When it comes to danger, voters are far more afraid of gun violence than terrorism, says a McClatchy-Marist survey. Like almost everything else this election season, there's a partisan split. Overall, 63 percent of registered votes say they're more worried that they or someone they know will be a victim of gun violence; 29 percent more fear that they or a friend will fall prey to a terrorist attack. Democrats and independents lean heavily toward gun violence as the bigger threat, a sentiment reflected in the party's push for stricter gun laws after mass shootings in Charleston, S.C. and Roseburg, Or.
Democrats fear guns over terrorism by 77-15 percent. Independents fear gun violence over terrorism by 64-28 percent. Republicans edge toward terrorism as the bigger threat, but only narrowly, by 50-45 percent over a fear of gun violence. African-American voters have the biggest concern about guns: 71 percent say they're worried about being a victim of gun violence and only 13 percent are afraid of being caught in a terrorist attack. Lee Miringoff, director of the Marist Institute for Public Opinion, which conducts the survey, said the percentage of Republicans concerned about gun violence reflects rank-and-file Republicans more than the GOP's tea party and conservative base, which the presidential candidates will need to win the nomination.