Poll: Clinton/Kerry Bill to Give Vote to Felons Opposed by Americans

While Senators Hillary Clinton (D-NY) and John Kerry (D-MA) attempt to push a bill through the Senate that would restore voting rights for felons -- including killers, rapists and child predators -- such a law would receive a cold reception by most Americans, according to a just-released poll. And some believe Clinton and Kerry -- with the help of some news organizations -- are trying to sneak their bill under the public radar.

A new poll conducted by Zogby Interactive for Associated Television News and The O'Leary Report shows that a clear majority of Americans, including blacks and Hispanics, are opposed to the restoration of voting rights for former felons.
   
The Zogby/Associated Television News poll findings show that Americans oppose aspects of the Count Every Vote Act sponsored by Senators Hillary Clinton and John Kerry that would restore the voting rights of former convicted felons. Fifty-three percent of the American public believes that such a law giving back the right to vote to felons is bad for the country.

Another 71% of the country feels that the motive for such legislation is to help win elections. Both Clinton and Kerry are expected to run for the Democrat nomination for President of the United States.
   
Twenty-three percent of the American public believes that felons, as a class, who are released from prison should get their voting rights back while 70% of Americans believe the vote should be restored on an individual basis and not as a class.
   
Between 79% and 90% of the American public believes that anyone who has used a gun in a crime or guilty of a sex crime or a violent crime should face tougher standards in having their voting rights restored than those individuals convicted of a non-violent crime.
   
Vermont and Maine are the only two states in the country that allow felons to vote while incarcerated. Depending on the severity of the crime, between 70% and 80% of the American public opposes such provisions in the law.
   
One reason given for the introduction of the Clinton/Kerry bill was to return a racial balance to the disproportionate number of blacks serving time in our prison system for felonies. Yet, 61% of blacks and 66% of Hispanics believe voting rights for felons should be returned on an individual basis and not as a class as the Clinton/Kerry bill would do.

One political strategist believes the push to give amnesty for illegal aliens and for felons is driven by the desire to increase the Democrat Party base.

"Whether they admit it or not, the Democrats need lawbreakers such as illegal aliens -- who are being illegally registered as Democrats -- and killers, rapists and robbers in order to increase their base of far-left voters," says Mike Baker, political strategist and pollster.

"While most clear thinking Americans reject their [Democrats] agenda, criminals and people who don't understand English, who number in the millions, is an immense bump in the numbers of their party's base. And should such a bill be made law, look for them to pander to criminals and oppose law enforcement," he added.

Jim Kouri, CPP is currently fifth vice-president of the National Association of Chiefs of Police and he's a staff writer for the New Media Alliance (thenma.org).