Polls

GA Republicans split on secession, Deal vulnerable

| Tom Jensen


Header-poll-results
Raleigh, N.C. –
Following on Tuesday’s
release which showed that 18% of voters nationally, including a quarter of
Republicans, support their state seceding as a consequence of President Obama’s
re-election, an even higher 26% of Georgians are in favor of that idea.  That includes 42% of the state’s
Republicans—the same proportion who are opposed.

Nathan Deal won the Georgia gubernatorial election easily over a former
governor in 2010, a wave year for Republicans. 
But he may find it tougher to hold onto his seat in two years.  Only 37% of Georgians approve of his job
performance, and 40% disapprove.  He
starts out with leads against three potential opponents, but all three are much
less known to voters than the incumbent is.

Deal leads Rep. John Barrow by four points (44-40), Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed
by seven (47-40), and State Sen. Jason Carter by eight (46-38).  But only 35% to 63% of voters have an opinion
about the Democrats on a personal level.

“Saxby Chambliss has received most of the attention as Georgia looks toward
the 2014 election,” said Dean Debnam, President of Public Policy Polling. “But
in terms of who would be more vulnerable to a Democratic challenger, it may be
Nathan Deal.”

Though public opinion on gay marriage is generally moving more in favor
across the country, even in the most conservative states, Georgia is still
clearly not at the point at which it can accept same-sex rites being legal.  65% oppose it, including a 44% plurality of
Democrats. 

As everywhere, Peach State voters are much more open to the form of legal
equality offered by civil unions, however. 
57% support at least that measure, including two-thirds of Democrats,
64% of independents, and even 44% of Republicans.

Georgians are even more opposed—70%—to a new stadium for the Atlanta
Falcons.  75% oppose public funding for
one.

PPP surveyed 729 Georgia voters from November 30th
to December 2nd. The margin of error for the survey is +/-3.6%.  This poll was not paid for or authorized by
any campaign or political organization. PPP surveys are conducted through automated
telephone interviews.

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

Q1 Do you approve or disapprove of President
Barack Obama’s job performance?
Approve …………………………………………………. 46%
Disapprove……………………………………………… 52%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 3%

Q2 Do you approve or disapprove of Governor
Nathan Deal’s job performance?
Approve …………………………………………………. 37%
Disapprove……………………………………………… 40%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 22%

Q3 Do you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion
of John Barrow?
Favorable……………………………………………….. 21%
Unfavorable ……………………………………………. 27%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 52%

Q4 Do you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion
of Jason Carter?
Favorable……………………………………………….. 17%
Unfavorable ……………………………………………. 18%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 65%

Q5 Do you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion
of Kasim Reed?
Favorable……………………………………………….. 36%
Unfavorable ……………………………………………. 27%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 36%

Q6 If the candidates for Governor in 2014 were
Republican Nathan Deal and Democrat John
Barrow, who would you vote for?
Nathan Deal……………………………………………. 44%
John Barrow……………………………………………. 40%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 16%

Q7 If the candidates for Governor in 2014 were
Republican Nathan Deal and Democrat Jason
Carter, who would you vote for?
Nathan Deal……………………………………………. 46%
Jason Carter …………………………………………… 38%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 17%

Q8 If the candidates for Governor in 2014 were
Republican Nathan Deal and Democrat Kasim
Reed, who would you vote for?
Nathan Deal……………………………………………. 47%
Kasim Reed ……………………………………………. 40%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 13%

Q9 Do you approve or disapprove of Senator
Johnny Isakson’s job performance?
Approve …………………………………………………. 37%
Disapprove……………………………………………… 31%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 31%

Q10 Do you think same-sex marriage should be
allowed in Georgia, or not?
Should be allowed …………………………………… 27%
Should not………………………………………………. 65%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 8%

Q11 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 ……………………………………………………..24%
Gay couples should be allowed to form civil
unions but not marry …………………………………33%
There should be no legal recognition of a gay
couple’s relationship …………………………………40%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 3%

Q12 Do you think the Atlanta Falcons need a new
stadium, or not?
They need a new stadium…………………………. 15%
They do not…………………………………………….. 70%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 15%

Q13 Would you support or oppose public funding to
help build a new stadium for the Falcons?
Support ………………………………………………….. 12%
Oppose ………………………………………………….. 75%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 13%

Q14 Do you consider yourself to be a Georgia or
Georgia Tech fan, or are you not a fan of either
school?
Georgia………………………………………………….. 40%
Georgia Tech ………………………………………….. 17%
Not a fan of either school ………………………….. 43%

Q15 Do you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion
of Chipper Jones?
Favorable……………………………………………….. 57%
Unfavorable ……………………………………………. 11%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 32%

Q16 Would you support or oppose Georgia
seceding from the union because of Barack
Obama’s re-election?
Support ………………………………………………….. 26%
Oppose ………………………………………………….. 60%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 13%

Q17 Do you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion
of Jimmy Carter?
Favorable……………………………………………….. 55%
Unfavorable ……………………………………………. 38%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 7%

Q18 In the last presidential election, did you vote for
Barack Obama or Mitt Romney?
Barack Obama………………………………………… 45%
Mitt Romney……………………………………………. 50%
Someone else/Don’t remember …………………. 5%

Q19 Would you describe yourself as very liberal,
somewhat liberal, moderate, somewhat
conservative, or very conservative?
Very liberal ……………………………………………… 11%
Somewhat liberal …………………………………….. 12%
Moderate………………………………………………… 25%
Somewhat conservative……………………………. 29%
Very conservative ……………………………………. 23%

Q20 If you are a woman, press 1. If a man, press 2.
Woman ………………………………………………….. 55%
Man……………………………………………………….. 45%

Q21 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 ……………………………………………….. 37%
Republican……………………………………………… 40%
Independent/Other…………………………………… 23%

Q22 If you are white, press 1. If African-American,
press 2. If other, press 3.
White …………………………………………………….. 68%
African-American …………………………………….. 25%
Other……………………………………………………… 7%

Q23 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………………………………………………….. 12%
30 to 45………………………………………………….. 28%
46 to 65………………………………………………….. 38%
Older than 65………………………………………….. 22%

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