Raleigh, N.C. – Football has long since taken over baseball as America’s pastime, at least in terms of TV ratings. But Nevadans without a major pro sports team seem more eager to get an MLB franchise than an NFL one. Of the four major sports leagues, 27% want a hardball club, 23% a gridiron team, 13% an NBA team, and only 8% an NHL team. A 28% plurality are not sure. With Republicans, the NFL tops MLB, 27-24, but with Democrats, baseball leads, 30-19, and with independents, 29-25. At respective 18% and 10%, basketball and hockey both get their highest support from Democrats.
Because they do not have local rooting interests, Nevadans are pretty divided on who their favorite teams are in each baseball and football. 21% cheer for the San Francisco Giants, 16% the Arizona Diamondbacks, 14% each the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers, and 13% the Chicago Cubs. In the NFL, 19% pull for the San Francisco 49ers, 12% the Dallas Cowboys, and 11% each the Oakland Raiders and Green Bay Packers. Four teams are in single digits in each sport.
Both Harry Reid and the man who beat his son last fall, Brian Sandoval, have become slightly less popular since PPP last polled Nevada in July. Gov. Sandoval has slipped from 46% approving and 36% disapproving to 45-38, and Sen. Reid from 44-51 to 42-53. Each man has cratered by 24 or 25 points with independents, but luckily for them, independents are less than a fifth of the electorate.
Despite the need for outreach by Republicans to Hispanic voters, particularly in the West, Sandoval would not be a boon to the GOP presidential ticket, were he on it—at least voters do not admit he would be. Only 20% say Sandoval being #2 would make them more like to vote GOP, and 31% say it would make them less likely. Much of that is posturing by Democrats and Republicans who either will or will not vote GOP anyway. But even with independents, the margin is 14-35. 49% say the VP slot would make no difference—55% among Republicans who will vote GOP, come hell or high water.
PPP surveyed 500 Nevada voters from October 20th to 23rd. The margin of error for the survey is +/-4.4%. 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 Governor
Brian Sandoval’s job performance?
Approve…………….. 45%
Disapprove………… 38%
Not sure ……………. 18%
Q2 If Brian Sandoval was the Republican
candidate for Vice President next year would
that make you more or less likely to vote for the
Republican Presidential nominee, or would it
not make a difference?
More likely………………………………………………. 20%
Less likely ………………………………………………. 31%
Wouldn’t make a difference……………………….. 49%
Q3 Do you approve or disapprove of Senator Harry
Reid’s job performance?
Approve …………….. .42%
Disapprove…………. .53%
Not sure …………….. . 5%
Q4 Do you support or oppose the goals of the
Occupy Wall Street movement?
Support ………………………………………………….. 42%
Oppose ………………………………………………….. 40%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 18%
Q5 Do you support or oppose the goals of the Tea
Party movement?
Support ………………………………………………….. 43%
Oppose ………………………………………………….. 45%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 13%
Q6 Do you have a higher opinion of the Occupy
Wall Street movement or the Tea Party
movement?
Occupy Wall Street ………………………………….. 44%
Tea Party ……………………………………………….. 43%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 13%
Q7 Would you most like Las Vegas to have a
Major League Baseball, NBA, NHL, or NFL
team?
MLB ………………………………………………………. 27%
NBA ………………………………………………………. 13%
NHL ………………………………………………………. 8%
NFL……………………………………………………….. 23%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 28%
Q8 Is your favorite Major League Baseball team
the Arizona Diamondbacks, Atlanta Braves,
Chicago Cubs, Los Angeles Angels, Los
Angeles Dodgers, New York Yankees, Oakland
Athletics, San Diego Padres, or San Francisco
Giants?
Diamondbacks ………………………………………… 16%
Braves …………………………………………………… 5%
Cubs ……………………………………………………… 13%
Angels……………………………………………………. 9%
Dodgers …………………………………………………. 14%
Yankees …………………………………………………. 14%
A’s…………………………………………………………. 3%
Padres …………………………………………………… 4%
Giants ……………………………………………………. 21%
Someone else/Don’t have a favorite team …… 0%
Q9 Is your favorite NFL team the Arizona
Cardinals, Dallas Cowboys, Denver Broncos,
Green Bay Packers, Oakland Raiders,
Pittsburgh Steelers, San Diego Chargers, or
San Francisco 49ers?
Cardinals………………………………………………… 7%
Cowboys………………………………………………… 12%
Broncos………………………………………………….. 8%
Packers………………………………………………….. 11%
Raiders ………………………………………………….. 11%
Steelers………………………………………………….. 9%
Chargers………………………………………………… 5%
49ers……………………………………………………… 19%
Someone else/Don’t have a favorite team …… 18%
Q10 Are you more a fan of the Nevada Wolfpack or
the UNLV Rebels?
Nevada ………………………………………………….. 46%
UNLV …………………………………………………….. 38%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 15%
Q11 Would you describe yourself as very liberal,
somewhat liberal, moderate, somewhat
conservative, or very conservative?
Very liberal ……………………………………………… 12%
Somewhat liberal …………………………………….. 18%
Moderate………………………………………………… 29%
Somewhat conservative……………………………. 25%
Very conservative ……………………………………. 17%
Q12 If you are a woman, press 1. If a man, press 2.
Woman ………………………………………………….. 52%
Man……………………………………………………….. 48%
Q13 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……………………………………………… 38%
Independent/Other…………………………………… 19%
Q14 If you are Hispanic, press 1. If white, press 2.
If African-American, press 3. If other, press 4.
Hispanic…………………………………………………. 11%
White …………………………………………………….. 75%
African-American …………………………………….. 7%
Other……………………………………………………… 8%
Q15 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………………………………………………….. 15%
30 to 45………………………………………………….. 23%
46 to 65………………………………………………….. 42%
Older than 65………………………………………….. 20%
