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Outdoorsmen's Votes to be Key
Sunday October 24, 2004
J.B. Kasper
(from Jersey Coast Anglers Association December 2004 Newsletter)
The campaigns of President Bush and Senator John Kerry have placed a high priority on winning the sportsmen's vote during this campaign, but hunters and anglers may play an even greater role in the election than either camp had predicted, based on the findings of a survey released by the bipartisan Congressional Sportsmen's Foundation (CSF).
The survey of licensed hunters and anglers in Florida, New Mexico and Ohio suggests that the percentage of sportsmen who will cast votes in these key swing states will be well above the national average. Based on survey findings in Ohio, 75 percent of sportsmen are considered likely voters; the number jumps to 80 percent in New Mexico, and Florida tops the group with 82 percent.
This survey re-emphasizes that hunters and anglers are an active and important constituency and that the attention that both candidates have been giving to sportsmen is well-aimed, commented Melinda Gable, executive director of the CSF.
President Bush, an avid bass fisherman and bird hunter, has held at least two major meetings with representatives of sportsmen's groups in recent months, and the Kerry campaign has publicized that the senator is a long-time hunter, angler and target shooter.
"Sportsmen For Bush" and "Sportsmen For Kerry" committees also have been formed by the respective campaigns. And with more than eight of 10 sportsmen polled stating they definitely will vote in this year's presidential election, it is clear to see why sportsmen are a key constituency.
Of equal importance, the survey suggests that a sizable number of sportsmen polled have yet to make a firm decision on a candidate (Ohio, 30 percent; New Mexico, 20 percent; Florida, 22 percent), leaving in the balance several hundred thousand votes in these three states, a finding of great significance considering this extremely close election.
It should be noted that with this consistently high rate of political activism by sportsmen in these three states, other battleground states with high sportsmen populations such as Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Wisconsin will likely also see the effects of the sportsmen's vote.
About nine in 10 sportsmen polled said that they voted in the 2000 election. If true, then sportsmen made up a large portion of the total vote in these states (Ohio, 27 percent; Florida, 33 percent; New Mexico, 38 percent) during the last presidential election.
Doug Painter, Hunting and Shooting Sports Heritage Foundation president, stresses the importance of participation: "There are nearly 40 million sportsmen of voting age in the United
States. If all of us had voted in the 2000 presidential election, we would have equaled 36 percent of the entire vote. This year, more than ever, we must maximize the sportsmen's voice at the polls."
Candidates Views on Hunting and Fishing Are Important
Just as candidates are paying more attention to sportsmen as a voting constituency, hunters and anglers are paying more attention to the issues that matter most to them as sportsmen, with eight in 10 sportsmen surveyed stating that a candidate's position on sportsmen's issues is important in determining who they will vote for. Sportsmen come from all political walks of life While sportsmen generally are considered a conservative block, a large number are Democratic or Independent voters and willing to cross party lines in favor of a candidate who is pro-hunting and fishing. Less than one-third of the respondents considered a candidate's political party to be essential in determining for whom they will vote.
Gun rights, mercury contamination are top concerns
Although homeland security, the economy and health care are top concerns for all Americans this election season, a majority of sportsmen polled said that it is essential for a candidate to share their views on hunting and fishing issues. As for sportsmen's issues, gun rights topped the list in Florida and New Mexico, with preventing mercury contamination of fish in Ohio being the top concern.
It is clear that sportsmen care about conservation and protecting their hunting and fishing traditions, and recent history has shown they will use their votes to help ensure the future of these traditions.
Roper Public Affairs Methodology Results were based on a telephone survey of sportsmen (i.e., persons with hunting and/or fishing licenses) in New Mexico, Florida and Ohio. Each respondent was randomly selected from up-to-date and comprehensive lists of registered hunters and anglers in their respective states. A total of 1,200 interviews were conducted, 400 in each state. Interviews in Ohio and New Mexico were collected from Sept. 14-30, 2004. Interviews in Florida were delayed due to the weather and were conducted from Sept. 20-26 and October 4-10. All interviews were conducted at an NOP World owned and operated telephone interviewing facility, using computer assisted telephone interviewing (CATI) software.
For more information about the survey, including PDF downloads of survey results, you can go to the CSF's Web site at www.sportsmenslink.org. NOTE: You can reach us with your fishing or hunting reports, comments or questions by fax at (215) 295-0902; by e-mail at jb.kasper@verizon.net or jbkasper@hotmail.com; or by mail at J.B. Kasper c/o The Times, 500 Perry St., Trenton, NJ 08605.