitbart News and political analyst for Armed American Radio. Follow him on Twitter: @AWRHawkins. Reach him directly at awrhawkins@breitbart.com.