Raleigh, N.C. – South Carolinians are strongly against legalizing same-sex marriage, with 69% against it and only 21% for it. That is even 34-53 against legalization among Democrats, and 28-59 with independents. But almost half of the state’s voters, 48%, do want gay couples to at least have the legal rights associated with marriage, with 51% still preferring no legal recognition of these relationships. 19% want full marriage equality, and another 29% favor civil unions. Total support for legal equality jumps to 59% with Democrats, 57% with independents, and even 34% with Republicans, only 7% of whom favor marriage overall.
In an early primary she lost to then-Senator Barack Obama by almost 29 points, Hillary Clinton is now the overwhelming favorite of the state’s Democrats, should she choose to take another shot at the White House in 2016. She has 57% to Vice President Joe Biden’s 23%, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s 5%, Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick’s 2%, Virginia Sen. Mark Warner’s and former Wisconsin Sen. Russ Feingold’s 1%, and New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand’s and Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer’s less than 1%. If neither Clinton nor Biden run, Cuomo would lead with 15% to Warner’s 8%, Feingold’s 7%, Patrick’s 4%, Gillibrand’s 3%, and Schweitzer’s 2%.
Voters are now split on the Tea Party, with 41% seeing it favorably and 42% unfavorably. That is 27-46 with independents, and Democrats are slightly more against it than Republicans for it.
In sports, half of the state roots for the Atlanta Braves, with the next most popular MLB team the New York Yankees at 10%, and six other teams in the low single digits. 27% favor the Carolina Panthers, 10% the Atlanta Falcons, 9% the Dallas Cowboys, 8% the Pittsburgh Steelers, and four other NFL teams with less support. 52% say they cheer for the University of South Carolina, with less than half that (25%) partial to Clemson.
PPP surveyed 587 South Carolina voters, including 226 usual Democratic primary voters, from August 25th to 28th. The margin of error for the entire survey is +/-4.0%, and +/-6.5 for the Democratic primary sample. 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 think same-sex marriage should be
legal or illegal?
Legal……………………………………………………… 21%
Illegal …………………………………………………….. 69%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 10%
Q2 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 ……………………………………………………..19%
Gay couples should be allowed to form civil
unions but not marry …………………………………29%
There should be no legal recognition of a gay
couple’s relationship …………………………………51%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 2%
Q3 Is your favorite NFL team the Atlanta Falcons,
Baltimore Ravens, Carolina Panthers, Dallas
Cowboys, Indianapolis Colts, New York Giants,
Pittsburgh Steelers, Washington Redskins, or
someone else?
Falcons ………………………………………………….. 10%
Ravens…………………………………………………… 2%
Panthers ………………………………………………… 27%
Cowboys………………………………………………… 9%
Colts ……………………………………………………… 4%
Giants ……………………………………………………. 4%
Steelers………………………………………………….. 8%
Redskins………………………………………………… 5%
Someone else…………………………………………. 31%
Q4 Is your favorite Major League Baseball team
the Atlanta Braves, Baltimore Orioles, Boston
Red Sox, Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds, New
York Yankees, St. Louis Cardinals, Washington
Nationals, or someone else?
Braves …………………………………………………… 50%
Orioles …………………………………………………… 3%
Red Sox…………………………………………………. 5%
Cubs ……………………………………………………… 3%
Reds ……………………………………………………… 2%
Yankees …………………………………………………. 10%
Cardinals………………………………………………… 2%
Nationals………………………………………………… 1%
Someone else/Not a baseball fan ………………. 24%
Q5 Would you say that you are more a Clemson or
Carolina fan?
Clemson…………………………………………………. 25%
Carolina …………………………………………………. 52%
Not a fan of either school or like both equally . 23%
Q6 Generally speaking, do you vote in Democratic
or Republican primaries, or do you not usually
vote in primaries?
Democratic primaries……………………………….. 41%
Republican primaries ……………………………….. 49%
Don’t usually vote in primaries …………………… 10%
Q7 If the Democratic candidates for President in
2016 were Joe Biden, Hillary Clinton, Andrew
Cuomo, Russ Feingold, Kirsten Gillibrand,
Deval Patrick, Brian Schweitzer, and Mark
Warner, who would you vote for?
Joe Biden……………………………………………….. 23%
Hillary Clinton………………………………………….. 57%
Andrew Cuomo ……………………………………….. 5%
Russ Feingold…………………………………………. 1%
Kirsten Gillibrand …………………………………….. 0%
Deval Patrick…………………………………………… 2%
Brian Schweitzer ……………………………………… 0%
Mark Warner …………………………………………… 1%
Someone else/Undecided…………………………. 11%
Q8 If the Democratic candidates for President in
2016 were just Andrew Cuomo, Russ Feingold,
Kirsten Gillibrand, Deval Patrick, Brian
Schweitzer, and Mark Warner, who would you
vote for?
Andrew Cuomo ……………………………………….. 15%
Russ Feingold…………………………………………. 7%
Kirsten Gillibrand …………………………………….. 3%
Deval Patrick…………………………………………… 4%
Brian Schweitzer ……………………………………… 2%
Mark Warner …………………………………………… 8%
Someone else/Undecided…………………………. 61%
Q9 Do you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion
of the Tea Party?
Favorable……………………………………………….. 41%
Unfavorable ……………………………………………. 42%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 18%
Q10 Who did you vote for President in 2008?
John McCain…………………………………………… 49%
Barack Obama………………………………………… 39%
Someone else/Don’t remember …………………. 11%
Q11 Would you describe yourself as very liberal,
somewhat liberal, moderate, somewhat
conservative, or very conservative?
Very liberal ……………………………………………… 7%
Somewhat liberal …………………………………….. 14%
Moderate………………………………………………… 27%
Somewhat conservative……………………………. 26%
Very conservative ……………………………………. 26%
Q12 If you are a woman, press 1. If a man, press 2.
Woman ………………………………………………….. 55%
Man……………………………………………………….. 45%
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 ……………………………………………….. 36%
Republican……………………………………………… 44%
Independent/Other…………………………………… 20%
Q14 If you are white, press 1. If African-American,
press 2. If other, press 3.
White …………………………………………………….. 72%
African-American …………………………………….. 23%
Other……………………………………………………… 5%
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………………………………………………….. 17%
30 to 45………………………………………………….. 28%
46 to 65………………………………………………….. 39%
Older than 65………………………………………….. 16%
