[Drlee]

Interesting. So Americans do support gun control. By an overwhelming majority.

57% of Americans support an assault weapons ban. Even 45% of Republicans do. (CBS Poll this week)

[Doug64]

Interesting. So Americans do support gun control. By an overwhelming majority.

Americans support keeping guns out of the hands of terrorists. That isn't the same as "gun control" as typically understood.

57% of Americans support an assault weapons ban. Even 45% of Republicans do. (CBS Poll this week)

Leaving aside the "militia" aspects of the 2nd Amendment, you run into the same problem as the poll I posted earlier about "the religious" -- just what is an "assault rifle"? I doubt the respondents had a clear definition in mind.

[Drlee]

Oh come on. We know what an assault rifle is. That is a joke. M-16, AK-47, G-2 and any number of other weapons that fit the category. And yes the Mini-14 as well. This is not hard. We could ban high capacity magazines (over 5 rounds). That would be easy.

Let's cut through the bullshit on this. I do not think a person could make a much worse choice for the defense of his/her home than what is typically called an assault rife. Not only are they ineffective in that role and hard to place into action from a condition of safety in storage, they endanger everyone in the neighborhood. If you think your stucco house is going to contain a few dozen 7.62 Nato rounds you are sadly mistaken. It is preposterous to assert that people ought to be allowed to carry one of these weapons for personal protection.

And for the abject idiots who believe that arming themselves with an AR-15 prepares them to confront a rogue government. Let me just say that every trained army loves soft targets like them. They would be mowed down in detail. The guy the organized army fears it the trained marksman with a bolt action rifle and a well sighted scope.

Next. But 'these are hunting rifles'. No they aren't. Not only are they shitty for the task, they are not legal in many states. Take Indiana for example. The 5.56 Nato cartridge is illegal for deer hunting. Same in Arizona. In Indiana it is illegal for a hunter to possess more than 10 rounds of ammunition while hunting. The fact is that the AR-15 is illegal for big game hunting in the majority of states. Florida and Arizona (to name just two) prohibit semi-automatic rifles for hunting if they possess a magazine capacity of greater than 5 rounds.

So this is not hard. We could, and should ban these weapons tomorrow UNLESS:

The potential owner applies for and is granted a special license to own them. This license should include an extensive background investigation and the applicant should pay for it. Even then, high capacity magazines should be banned.

The gun lobby fights what are OBVIOUSLY very simple and logical protections. I have a license to drive my car. I need a license to fly a plane. I need a license to get married. I need a license to operate powder actuated tools. Soon I will need a license to fly a drone. I even need a license to talk on the radio or send Morse code. But I can buy an AR-15 with a high capacity magazine, body armor and armor piercing ammunition at will. It is just fucking stupid. And frankly so are those who support this lunacy.

[Hong Wu]

The 2nd amendment has nothing to do with hunting, and if we take away guns we'd probably see more bombs in terror attacks (see: Boston Marathon).

Gun control is just a way to look like you're doing something without having to tackle the underlying problems, which would make you unpopular.

[Zagadka]

if we take away guns we'd probably see more bombs in terror attacks (see: Boston Marathon).

The logic behind this comment is made of fail. It may or may not be true, but there is insufficient data to make a strong statement either way.

There have been far more gun attacks than Boston Marathon-type attacks, and it would be rather hard to say what would have happened in Boston if everyone were toting a M-16.

[Dave]

and it would be rather hard to say what would have happened in Boston if everyone were toting a M-16.

I'll tell you what would've happened.

A hell of a lot of FREEDOM!

[Doug64]

Oh come on. We know what an assault rifle is. That is a joke. M-16, AK-47, G-2 and any number of other weapons that fit the category. And yes the Mini-14 as well. This is not hard.

So it's like obscenity, you know one when you see one?

Here's this week's round-up of polls. Anyone that wants to check out any possible links over the next week can go to the link to the left. (Anyone wanting more details on a particular poll, just ask):

The politicking barely slowed as America absorbed the biggest terrorist attack since 9/11.

Americans have increasingly worried that the government isn’t focused enough on domestic Islamic terrorism, and most Americans saw the horror in Orlando coming nearly three months ago.

The majority of voters question whether the government will be able to stop future terrorist attacks on the homeland and say the country’s Islamic community should be doing more to condemn such violence.

Forty-nine percent (49%) think Islam as practiced today encourages violence more than most other religions, and 71% say Islamic religious leaders need to do more to emphasize the peaceful beliefs of their faith.

The man who killed 49 and wounded dozens of others in a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida this past weekend was born in the United States to Afghan refugee parents. While details of the attacker’s life are still emerging, he pledged allegiance to the radical Islamic State group (ISIS) in a 911 call to police during the shooting, and ISIS has taken credit for the massacre.

Donald Trump blames radical Islamic terrorism for the Orlando massacre; President Obama believes instead that it shows a need for more gun control. Most voters say the Orlando incident is more about terrorism than gun control, but most also agree that someone on a terrorist watch list should not be able to purchase a gun.

Hillary Clinton has finally broken with the president and for the first time this week identified “radical Islamic terrorism” as the enemy. She has long been criticized by Trump and other Republicans for her unwillingness to do so. Long before the horrific killings in Orlando and San Bernardino, California, 60% of voters said the United States is at war with radical Islamic terrorism.

Secretary of State John Kerry now concedes that terrorism is a bigger threat to the United States than global warming. Fifty-nine percent (59%) of voters consider terrorism a greater long-term threat to this country. Just 23% consider global warming the bigger threat.

Trump has come under criticism from some leaders in his own party for his tough talk after the Orlando killings, reiterating his call for a temporary ban on Muslims coming into this country until the federal government improves its vetting process. In late March, 45% of voters favored such a ban; 42% were opposed.

But the Obama administration is speeding the vetting process for Syrian refugees so 10,000 can come to the United States this year. Most voters still don’t welcome those newcomers from Syria and fear they are a threat to the country.

The president, however, continues to enjoy better-than-usual daily job approval ratings.

Hillary Clinton has moved to a five-point lead over Trump in Rasmussen Reports’ latest weekly White House Watch survey. It’s lucky for them that this year’s presidential election isn’t a popularity contest or both major party candidates might lose. Clinton and Trump are battling very high unfavorables.

On a less serious note, voters, especially men, would rather have a beer with Trump than with Clinton.

House Speaker Paul Ryan has endorsed Trump but is increasingly one of his most outspoken Republican critics. What is Ryan’s game?

Clinton and Bernie Sanders met privately on Tuesday, a meeting that could be critical to the future of the country but went largely unnoticed in the wake of the horrific weekend events in Orlando. Could this signal the party unity many Democrats are hoping for?

Democrats are much more enthusiastic than other voters about giving felons back their right to vote after they’ve served their time.

The trial of a Stanford University freshman charged with sexually assaulting an unconscious woman has drawn widespread criticism for the perceived leniency of the judge’s sentencing. An overwhelming number of Americans agree that the six-month jail sentence is too easy, and most say cases like Stanford are fair game for politicians to discuss publicly.

Still, while just 37% of voters believe most judges are impartial and guided by the law, only 31% feel it is appropriate for elected officials and political candidates to criticize specific judges.

In other surveys last week:

-- Two-out-of-three voters (67%) believe the nation is headed in the wrong direction.

-- Last year produced the lowest U.S. fertility and birth rate on record, but Americans still are far more concerned about the population growing too fast.

-- Seventy-two percent (72%) think it’s important for someone to be married before they have children, including 41% who think it’s Very Important.

-- More voters support same-sex marriage, but most still don't believe it's an area that should be governed by the feds.

-- With the summer driving season at hand, Americans are much more pessimistic about gas prices than they were last summer.

-- Great Britain may vote to exit the European Union in a referendum next week, but Americans aren’t overly concerned about a possible “Brexit.”

[Doug64]

And a couple more questions for Likely Voters inspired by the Orlando massacre:

What will do the most to reduce the number of mass murders like the one in Orlando?

• Stricter gun control laws 34%
• Better action to treat mental health issues 16%
• Increased monitoring of individual Muslims with possible ties to terrorism 36%
• Something else 12%
• Not sure 3%

Republicans

• Stricter gun control laws 13%
• Better action to treat mental health issues 13%
• Increased monitoring of individual Muslims with possible ties to terrorism 59%
• Something else 10%
• Not sure 5%

Independents

• Stricter gun control laws 27%
• Better action to treat mental health issues 17%
• Increased monitoring of individual Muslims with possible ties to terrorism 33%
• Something else 22%
• Not sure 2%

Democrats

• Stricter gun control laws 59%
• Better action to treat mental health issues 18%
• Increased monitoring of individual Muslims with possible ties to terrorism 16%
• Something else 5%
• Not sure 2%

Do the anti-gay attitudes expressed by the Orlando killer represent true Islamic beliefs?

• Yes 34%
• No 37%
• Not sure 29%
• Something else 5%
• Not sure 2%

Republicans

• Yes 48%
• No 21%
• Not sure 31%
• Something else 10%
• Not sure 5%

Independents

• Yes 33%
• No 35%
• Not sure 32%
• Something else 22%
• Not sure 2%

Democrats

• Yes 21%
• No 54%
• Not sure 25%
• Something else 5%
• Not sure 2%

[Doug64]

Here's this week's round-up of polls. Anyone that wants to check out any possible links over the next week can go to the link to the left. (Anyone wanting more details on a particular poll, just ask):

Is the “Brexit” vote a sign of things to come? Our polling certainly suggests that most Republicans at least also have had their fill of rule by out-of-touch elites.

Seventy-three percent (73%) of Republican voters believe GOP leaders have lost touch with the party’s base, although just 28% of Democrats believe that of the leaders of their party.

Only 27% of Republicans believe the political attitudes of the party’s voters match up with those of the party’s leaders.

Even though Donald Trump won more votes in the primaries and caucuses than any Republican candidate in history, most GOP voters are convinced that their party’s leaders don’t want him to be elected president.

Is Trump then already a third-party candidate, running against both the Democratic and Republican establishments?

Hillary Clinton has edged ahead of Trump in our weekly White House Watch survey, but she hasn’t experienced any major bump since finally defeating Sanders for the Democratic nomination. Trump’s support has held steady at roughly 40% through all the bad weeks the media and some Republican leaders insist he’s having.

It’s lucky for them that this year’s presidential election isn’t a popularity contest or both Clinton and Trump might lose.

Clinton and Bernie Sanders met privately last week, a meeting that went largely unnoticed in the wake of the horrific events in Orlando. Could this signal the party unity many Democrats are hoping for?

Following the terrorist massacre at an Orlando nightclub, only 26% of voters think the country is heading in the right direction.

Voters aren’t overly enthusiastic about how President Obama and the two likely major party presidential candidates have responded to the Orlando terrorist massacre, but the president does best, especially among those who want more gun control.

Two competing narratives have emerged in the wake of Orlando: Trump and most prominent Republicans say it represents the growing threat of domestic Islamic terrorism, while Obama, Clinton and most Democratic leaders say it highlights the need for increased gun control. Eighty-one percent (81%) of Democrats and 53% of unaffiliated voters now favor stricter gun control laws, pushing overall support to a new high. Sixty-one percent (61%) of Republicans are opposed to additional gun control.

Seventy-five percent (75%) of Republicans and 53% of voters not affiliated with either major political party believe the government does not focus enough on the threat of domestic Islamic terrorism, but only 31% of Democrats share this view. Slightly more voters (36%) in Obama's party say the government focuses too much on the domestic Islamic threat, while 31% think the focus is about right.

Still, just 26% of all voters now think the United States is safer today than it was before the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, the lowest finding in nearly 10 years of regular tracking. Most voters also think the government won't be able to stop further terrorist attacks on the homeland like the one in Orlando.

In late March, 67% of Republicans – and 45% of all voters - still favored Trump’s proposed temporary ban on Muslims entering this country until the federal government improves its ability to screen out potential terrorists.

But the Obama administration is speeding the vetting process for Syrian refugees so 10,000 can come to the United States this year. Most voters still don’t welcome those newcomers from Syria and fear they are a threat to the country.

A tie vote in the U.S. Supreme Court this week has effectively killed the president’s executive order to exempt up to five million illegal immigrants from deportation. Most voters have long opposed the president’s immigration amnesty plan.

Sixty-one percent (61%), in fact, think the U.S. government is not aggressive enough in deporting those who are in this country illegally.

A federal judge this week also struck down the Obama administration’s regulations on hydraulic fracturing, or fracking. Most Americans think fracking can be done in an environmentally sound way and will end U.S. dependence on foreign oil.

The president, however, continues to earn better than average daily job approval ratings.

In other surveys last week:

-- Voters under 40 are a lot more enthusiastic about an openly gay presidential candidate than their elders are.

-- The growing number of protests at colleges and universities has a sizable number of Americans questioning whether free speech has a place on modern campuses.

-- Craft beer is gaining popularity among American drinkers, and a sizable number now say they brew their own.

[Drlee]

Sixty-one percent (61%) of Republicans are opposed to additional gun control

Just to cherry pick.....

This is an interesting number. It clearly shows that the tide is turning. There was a time when that number would have been approaching 80% or even higher.

The NRA should be shaking in their boots. They decided to grow their brand on fear and intimidation and they are in serious trouble now. I doubt there are many here who remember when the NRA was a proponent of gun training and favored very considerable controls on gun ownership. Its absolutist position on the supremacy of gun rights is fairly new. And more and more Americans are seeing it as, frankly bat shit crazy.

I mean really. Hillary now can go on TV and say that congressional republicans, bowing to the NRA lobby, could not even pass a law prohibiting a suspected terrorist from buying and possessing a gun. And in many states carrying said gun concealed on their person.

The NRA contributes about a million dollars per election cycle. That is a pittance. Of course there are the cowboy states where guns are seen as sacred. But even in those states (using my own Arizona for example) 55% of those polled believe we ought to have stricter gun laws.

This is a winning issue for democrats if they tread carefully. I am beginning to wonder if the republicans can keep the Senate.

[Doug64]

Yes, the Democratic legislators think that if they throw a loud enough tantrum about the mass murderer's chosen tool they'll be able to distract everyone so they won't have to effectively deal with others like said mass murderer. Who cares if they have to throw away the constitutional right to due process to manage that? Fortunately, it doesn't seem to be working, even among almost a third of their fellow democrats.

Does the government focus too much on the potential threat from domestic Islamic terrorism, not enough or is the focus about right?

• Too much 25%
• Not enough 52%
• The focus is about right 20%
• Not sure 3%

Republicans

• Too much 14%
• Not enough 75%
• The focus is about right 10%
• Not sure 1%

Independents

• Too much 24%
• Not enough 53%
• The focus is about right 17%
• Not sure 6%

Democrats

• Too much 36%
• Not enough 31%
• The focus is about right 31%
• Not sure 2%

[Zagadka]

Just to cherry pick.....

This is an interesting number. It clearly shows that the tide is turning.

Or it was a vaguely worded question. "Additional gun controls" can mean a lot of different things to different people.

[Doug64]

Or it was a vaguely worded question. "Additional gun controls" can mean a lot of different things to different people.

The exact question was "Does the United States need stricter gun control laws?" But the question "Should there be a ban on the purchase of semi-automatic and assault type weapons?" got a slightly higher yes vote. Oddly enough, the question "Would stricter gun control laws help prevent shootings like the recent one in Orlando, Florida?" tied at 46-46.

[Zagadka]

That makes more sense, cheers

[Drlee]

This is not a little issue. Look at this little tidbit:

CBS POLL: "Do you favor or oppose a federal law requiring background checks on all potential gun buyers?"

REPUBLICANS wait for it....... 92% favor.


CNN "As you may know, this week Barack Obama announced several executive orders that change the nation's gun laws so that background checks are required for more gun purchases online and at gun shows, and which make it easier for the FBI to complete background checks efficiently. Overall, do you favor or oppose these changes?"


REPUBLICANS FAVOR 51%


QUINNIPAC: "Would you support or oppose a law requiring background checks on people buying guns at gun shows or online?"

REPUBLICANS Support 87%

I could go on. The anti gun control supporters are loosing clout. They still hold sway in certain geographic areas so they are still a powerful factor in national politics but the ice has melted.

[Doug64]

A LONG weekend, I hope everyone had a great and safe 4th. Here's this week's round-up of polls. Anyone that wants to check out any possible links over the next week can go to the link to the left. (Anyone wanting more details on a particular poll, just ask):

Is Hillary Clinton in hotter water at week’s end?

After trailing Clinton by five points for the previous two weeks, Donald Trump has taken a four-point lead in Rasmussen Reports’ latest White House Watch survey.

Following the release this week of the final report by the special congressional committee investigating the 2012 terrorist attack in Benghazi, Libya, nearly half of voters believe then-Secretary of State Clinton lied to the families of those who died there.

Former President Bill Clinton didn’t help his wife when he called on Attorney General Loretta Lynch for a private meeting late in the week. Lynch is the one who decides whether to go ahead with indictments if the FBI and prosecutors recommend them at the end of their investigation of Clinton’s use of an unauthorized private e-mail server while she was secretary of State.

Trump and congressional Republicans were furious when the Clinton-Lynch meeting was exposed, and the attorney general responded first thing Friday morning by saying she will not overrule prosecutors and the FBI if they want to indict Clinton. Most voters believe it’s likely Clinton broke the law by sending and receiving classified information through the server, but they are far less convinced that serious charges will be brought against her.

Despite Trump’s problems with some in his own party, Republicans have a lot more confidence in his honesty than Democrats do in Clinton's.

Trump made a major speech on jobs and trade on Tuesday that even the New York Times characterized as “perhaps the most forceful case he has made for the crux of his candidacy …. that the days of globalism have passed and that a new approach is necessary.” Some speculate that last week’s vote in Great Britain to leave the European Union signals a rise of economic nationalism that is good for Trump. Despite the media panic and market swings that have resulted, Americans are not particularly worried that the “Brexit” will hurt them in the pocketbook.

The latest terrorist carnage - this week in Istanbul, Turkey - also may be helping Trump who is arguing for a harsher response to radical Islam than Clinton. Voters remain lukewarm about President Obama's national security policies and expect more of the same if Clinton moves back into the White House next January. Trump, if elected, will definitely change things, voters say, but not necessarily for the best.

Voters strongly disagree, however, with Attorney General Loretta Lynch who told an audience recently that love is the best response to terror incidents like the one in Orlando, Florida.

Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren joined Clinton on the presidential campaign trail earlier this week, fueling speculation of an all-woman national ticket. But most voters - including Democrats and women - say a vice presidential nomination for Warren wouldn't help Clinton's chances for the White House.

Some prominent female supporters of Clinton have said women have an obligation to vote for a woman candidate. Most voters, especially women, strongly reject that notion and say it's more important where the candidate stands on the issues.

Bernie Sanders’ decision to vote for Clinton over Trump isn’t impressing many Democrats.

Obama has joined in the Democratic attacks on Trump to help Clinton. The president continues to earn the best job approval numbers of his entire time in office.

A recent tie vote in the U.S. Supreme Court upheld a lower court ruling that halted Obama’s plan to exempt millions of illegal immigrants from deportation. Clinton has vowed to take the plan even further. Trump wants to build a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border and deport many of those who are here illegally. Most voters continue to oppose the president’s plan as they have from the start and believe instead that the U.S. government needs to more aggressively deport illegal immigrants.

House Republicans recently unveiled a long awaited health care alternative to Obamacare that would eliminate the requirement that all Americans have health insurance with the goal of lowering health care costs. Most voters still say lowering costs is more important than universal coverage.

Among other proposed changes in the GOP plan are reforms for medical liability and malpractice as well as letting consumers buy health insurance across state lines. Voters aren’t sold on government caps on malpractice payouts but remain enthusiastic about removing state barriers to purchasing health insurance.

Defense Secretary Ashton Carter formally announced Thursday that transgender people will be allowed to serve openly in the U.S. military. When he first said last year that the transgender policy was under consideration, 45% approved. Nearly as many (42%), however, opposed allowing people who identify with and want to live as the opposite sex to serve openly in the military.

In other surveys last week:

-- This Fourth of July weekend, Americans will celebrate the independence of the United States of America, and most say they wouldn't choose to live anywhere else.

-- But only 29% of voters think the country is headed in the right direction.

-- Could this be a sign of a recovering economy, though? More Americans plan to take a summer vacation than have for several years.

[Doug64]

And the latest opinions of Likely Voters on illegal immigration:

Favor/Oppose: President Obama has ordered that nearly five million illegal immigrants be allowed to remain in this country legally and apply for jobs

• Favor 38%
• Oppose 54%
• Not sure 8%

Republicans

• Favor 19%
• Oppose 77%
• Not sure 4%

Independents

• Favor 27%
• Oppose 60%
• Not sure 14%

Democrats

• Favor 66%
• Oppose 27%
• Not sure 7%

Is the U.S. government too aggressive or not aggressive enough in deporting those who are in this country illegally?

• Too aggressive 11%
• Not aggressive enough 57%
• The number of deportations is about right 23%
• Not sure 9%

Republicans

• Too aggressive 9%
• Not aggressive enough 81%
• The number of deportations is about right 9%
• Not sure 2%

Independents

• Too aggressive 8%
• Not aggressive enough 58%
• The number of deportations is about right 21%
• Not sure 12%

Democrats

• Too aggressive 17%
• Not aggressive enough 34%
• The number of deportations is about right 37%
• Not sure 12%

Suppose a woman enters the United States as an illegal immigrant and gives birth to a child in the United States. Should that child automatically become a citizen of the United States?

• Yes 41%
• No 50%
• Not sure 9%

Republicans

• Yes 25%
• No 66%
• Not sure 8%

Independents

• Yes 37%
• No 54%
• Not sure 9%

Democrats

• Yes 59%
• No 32%
• Not sure 8%

Should illegal immigrants who have American-born children be exempt from deportation?

• Yes 31%
• No 50%
• Not sure 19%

Republicans

• Yes 18%
• No 63%
• Not sure 19%

Independents

• Yes 24%
• No 53%
• Not sure 23%

Democrats

• Yes 50%
• No 35%
• Not sure 15%

[Doug64]

Here's this week's round-up of polls. Anyone that wants to check out any possible links over the next week can go to the link to the left. (Anyone wanting more details on a particular poll, just ask):

The presidential race remains too close to call, even with a third-party candidate in the mix, and now we can add the murder of five Dallas police officers to the issues weighing on voters’ minds.

The presidential race has grown a bit tighter in this week’s White House Watch survey after Donald Trump had pulled ahead the week before.

The survey was taken Tuesday evening following FBI Director James Comey's announcement that his agency would not seek any indictments of Clinton despite her "extremely careless" handling of classified information while serving as secretary of State. Most voters disagree with Comey’s decision.

But then voters predicted months ago what the FBI would decide. Sixty-five percent (65%) think it’s likely Clinton broke the law by sending and receiving e-mails containing classified information through a private e-mail server while serving as secretary of State. But just 25% said in January that it was even somewhat likely she would be charged with a felony.

Trump and Clinton still run neck-and-neck with Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson added to the ballot.

Voters still don't think much of Congress, and that includes the members they elect themselves. Just 20% of Republicans now think their elected representatives in Congress are doing a good job representing the party’s values. By contrast, 64% of Democrats feel their representatives are doing a good job.

In the two previous presidential election campaigns, voters considered the media biased in favor of the Democratic candidate and against the GOP nominee. Forty-nine percent (49%) now think most reporters are biased against Trump, but only 18% believe most are biased against Clinton.

Still, most voters agree that it’s not up to the government to ensure that the news media treat all candidates equally. Interestingly, Republicans are more opposed to government-mandated media fairness than Democrats are.

The horrific ambush murder overnight of five Dallas policemen is also sadly no surprise for most Americans. Fifty-eight percent (58%) of voters already felt by last September that there is a war on police in America. Most also blame politicians critical of the cops for fanning the flames.

The killings occurred during a rally protesting the shooting of suspects by police, but just 14% of Americans believe most deaths that involve the police are the fault of the policeman.

President Obama is already using the deaths of the police officers to call for stricter gun control laws. Support for additional gun control has risen to its highest level ever, but voters are evenly divided over whether more gun buying restrictions will help prevent future mass shootings.

Most voters still think Obamacare will worsen care and drive up costs, but they don’t want to repeal it altogether. Giving Americans more health insurance options is a critical, cost-saving change that most have been seeking for years.

Trump has vowed to renegotiate NAFTA and other international free trade deals if elected president, saying they are costing U.S. jobs. Clinton's primary opponent, Senator Bernie Sanders, is also an outspoken opponent of those deals. Supporters of the free trade deals including Clinton, Obama and many leading Republicans say they lower prices for American consumers.

Americans strongly agree with both major presidential candidates about the importance of bringing manufacturing jobs back to the United States and are willing to pay more for consumer goods to make it happen.

Voters are not big fans of free trade deals like NAFTA, but they also strongly believe that the politicians negotiating those deals don’t care what they think. A sizable majority continues to say as it has for years that government and big business often work together in ways that hurt consumers and investors.

Senate Democrats this past week successfully blocked a measure that would have cut funds to cities that give sanctuary to illegal immigrants in violation of federal law. Most voters oppose giving taxpayer money to so-called sanctuary cities.

Most also believe the U.S. government needs to more aggressively deport illegal immigrants.

In other surveys last week:

-- The president earned a monthly job approval of 50% in June, unchanged from April and May, which marked the highest finding since April 2013. His daily job approval remains higher than it has been for much of his presidency.

-- But just 29% of voters think the country is headed in the right direction.

-- The death of a passenger in a driverless Tesla car has called the safety of these cutting-edge vehicles into question, with more Americans than ever saying driverless cars will make the roads a more dangerous place.

-- Most Americans still place high importance on the Independence Day holiday.

[Doug64]

A question put to US Likely Voters:

Is it the government’s role to monitor the content of news organizations in this country to ensure that all political candidates are treated fairly?

• Yes 27%
• No 58%
• Not sure 15%

Republicans

• Yes 26%
• No 58%
• Not sure 16%

Independents

• Yes 20%
• No 68%
• Not sure 12%

Democrats

• Yes 33%
• No 50%
• Not sure 17%

Should the government require all radio and television stations to offer equal amounts of conservative and liberal political commentary?

• Yes 44%
• No 46%
• Not sure 10%

Republicans

• Yes 44%
• No 47%
• Not sure 8%

Independents

• Yes 39%
• No 51%
• Not sure 10%

Democrats

• Yes 49%
• No 41%
• Not sure 10%

[Doug64]

Is there a war on police in America today?

• Yes 51%
• No 36%
• Not sure 13%

Whites

• Yes 55%
• No 33%
• Not sure 13%

Blacks

• Yes 31%
• No 58%
• Not sure 11%

Others

• Yes 52%
• No 34%
• Not sure 13%

Republicans

• Yes 68%
• No 19%
• Not sure 13%

Independents

• Yes 53%
• No 32%
• Not sure 15%

Democrats

• Yes 36%
• No 54%
• Not sure 11%