Raleigh, N.C. – John Boehner remains pretty unpopular in his home state. Only 35% approve of the job he is doing, with 46% disapproving, similar to the 34-47 found when PPP last polled the state in August. More Democrats (69%) disapprove than Republicans approve (64%), and independents mirror the overall electorate.
Rob Portman has yet to make a name for himself, and the voters who do know how they feel about him dislike him, with 24% approving and 34% disapproving. That is a slight decline for him from May, when the spread was 28-33. As with Boehner, more Democrats (50%) disapprove than Republicans approve (40%). PPP has only polled on four senators who have a lower net approval rating this year.
Democrats are maintaining a similar lead in the generic Congressional ballot as two months ago. Voters prefer them over their GOP counterparts, 48-42, versus 42-37. But it may not be enough to overcome the GOP-friendly gerrymanders after the state lost two seats in the census. Independents prefer the GOP, 45-30.
Cleveland being the more populous city, its football and baseball teams are more popular than Cincinnati’s. It is a closer contest in the latter sport, as 34% root for the Indians and 25% the Reds, with the next highest team the Detroit Tigers at 8%. Cincinnati is a more Republican part of the state, so GOP Reds fans outnumber Indians partisans 32-31, but among Democrats, the Indians dominate, 39-22. The Tigers’ highest level of support is with independents (16%), almost as much as the Reds (19%) and Indians (26%).
In the NFL, 34% also root for the Browns, but only 20% the Bengals, with 12% preferring the Pittsburgh Steelers. Interestingly, almost all the Steelers’ support in Ohio comes from women; 18% of them side with them, but only a third of that among men. As in baseball, the Detroit Lions get their largest base from independents (10%), twice as much or more than their support from Democrats or Republicans.
PPP surveyed 581 Ohio voters from October 13th to 16th. The margin of error for the survey is +/-4.1%. 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 Rob
Portman’s job performance?
Approve …………….. .24%
Disapprove…………. .34%
Not sure …………….. .43%
Q2 Do you approve or disapprove of the job House
Speaker John Boehner is doing?
Approve …………….. .35%
Disapprove…………. .46%
Not sure …………….. .19%
Q3 Do you support or oppose the goals of the
Occupy Wall Street movement?
Support ………………………………………………….. 35%
Oppose ………………………………………………….. 43%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 22%
Q4 Do you support or oppose the goals of the Tea
Party movement?
Support ………………………………………………….. 37%
Oppose ………………………………………………….. 48%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 15%
Q5 Do you have a higher opinion of the Occupy
Wall Street movement or the Tea Party
movement?
Occupy Wall Street ………………………………….. 40%
Tea Party ……………………………………………….. 40%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 21%
Q6 If there was an election for Congress today, do
you think you would vote for the Democratic or
Republican candidate from your district, or are
you not sure?
Democratic candidate ………………………………. 48%
Republican candidate ………………………………. 42%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 10%
Q7 Do you think same-sex marriage should be
legal or illegal?
Legal……………………………………………………… 32%
Illegal …………………………………………………….. 55%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 13%
Q8 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 ……………………………………………………..27%
Gay couples should be allowed to form civil
unions but not marry …………………………………35%
There should be no legal recognition of a gay
couple’s relationship …………………………………34%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 3%
Q9 What is your favorite Major League Baseball
team: the Atlanta Braves, Boston Red Sox,
Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds, Cleveland
Indians, Detroit Tigers, New York Yankees,
Pittsburgh Pirates, or some other team?
Braves …………………………………………………… 2%
Red Sox…………………………………………………. 5%
Cubs ……………………………………………………… 4%
Reds ……………………………………………………… 25%
Indians …………………………………………………… 34%
Tigers…………………………………………………….. 8%
Yankees …………………………………………………. 3%
Pirates …………………………………………………… 3%
Some other team/Not a baseball fan…………… 17%
Q10 What is your favorite NFL team: the Cincinnati
Bengals, Cleveland Browns, Dallas Cowboys,
Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers, Indianapolis
Colts, New England Patriots, Pittsburgh
Steelers, or someone else?
Bengals………………………………………………….. 20%
Browns…………………………………………………… 34%
Cowboys………………………………………………… 4%
Lions ……………………………………………………… 5%
Packers………………………………………………….. 3%
Colts ……………………………………………………… 2%
Patriots ………………………………………………….. 1%
Steelers………………………………………………….. 12%
Some other team/Not a football fan ……………. 18%
Q11 Who did you vote for President in 2008?
John McCain…………………………………………… 44%
Barack Obama………………………………………… 48%
Someone else/Don’t remember …………………. 8%
Q12 Would you describe yourself as very liberal,
somewhat liberal, moderate, somewhat
conservative, or very conservative?
Very liberal ……………………………………………… 10%
Somewhat liberal …………………………………….. 21%
Moderate………………………………………………… 30%
Somewhat conservative……………………………. 19%
Very conservative ……………………………………. 19%
Q13 If you are a woman, press 1. If a man, press 2.
Woman ………………………………………………….. 51%
Man……………………………………………………….. 49%
Q14 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 ……………………………………………….. 47%
Republican……………………………………………… 37%
Independent/Other…………………………………… 16%
Q15 If you are white, press 1. If African-American,
press 2. If other, press 3.
White …………………………………………………….. 83%
African-American …………………………………….. 13%
Other……………………………………………………… 4%
Q16 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………………………………………………….. 14%
30 to 45………………………………………………….. 26%
46 to 65………………………………………………….. 40%
Older than 65………………………………………….. 20%
