Polling on Romney's 'dog problem'

Mitt Romney's 'dog problem' has received tons of media attention in the last week so we decided to do a poll about it. Here's what we found:

-20% of voters have a favorable opinion of Romney's treatment of dogs to 29% with an unfavorable opinion. These numbers suggest that the Seamus story has gotten around enough for people to have a negative view of Romney on dogs, but 51% with no opinion indicates the story hasn't penetrated that deeply yet.

-By contrast 44% of voters have a favorable opinion of Barack Obama's treatment of dogs to 14% with an unfavorable one. Apparently voters think he's taking good care of Bo. Asked who would be a better President for dogs, 37% of voters pick Obama to 21% for Romney with 42% not holding an opinion either way.

-68% of voters think it's inhumane to put your dog in a kennel on the roof of your car to only 14% who consider it humane. On this there's a bipartisan consensus- 74% of Democrats, 66% of independents, and 63% of Republicans think it's inhumane to strap the family dog to the top of the car.

-Whether this is really an issue that's going to hurt Mitt Romney in the campaign is a different question though. 55% of voters say it makes no difference to their vote, while 35% say it makes them less likely to vote for Romney and 7% more likely.

Most of the people who say the Seamus incident makes them less inclined to vote for Romney aren't voting for him anyway though. Among Romney voters just 17% say it makes them less likely to vote for him to 75% who say it doesn't make a difference and 6% who actually consider it a positive. Among undecideds 29% say it makes them less likely to vote Romney, 14% more likely, and 56% say it doesn't make a difference.

We also looked at how voters feel about the wives of the various Presidential candidates on this poll and unsurprisingly it turns out they're all a lot more popular than their husbands:

-Michelle Obama has a 54/34 favorability rating, compared to her husband's 48/48 approval.

-Ann Romney has a 31/22 favorability rating, compared to her husband's 33/58.

-Karen Santorum has a 31/27 favorability rating, compared to her husband's 36/53.

-Callista Gingrich is actually pretty unpopular, with an 18/44 favorability rating. But it's at least better than her husband's 28/61.

Full results here

Comments

[Obama 2012]

On its own I don't think the dog on the roof story will sway things much... but as a part of a larger narrative about Mitt Romney - it could have some effect.

I do not think Romney has much personal appeal and certainly this story is a part of that lack... if the economy continues to improve that doesn't leave Romney with much to run on (the lies about gas prices aren't going to work.)

[Jay]

You must of running out of decent questions to ask the American people. I would like, for example, a poll of just the unemployed and underemployed in these states primary elections. I believe it will tell you quite a bit about the November election-not whether Romney has a dog problem.

[Shirley Fox]

Let's see...29 years ago... 5 kids and 2 adults going hundreds of miles in a car on vacation. The kids want to take the dog...Dad soft heartedly says yes and makes the dog an "upstairs appartment" where it is more comfortable rather than squeezed in. His son randomly mentions the incident and it is held against him and stretched into lies for years. I don't know who I will vote for at this point but ANYONE who uses this to vote against someone isn't seeing the family man trying to be a good Dad in the story. Most people with that kind of money would plan a vacation that keeps the kids busy and out of their hair!

[Calvin1]

The problem with the story is that after the dog developed full-on diarrhea(as a dog breeder for 27 years, I'm gonna go with he was terrified), and coated the back of the car with it, Romney hosed him and the car down, and put him back up there for the rest of the 1200 mile drive. According to the reporter who first interviewed Romney's son, when they got to their destination, the dog ran away and they never found him.
I don't know anyone who would do such a thing, including people who've never owned dogs.

[roxy&turbosmommy]

I will NOT vote for anyone who treats their dog this way! My dogs are spoiled and my children (their paws and names tattooed on my arm) Hmmm lets think I bet the first thing he'd do is kill every animal in the shelters because they are just dogs! WRONG they need love just like children and should be treated a humane way!