This matters in a political battle and the NRA can take advantage of there popularity relative to Obama with any wavering members.

Newsbusters:

Despite constant hammering by the national news media, the National Rifle Association has a favorability rating of 54 percent in the latest Gallup survey, slightly higher than President Obama's rating of 53 percent.

While those figures are within the poll's margin of error, they show that the NRA's popularity is in the same range as that of the Democratic president who issued 23 executive orders to accomplish goals the gun-rights group has promised to combat in "the fight of the century."

According to an article by Frank Newport, the Gallup poll -- which was conducted Dec. 19-22 -- showed that only 38 percent of those surveyed have an unfavorable opinion of the NRA, while Obama's disapproval rating is three points higher at 41 percent.

The survey, which was taken after the Sandy Hook murders on Dec. 14 and NRA executive vice president Wayne LaPierre's anti-gun control press conference on Dec. 22, also indicates that 21 percent of Americans have a very favorable opinion of the NRA, while 18 percent have a very unfavorable opinion.

As you might expect, favorable opinions of the NRA are much higher than average among the 45 percent of Americans who report having a gun in the household -- although one in four view the NRA unfavorably. At the same time, four in 10 of those without a gun in the household have a favorable opinion of the NRA.

Given the hysterical denunciations of the NRA among gun control advocates and most of the media, it could be that the hyperbole has backfired. Nobody can be as evil as Piers Morgan, or any other talking head, says the NRA is. Their rhetoric is not in sync with reality.

Every time they accuse the NRA of wanting more dead children, it only makes them look silly.