Paul, McConnell, Tea Party disliked in KY

Raleigh, N.C. – New Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul was never very popular to begin with, and voters are now split slightly against him.  Despite beating Jack Conway by 11 points last fall, most of that had to do with Conway’s far greater unpopularity by the end of that campaign.  Paul was seen favorably by 48% when PPP last polled the state late last October, and unfavorably by 43%.  Now, only 42% approve and 44% disapprove of his job performance, exactly where his senior colleague Mitch McConnell was just before last fall’s election.

But McConnell has taken a severe hit in the interim, with only 37% approving and half disapproving, making him the fifth least popular of 87 senators on which PPP has polled.  Paul is tied for 14^th worst.  Paul also has slightly better numbers than the Tea Party he embraces, which is seen positively by 40% and negatively by 46%, 28-39 among independents.

If the time for same-sex marriage has not yet come, Americans pretty much everywhere are in favor of civil unions granting the same legal rights as marriage, if not the name.  Even in socially conservative Kentucky, where 62% oppose gay marriage and only 26% support it, 51% favor at least civil unions, with only 46% wanting no legal recognition of gay couples’ relationships at all.  That includes 63% of independents, 56% of Democrats, and even 37% of Republicans.  That is up 27 points from Republicans’ support for marriage alone, 29 points for independents, and 21 points for Democrats.

There has been some controversy, mostly from the left, over Gov. Steve Beshear approving state funds to build the Ark Encounter, a theme park featuring a life-sized replica of Noah’s Ark.  But 59% of the state’s voters oppose their tax dollars going toward the park, and only 26% support it.  Independents are most opposed, 17-72, joining Democrats (23-62) and even Republicans (34-51).

PPP surveyed 600 likely Kentucky voters from August 25^th to 28^th. The margin of error for the survey is +/-4.0%. This poll was not paid for or authorized by any campaign or political organization. PPP surveys are conducted through automated telephone interviews. PPP is a Democratic polling company, but polling expert Nate Silver of the New York Times found that its surveys in 2010 actually exhibited a slight bias toward Republican candidates.

Topline results are below.  Full results, including crosstabs, can be found here.

Q1 Do you approve or disapprove of Senator Mitch
McConnell's job performance?
Approve ................. .37%
Disapprove............. .50%
Not sure ................. .13%

Q2 Do you approve or disapprove of Senator Rand
Paul's job performance?
Approve ................. .42%
Disapprove............. .44%
Not sure ................. .14%

Q3 Do you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion
of the Tea Party?
Favorable........................................................ 40%
Unfavorable .................................................... 46%
Not sure .......................................................... 14%

Q4 If there was an election for the legislature
today, generally speaking, do you think you
would vote for the Democratic or Republican
candidate from your district?
Democrat ........................................................ 44%
Republican...................................................... 41%
Not sure .......................................................... 15%

Q5 Do you think same-sex marriage should be
legal or illegal?
Legal............................................................... 26%
Illegal .............................................................. 62%
Not sure .......................................................... 12%

Q6 Which of the following best describes your
opinion on gay marriage: gay couples should
be allowed to legally marry, or gay couples
should be allowed to form civil unions but not
legally marry, or there should be no legal
recognition of a gay couple's relationship?
Gay couples should be allowed to legally
marry ..............................................................21%
Gay couples should be allowed to form civil
unions but not marry .......................................30%
There should be no legal recognition of a gay
couple's relationship .......................................46%
Not sure .......................................................... 3%

Q7 Do you support or oppose taxpayer funds
going to build the Ark Encounter, a theme park
featuring a life-sized replica of Noah’s Ark?
Support taxpayer funds going toward it........... 26%
Oppose it ........................................................ 59%
Not sure .......................................................... 14%

Q8 Is your favorite NFL team the Chicago Bears,
Cincinnati Bengals, Dallas Cowboys, Green
Bay Packers, Indianapolis Colts, Pittsburgh
Steelers, St. Louis Rams, or Tennessee
Titans?
Bears .............................................................. 6%
Bengals........................................................... 15%
Cowboys......................................................... 8%
Packers........................................................... 7%
Colts ............................................................... 16%
Steelers........................................................... 8%
Rams .............................................................. 1%
Titans.............................................................. 9%
Someone else/Not a football fan..................... 30%

Q9 Is your favorite Major League Baseball team
the Atlanta Braves, Boston Red Sox, Chicago
Cubs, Cincinnati Reds, Cleveland Indians, New
York Yankees, Pittsburgh Pirates, St. Louis
Cardinals, or someone else?
Braves ............................................................ 8%
Red Sox.......................................................... 6%
Cubs ............................................................... 6%
Reds ............................................................... 36%
Indians ............................................................ 2%
Yankees .......................................................... 7%
Pirates ............................................................ 1%
Cardinals......................................................... 10%
Someone else/Not a baseball fan ................... 25%

Q10 Who did you vote for President in 2008?
John McCain................................................... 48%
Barack Obama................................................ 44%
Someone else/Don't remember ...................... 8%

Q11 Would you describe yourself as very liberal,
somewhat liberal, moderate, somewhat
conservative, or very conservative?
Very liberal ...................................................... 8%
Somewhat liberal ............................................ 17%
Moderate......................................................... 29%
Somewhat conservative.................................. 28%
Very conservative ........................................... 19%

Q12 If you are a woman, press 1. If a man, press 2.
Woman ........................................................... 54%
Man................................................................. 46%

Q13 If you are a Democrat, press 1. If a Republican,
press 2. If you are an independent or identify
with another party, press 3.
Democrat ........................................................ 55%
Republican...................................................... 36%
Independent/Other.......................................... 9%

Q14 If you are white, press 1. IfAfrican American,
press 2. If other, press 3.
White .............................................................. 90%
African American............................................. 6%
Other............................................................... 4%

Q15 If you are 18 to 29 years old, press 1. If 30 to
45, press 2. If 46 to 65, press 3. If you are
older than 65, press 4.
18 to 29........................................................... 13%
30 to 45........................................................... 22%
46 to 65........................................................... 38%
Older than 65.................................................. 27%

Comments

[The Interesting Times]

As far as I know, the "Ark Encounter" park isn't receiving any funding in the form of taxpayer dollars. What it's getting is a tax rebate.

[Obama 2012]

It's nice to see the Tea Party Republicans getting poor approval ratings even in a red state like Kentucky.

And those generic House numbers are very encouraging indeed.

[Kevin Harris]

Question number 7 is misleading and is factually incorrect. There are NO taxpayer monies given to this project. A simple internet search of Kentucky government records will reveal these facts.

[Ken Ham]

Let me put it another way. In fact, let me put it in words that even a child can understand. I do this in the hope that perhaps the secular media and those behind this polling organization may actually be willing (depending on how strong their anti-Christian agenda is) to acknowledge the truth:

No taxpayer funds will be used to build the park—none! No taxpayer funds will be used for any part of the construction—none! No taxpayer funds will be used to subsidize the park—none! The park is totally (that means 100 percent) privately funded. No taxpayer funds contribute to any of the private funding—none!

[Think]

Judging by the false information regarding the Ark Encounter this poll is unreliable. No state funds have been or will be given to the AE yet the pollster purposely included wrong facts. They apparently are in the business of attempting to change public opinion rather than report on it.

[Joshua Schuettenhelm]

Steve Beshear never approved Tax money going toward the construction of the Ark Encounter. It is a private company with the same tax benefits available to anyone else.

[Tom Elliott]

Hi Dean. Are you sure that the "poll" is correct about tax payer dollars building the ark encounter and what do you cite as proof for this?

Thanks Dean! Look forward to your response!

[Ray Shaver]

This pole obviously can't be trusted considering the FACT that no taxpayer funds will be used for the ark encounter. In FACT, it will greatly help generate more revenue for the state over the years.

[Sam]

Since someone apparently from Ark Encounter apparently decided to post seven comments with false information, I feel compelled to set the record straight. Ark Encounter ABSOLUTELY WILL RECEIVE TAX MONEY. That's what a sales tax rebate is. People who buy things there will pay the state's six percent sales tax, then the state will rebate or kick back part of that TAX MONEY to Ark Encounter. It WILL receive tax money -- SALES TAX money. In addition to more than $40 million in SALES TAX, Ark Encounter will benefit from an estimated $11 million in TAX MONEY used to improve highway access to the park. You can't spin this to say it will not receive tax money.