Raleigh, N.C. – Red Sox fans
started out with such high hopes for the season. Despite the turmoil and disappointment of an
epic collapse down the stretch of the 2011 season, despite no postseason berth
since 2009, and despite a bitter split with a beloved manager and the hiring of
a contentious new one, 82% of Boston faithful said in a mid-March PPP poll that
the Beantown crew would make the playoffs.
Now, following an historic salary dump last Friday that was a proverbial
white flag, they are 13-and-a-half games out of first place in the American
League East and nine games from wild card contention. The BoSox have not had a losing season in 15
years, but three games below .500 they sit.
So it should be no surprise that now only 27% of their fans in Massachusetts
think they will even play a game after October 3rd. And a big fan base that is—78% of likely
voters in this fall’s election.
The last time PPP polled Massachusetts from June 22nd to 24th,
the Red Sox were two games over .500, with plenty of time remaining. Though the bloc of fans who believed the Sox
could go all the way had dropped in two months from 20% to 7%, still 54% thought
they would see some October play—twice as many as now. And a plurality (33%) approved of new manager
Bobby Valentine’s job performance, with only a quarter disapproving. Now, with a player revolt on public display,
more than twice as many disapprove as approve (21-44). And fans are split on whether Bobby V should
continue (35%) or be fired (34%). That
is down from a 52-17 spread less than two months ago.
In other cultural news in the Bay State, Chick-fil-A’s foray into
Massachusetts also has voters split.
Boston Mayor Tom Menino recently released a letter to the company’s
president informing him that the company would have a hard time getting any
more business permits for franchises in Boston.
On the restaurant itself, 31% of all the state’s voters each see it
favorably and unfavorably. 27% think
that no more Chick-fil-A’s should open in the state, 21% would like to see more
of them, and 52% do not care.
Republicans are a little more in favor of more Chick-fil-A’s (48-11)
than Democrats against (9-42), but Democrats way outnumber Republicans. The most numerous voters, the unenrolled,
just slightly favor more Chick-fil-A establishments (23-20).
PPP surveyed 1,115 likely Massachusetts voters
from August 16th to 19th. The margin of error for the
survey is +/-2.9%. This poll was not
paid for or authorized by any campaign or political organization. PPP surveys
are conducted through automated telephone interviews.
Topline results are below. Full results, including crosstabs, can be found here.
Q1 Do you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion
of Tom Menino?
Favorable……………………………………………….. 47%
Unfavorable ……………………………………………. 24%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 29%
Q2 Do you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion
of Chick-fil-A?
Favorable……………………………………………….. 31%
Unfavorable ……………………………………………. 31%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 38%
Q3 Would you like to see more Chick-fil-A stores
open in Massachusetts, or not, or do you not
care?
Would like to see more Chick-fil-A’s in
Massachusetts…………………………………………21%
Would not……………………………………………….. 27%
Don’t care ………………………………………………. 52%
Q4 Would you pay 11 to 14 cents extra for a Papa
John’s pizza to ensure that the company’s
employees have health care, or not?
Would pay more………………………………………. 68%
Would not……………………………………………….. 16%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 17%
Q5 Do you consider yourself to be a Boston Red
Sox fan, or not?
Are a Red Sox fan …………………………………… 78%
Are not …………………………………………………… 22%
Q6 (Q’s 31-34 asked only of Sox fans) Do you
approve or disapprove of the job Bobby
Valentine is doing as manager?
Approve …………………………………………………. 21%
Disapprove……………………………………………… 44%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 35%
Q7 Do you think Bobby Valentine should continue
to serve as manager of the Red Sox, or should
he be fired?
Valentine should continue as manager ……….. 35%
He should be fired……………………………………. 34%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 31%
Q8 Would you like to see Terry Francona return as
manager of the Red Sox someday, or not?
Would like to see Francona return ……………… 50%
Would not……………………………………………….. 24%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 26%
Q9 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, make the playoffs but not win the
pennant, or miss the playoffs?
Sox will win the World Series…………………….. 6%
They’ll win the AL but not the Series …………… 4%
They’ll make the playoffs but not win the
pennant…………………………………………………..27%
They’ll miss the playoffs……………………………. 69%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 5%
Q10 Who did you vote for President in 2008?
John McCain…………………………………………… 33%
Barack Obama………………………………………… 58%
Someone else/Don’t remember …………………. 8%
Q11 Would you describe yourself as very liberal,
somewhat liberal, moderate, somewhat
conservative, or very conservative?
Very liberal ……………………………………………… 13%
Somewhat liberal …………………………………….. 23%
Moderate………………………………………………… 35%
Somewhat conservative……………………………. 22%
Very conservative ……………………………………. 7%
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 ……………………………………………….. 38%
Republican……………………………………………… 15%
Independent/Other…………………………………… 48%
Q14 If you are white, press 1. If other, press 2.
White …………………………………………………….. 87%
Other……………………………………………………… 13%
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………………………………………………….. 25%
46 to 65………………………………………………….. 40%
Older than 65………………………………………….. 18%
