Raleigh, N.C. – By and large, as in most states, Missourians are not in favor of same-sex marriage. 59% want it to stay illegal, and only 32% want it legalized. But the fight seems to be more over the word “marriage” than the legal rights associated with it. Because when civil unions are an option, 34% are fine with them, and still 28% prefer full marriage equality for gay couples, for 62% in favor of some legal recognition of these relationships. Only 37% want no recognition of them. Support for marriage rights hardly falls off between the two-way and three-way questions, unlike in some states. 52% or 54% of Democrats support it either way. Most of the support for civil unions comes from those who want marriage itself to still be illegal. In total, 74% of Democrats, 72% of independents, and even 42% of Republicans want gay couples to have the rights married heterosexual couples do.
A plurality of the state’s voters (35%) want the University of Missouri Tigers to remain in the Big 12 conference, but another 35% have no opinion, and 21% would not mind them transferring to the Upper-Midwestern-baesd Big 10. 4% would like to see the team in the ACC, 2% the SEC, and 1% each the Big East and Pac 12.
Missouri is Cardinals country. Half of voters root for St. Louis’ baseball team, with 21% favoring the state’s other MLB franchise, the Kansas City Royals. No other team gets more than a pittance of support, with the Chicago Cubs at 6%, Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees at 3%, Atlanta Braves at 2%, and Chicago White Sox and Minnesota Twins at 1% each. 14% cheer for someone else or are not baseball fans.
The St. Louis-K.C. divide is much closer in football, with 30% partial to the St. Louis Rams and 26% to the Kansas City Chiefs. The Green Bay Packers earn 8% of the state’s fans, the Chicago Bears and Dallas Cowboys each 6%, the Tennessee Titans 4%, the Indianapolis Colts 3%, and the Minnesota Vikings 2%. 16% have no team.
PPP surveyed 632 Missouri voters from September 9th to 12th. The margin of error for the survey is +/-3.9%. 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 Roy
Blunt’s job performance?
Approve…………….. 33%
Disapprove………… 42%
Not sure ……………. 25%
Q2 Do you think same-sex marriage should be
legal or illegal?
Legal……………………………………………………… 32%
Illegal …………………………………………………….. 59%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 9%
Q3 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 ……………………………………………………..28%
Gay couples should be allowed to form civil
unions but not marry …………………………………34%
There should be no legal recognition of a gay
couple’s relationship …………………………………37%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 1%
Q4 Do you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion
of the Tea Party?
Favorable……………………………………………….. 40%
Unfavorable ……………………………………………. 46%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 14%
Q5 What conference would you most like the
Missouri Tigers to be in: the ACC, Big 10, Big
12, Big East, PAC 12, or SEC?
ACC………………………………………………………. 4%
Big 10 ……………………………………………………. 21%
Big 12 ……………………………………………………. 35%
Big East …………………………………………………. 1%
Pac 12 …………………………………………………… 1%
SEC ………………………………………………………. 2%
No opinion………………………………………………. 35%
Q6 Is your favorite Major League Baseball team
the Atlanta Braves, Boston Red Sox, Chicago
Cubs, Chicago White Sox, Kansas City Royals,
Minnesota Twins, New York Yankees, or St.
Louis Cardinals?
Braves …………………………………………………… 2%
Red Sox…………………………………………………. 3%
Cubs ……………………………………………………… 6%
White Sox ………………………………………………. 1%
Royals……………………………………………………. 21%
Twins……………………………………………………… 1%
Yankees …………………………………………………. 3%
Cardinals………………………………………………… 50%
Someone else/Not a baseball fan ………………. 14%
Q7 Is your favorite NFL team the Chicago Bears,
Dallas Cowboys, Green Bay Packers,
Indianapolis Colts, Kansas City Chiefs,
Minnesota Vikings, St. Louis Rams, or
Tennessee Titans?
Bears …………………………………………………….. 6%
Cowboys………………………………………………… 6%
Packers………………………………………………….. 8%
Colts ……………………………………………………… 3%
Chiefs ……………………………………………………. 26%
Vikings …………………………………………………… 2%
Rams …………………………………………………….. 30%
Titans…………………………………………………….. 4%
Someone else/Not a football fan………………… 16%
Q8 Who did you vote for President in 2008?
John McCain…………………………………………… 48%
Barack Obama………………………………………… 45%
Someone else/Don’t remember …………………. 7%
Q9 Would you describe yourself as very liberal,
somewhat liberal, moderate, somewhat
conservative, or very conservative?
Very liberal ……………………………………………… 10%
Somewhat liberal …………………………………….. 14%
Moderate………………………………………………… 27%
Somewhat conservative……………………………. 26%
Very conservative ……………………………………. 23%
Q10 If you are a woman, press 1. If a man, press 2.
Woman ………………………………………………….. 49%
Man……………………………………………………….. 51%
Q11 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 ……………………………………………….. 33%
Republican……………………………………………… 37%
Independent/Other…………………………………… 30%
Q12 If you are white, press 1. If African-American,
press 2. If other, press 3.
White …………………………………………………….. 85%
African-American …………………………………….. 10%
Other……………………………………………………… 5%
Q13 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………………………………………………….. 10%
30 to 45………………………………………………….. 26%
46 to 65………………………………………………….. 42%
Older than 65………………………………………….. 22%
