Duke fans, Republicans support Presidential Medal of Freedom for Dean Smith

PPP's annual poll on the UNC/Duke rivalry finds that 73% of North Carolinians think that Barack Obama should honor former UNC coach Dean Smith with the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

That finding's not too surprising in and of itself. In 2011 we found that Smith was the second most admired person in the state, trailing only Billy Graham. What might be more surprising though is some of the groups supporting this honor for Smith. 72% of Duke fans think that Smith should receive it to just 28% opposed. And even though Smith was a well known liberal, 76% of both Democrats and Republicans think that he should receive it. The respect for Smith transcends party and rivalry lines.

Over 70% of men, women, whites, African Americans, young voters, and senior citizens think Smith should receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom. It's not too often we see that kind of agreement along demographic lines about anything in this highly polarized state.

On to Wednesday's game, Duke might be in the Top Ten and UNC might be on the bubble, but the Tar Heels at least continue to have a big lead in the court of public opinion. 47% of North Carolinians say they'll be pulling for UNC, to just 26% for Duke. This is actually the widest advantage we've found for UNC in 6 years of doing this poll. The previous largest was a 16 point lead in both 2008 and 2009. This is something North Carolinians across party lines can agree on- Democrats go for Carolina by a 49/28 margin and Republicans do so by a 48/24 spread.

As long as we were polling on basketball we also looked at the issue of the Charlotte Bobcats potentially changing their name back to the Hornets. Overall North Carolinians are ambivalent- 45% have no opinion to 35% who support it and 20% that are opposed. But among the 28% of voters who actually consider themselves to be Bobcats fans, there's 61/19 support for the name change.  And in the greater Charlotte region the change would be favored 60/21. It looks like this would be a pretty fan friendly move for an organization that desperately needs some fans.

Full results here

Comments

[Matt]

MJ - PLEASE give us our Hornets back!!!!

[oren webster]

LOL. Republicans don't dig the scandalous "Blue Devil's for Dole" organizer, Coach no-K? I've been a Duke fan since the day Never Nervous Purvis Ellison whupped them in '86.

Dean Smith is it.

Dukie_Cat

[oren webster]

oh. yes. The man who considers George W. Bush a hero?h