Raleigh, N.C. – Strong support
for raising the minimum wage and opposition to the government shutdown show
Massachusetts sticking to its liberal values in our latest poll.
61% support increasing the minimum wage to $10.50 per hour, including 70% of
women and 32% of Republicans. 57% oppose shutting down the government unless
Obamacare is defunded. Half of respondents support a ballot initiative to allow
workers to earn one hour of sick time for every 30 hours they work.
Democratic leaders Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Gov. Deval Patrick have slightly
higher approval ratings than they did five months ago. Warren’s approval jumped
to 52-39 from 44-39, and Patrick’s was 50-43, up from 48-41.
“Elizabeth Warren has quickly become the most popular politician in
Massachusetts,” said Dean Debnam, President of Public Policy Polling. “And her
cause of raising the minimum wage in the state is even more popular than she is
personally.”
49% think marijuana use should be legal, and 39% disagree. 60% say same-sex
marriage should be allowed in Massachusetts, up from 58% in May. 25% say gay
marriage has had a positive impact in their lives, 15% said negative, and 60%
said no impact.
79% of respondents say they’re Red Sox fans, and 67% of them approve of John
Farrell’s job as manager. 52% think the Red Sox will win the World Series, up
from 27% in May.
77% say they’re fans of the New England Patriots, and 83% of those approve
of the job Bill Belichick has done as head coach, including higher support
among men than women. 26% of fans think the Patriots will win the Super Bowl,
26% think they’ll win the American Football Conference, and 24% think they’ll
make it to the playoffs. 30% wish Tim Tebow was still on the team, but 50%
support the team’s decision to cut him. 70% of respondents overall have a
favorable opinion of Tom Brady.
PPP surveyed 616 Massachusetts
voters between September 20-23, 2013. The margin of error for the survey is +/-
4.0%. This poll was not authorized or paid for by any campaign or political
organization. PPP’s 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 Governor
Deval Patrick’s job performance?
Approve …………….. .50%
Disapprove…………. .43%
Not sure …………….. . 8%
Q2 Do you approve or disapprove of Senator
Elizabeth Warren’s job performance?
Approve …………….. .52%
Disapprove…………. .39%
Not sure …………….. . 9%
Q3 Would you support or oppose a ballot initiative
raising the minimum wage to $10.50 per hour?
Support ………………………………………………….. 61%
Oppose ………………………………………………….. 30%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 9%
Q4 Would you support or oppose a ballot initiative
allowing workers to earn one hour of sick time
for every 30 hours worked?
Support ………………………………………………….. 50%
Oppose ………………………………………………….. 31%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 18%
Q5 Would you support or oppose shutting down
the government unless Obamacare is
defunded?
Support ………………………………………………….. 31%
Oppose ………………………………………………….. 57%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 12%
Q6 Do you think marijuana usage should be legal
or illegal?
Legal……………………………………………………… 49%
Illegal …………………………………………………….. 39%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 12%
Q7 Has the legalization of gay marriage in
Massachusetts had a positive or negative
impact on your life, or has it not had any impact
at all?
Positive impact………………………………………… 25%
Negative impact ………………………………………. 15%
Hasn’t made any impact at all ……………………. 60%
Q8 Do you think same-sex marriage should be
allowed, or not?
It should be allowed …………………………………. 60%
It should not ……………………………………………. 29%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 11%
Q9 Do you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion
of the state of West Virginia?
Favorable……………………………………………….. 22%
Unfavorable ……………………………………………. 16%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 63%
Q10 Do you consider yourself to be a Boston Red
Sox fan, or not?
Are a Red Sox fan …………………………………… 79%
Are not …………………………………………………… 21%
Q11 (Q11-12 asked only of Sox fans) Do you
approve or disapprove of the job John Farrell is
doing as manager?
Approve …………….. .67%
Disapprove…………. . 2%
Not sure …………….. .30%
Q12 What do you think the outcome of the Red Sox
season will be this year: win the World Series,
win the American League but not the World
Series, win the division series but not the
American League, or lose the division series?
Win the World Series ……………………………….. 52%
Win the ALCS …………………………………………. 31%
Win the ALDS …………………………………………. 10%
Lose the ALDS………………………………………… 0%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 6%
Q13 Do you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion
of Tom Brady?
Favorable……………………………………………….. 70%
Unfavorable ……………………………………………. 10%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 20%
Q14 Do you consider yourself to be a New England
Patriots fan, or not?
Are a Patriots fan…………………………………….. 77%
Are not …………………………………………………… 23%
Q15 (Q15-20 asked only of Pats fans) Do you
approve or disapprove of the job Bill Belichick
is doing as coach?
Approve …………….. .83%
Disapprove…………. . 5%
Not sure …………….. .12%
Q16 What do you think the outcome of the Patriots
season will be this year: win the Super Bowl,
win the AFC but not the Super Bowl, make the
playoffs but not win the AFC, or miss the
playoffs?
Win the Super Bowl …………………………………. 26%
Win the AFC……………………………………………. 26%
Make the playoffs…………………………………….. 34%
Miss the playoffs ……………………………………… 6%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 8%
Q17 Do you wish Tim Tebow was still on the
Patriots, or do you support the team’s decision
to cut him?
Wish he was still on the Patriots ………………… 30%
Support the team’s decision………………………. 50%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 20%
Q18 Do you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion
of Wes Welker?
Favorable……………………………………………….. 66%
Unfavorable ……………………………………………. 6%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 28%
Q19 Do you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion
of Rex Ryan?
Favorable……………………………………………….. 17%
Unfavorable ……………………………………………. 34%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 50%
Q20 Do you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion
of Aaron Hernandez?
Favorable……………………………………………….. 6%
Unfavorable ……………………………………………. 79%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 14%
Q21 In the last Presidential election, did you vote for
Barack Obama or Mitt Romney?
Barack Obama………………………………………… 58%
Mitt Romney……………………………………………. 36%
Someone else/Don’t remember …………………. 6%
Q22 Would you describe yourself as very liberal,
somewhat liberal, moderate, somewhat
conservative, or very conservative?
Very liberal ……………………………………………… 18%
Somewhat liberal …………………………………….. 22%
Moderate………………………………………………… 32%
Somewhat conservative……………………………. 20%
Very conservative ……………………………………. 8%
Q23 If you are a woman, press 1. If a man, press 2.
Woman ………………………………………………….. 53%
Man……………………………………………………….. 47%
Q24 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 ……………………………………………….. 43%
Republican……………………………………………… 16%
Independent/Other…………………………………… 41%
Q25 If you are white, press 1. If other, press 2.
White …………………………………………………….. 82%
Other……………………………………………………… 18%
Q26 If you are 18 to 45 years old, press 1. If 46 to
65, press 2. If you are older than 65, press 3.
18 to 45………………………………………………….. 30%
46 to 65………………………………………………….. 49%
Older than 65………………………………………….. 21%
