In a stunning revelation, 71 percent of likely voters who identified themselves as Democrats told the Rasmussen survey, published today, that they believe Hillary Rodham Clinton should continue running for the presidency if she is indicted in connection with the use of a private e-mail server while Secretary of State.
Today’s Seattle Times fact-checks some of her statements regarding the e-mail scandal. A fair number of Times readers reacting to the article are convinced she has been dishonest.
Perhaps just as surprising, 50 percent of all those surveyed think Clinton should stay in the White House race “until a court determines her guilt or innocence,” Rasmussen reported. The survey was conducted over the Memorial Day weekend from among 1,000 likely voters. It has a margin of error of +/- three percentage points.
Clinton, who has been waging a relentless war on the so-called “gun lobby” since last year as part of her campaign strategy, is facing a big primary next week in California. According to today’s Los Angeles Times, the Golden State has become a fierce battleground between Clinton and rival Bernie Sanders. She may have the nomination all sewed up after next Tuesday’s primary, but if Sanders ekes out a win, it could get brutal for Clinton in July as Democrats gather in Philadelphia.
According to Rasmussen, only 30 percent of Republicans and 46 percent of independents think Clinton should stay in the race if she is indicted. Sixty-five percent of the survey respondents “consider it likely that 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,” Rasmussen noted.
With Republican Donald Trump virtually assured of getting the GOP nomination, a fair number of people have been talking on social media about supporting Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson, the former New Mexico governor. That option may have slammed shut for some gun owners because the Libertarians nominated former Massachusetts Gov. William Weld as his running mate.
Weld admittedly supported some gun control during his tenure in the governor’s office. But according to a report published earlier this month by Reason, Weld has had a “change of heart.” He issued this statement as part of a message on his Facebook page:
“I am a lifelong hunter and gun owner. In 1993, however, as Governor of Massachusetts, I went along with some modest restrictions on certain types of firearms. I was deeply concerned about gun violence, and frankly, the people I represented were demanding action. Sometimes, governing involves tough choices, and I had to make more than a few.
“Today, almost 25 years later, I would make some different choices. Restricting Americans’ gun rights doesn’t make us safer, and threatens our constitutional freedoms. I was pleased by and support the Supreme Court’s decision in the District of Columbia vs. Heller -- a decision that embraced the notion that our Second Amendment rights are individual rights, not to be abridged by the government.”
Trump has apparently had a change of opinion since he supported some gun control several years ago, too. The only person in the race who has not had a change of heart is Clinton. She has steadfastly adhered to a gun control philosophy.
It would take a miracle for the Johnson/Weld ticket to beat either Clinton or Trump. They may pull, according to some guestimates, maybe ten percent of the vote. But whose support will they be eroding, Trump’s or Clinton’s? At stake are future appointments to the Supreme Court and federal courts, where Second Amendment cases will be decided. Voters have five months to think that through.
