The shooting spree in Tucson, Arizona that killed six people and left Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D) in critical condition has heightened public awareness of how vulnerable elected officials are, and spurred a discussion of what further measures should be taken to protect them. Yet compared to one year ago, fewer Americans now believe it is at least somewhat likely that people opposed to President Obama could resort to violence against him, according to a Rasmussen poll taken in the days following the Tucson tragedy.
In the poll, a 45% plurality said they were to some degree concerned that Obama’s opponents would resort to violence against him, versus 52% who said it was not a major concern of theirs. Last March, 53% of Americans thought Obama’s opponents could take violent action against the President. That poll was conducted shortly after the passage of the much demonized Democratic health care reform bill, which sparked large public protests rife with the sort of violent political rhetoric some have said may have contributed to the events in Tucson.
Democrats were most likely to fear violent retribution against the President, with 67% saying that was at least somewhat likely, compared to just 30% of Republicans and 40% of Independents who thought the same.
The Rasmussen survey was conducted Sunday and Monday, the two days immediately after the shooting. At the time, the safety of elected officials was front and center in the news. Two Congressmen, Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-UT) and Rep. Heath Shuler (D-NC), announced that they would begin carrying guns when in their home districts. And on Capitol Hill, some lawmakers were pushing for ramped up protection, including one proposal for a Plexiglas screen to be installed between the House gallery and floor, sealing members off from the general public.
Rasmussen interviewed 1,000 likely voters nationwide. The poll has a margin of error of 3.0%.
