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The Gun Control Debate: As Told through Influence {infographic}

January 30, 2013

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The Gun Control Debate: As Told through Influence {infographic}

As seen in The Washington Times, Forbes.com and USA TODAY, we evaluated the gun control conversations through the lens of influence over the past 60 days which revealed interesting insights about the dominant voices (or notable missing voices in some instances) around the topic.

The Gun Control Debate: As Told Through Influence {infographic} from Appinions

 

Below you’ll find brief commentary on the visuals seen above.

1. Republican politicians are missing from the debate. The debate is an influence battle between President Barack Obama’s democrats and Wayne LaPierre’s NRA. Of the top 25 stakeholders in the debate, there is only 1 prominent Republican politician (Chris Christie – who is pro-gun control). Obama leads the pro-gun control voice with a net influence score of 268. LaPierre leads the anti-gun control side of the debate with a net influence score of 240.

2. It’s a marathon, not a sprint. It seems the NRA has the stamina to out-run the pro-gun control movement. They are persistent, unyielding and gaining influence. It will be interesting to see how the pro-gun control voice responds and how the influence between the two groups changes as the debate persists.

3. The pro-gun rights voice is rapidly gaining influence while the pro-gun control voice has tapered in recent weeks. Momentum is shifting and the gun control debate is becoming a platform benefiting gun rights advocates.

4. The pro–gun control group is fragmented whereas the pro-gun rights voice is united and strong. Of the top influencers on the pro-gun rights side, the majority of the most prominent voices are from the NRA. The pro-gun control voice is split between Obama and several gun control advocacy groups which dilutes the message.

We’re tracking this topic closely to evaluate which voices remain influential or gain influence over time and to see how the debate shifts.