Raleigh, N.C. – A lot of states are moving toward acceptance of same-sex marriage, but West Virginia is not one of them. Only 19% of the state’s voters want it to be legal, while 71% want it to stay illegal. Despite 55% of the electorate being Democrats, they are very socially conservative, opposing gay marriage by a 61-26 margin.
Even when given the option of the equal legal rights associated with civil unions, only 43% of all voters want some form of legal recognition for gay couples—17% for full marriage and 26% for civil unions—while 54% still prefer no recognition for these relationships. Though they are still slightly less likely than Democrats to favor marriage rights in the two-way question, independents, at 60%, are actually more likely than Democrats (53%) to be for some form of legal equality.
Though it is reviled in most other parts of the country now, West Virginians still have at least a little love for the Tea Party. 42% see it favorably and 38% unfavorably. 68% of Republicans, 59% of independents, and even 23% of Democrats see it positively.
West Virginia is without a doubt Steelers country. 43% of Mountaineers root for Pittsburgh, with no one else in double digits. 9% favor the Dallas Cowboys, 7% the Cleveland Browns and Washington Redskins, 6% the Cincinnati Bengals, 5% the Indianapolis Colts, 3% the Baltimore Ravens, and 2% the Philadelphia Eagles. 18% cheer for another team or are not football fans.
The state is divided, however, when it comes to baseball. 27% claim to be fans of each the Cincinnati Reds and Pittsburgh Pirates. Again, no one else is close. 8% prefer the Atlanta Braves, 7% the New York Yankees, 4% the Baltimore Orioles, 3% the Cleveland Indians, and 2% each the Philadelphia Phillies and Washington Nationals. 21% like some other MLB team or are not baseball fans at all.
PPP surveyed 708 likely West Virginia voters from September 1st to 4th. The margin of error for the survey is +/-3.7%. 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 Jay
Rockefeller’s job performance?
Approve …………….. .45%
Disapprove…………. .42%
Not sure …………….. .12%
Q2 Do you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion
of Don Blankenship?
Favorable……………………………………………….. 13%
Unfavorable ……………………………………………. 44%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 43%
Q3 Is your favorite baseball team the Atlanta
Braves, Baltimore Orioles, Cincinnati Reds,
Cleveland Indians, New York Yankees,
Philadelphia Phillies, Pittsburgh Pirates, or
Washington Nationals?
Braves …………………………………………………… 8%
Orioles …………………………………………………… 4%
Reds ……………………………………………………… 27%
Indians …………………………………………………… 3%
Yankees …………………………………………………. 7%
Phillies …………………………………………………… 2%
Pirates …………………………………………………… 27%
Nationals………………………………………………… 2%
Someone else/Not a baseball fan ………………. 21%
Q4 Is your favorite football team the Baltimore
Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland
Browns, Dallas Cowboys, Indianapolis Colts,
Philadelphia Eagles, Pittsburgh Steelers, or
Washington Redskins?
Ravens…………………………………………………… 3%
Bengals………………………………………………….. 6%
Browns…………………………………………………… 7%
Cowboys………………………………………………… 9%
Colts ……………………………………………………… 5%
Eagles……………………………………………………. 2%
Steelers………………………………………………….. 43%
Redskins………………………………………………… 7%
Someone else/Not a football fan………………… 18%
Q5 Do you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion
of Bob Wise?
Favorable……………………………………………….. 35%
Unfavorable ……………………………………………. 31%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 34%
Q6 Do you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion
of Gaston Caperton?
Favorable……………………………………………….. 42%
Unfavorable ……………………………………………. 34%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 25%
Q7 Do you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion
of Arch Moore?
Favorable……………………………………………….. 38%
Unfavorable ……………………………………………. 41%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 21%
Q8 Do you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion
of Hulett Smith?
Favorable……………………………………………….. 14%
Unfavorable ……………………………………………. 22%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 65%
Q9 Do you think same-sex marriage should be
legal or illegal?
Legal……………………………………………………… 19%
Illegal …………………………………………………….. 71%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 10%
Q10 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 ……………………………………………………..17%
Gay couples should be allowed to form civil
unions but not marry …………………………………26%
There should be no legal recognition of a gay
couple’s relationship …………………………………54%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 3%
Q11 Do you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion
of the Tea Party?
Favorable……………………………………………….. 42%
Unfavorable ……………………………………………. 38%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 20%
Q12 Who did you vote for President in 2008?
John McCain…………………………………………… 49%
Barack Obama………………………………………… 40%
Someone else/Don’t remember …………………. 11%
Q13 Would you describe yourself as very liberal,
somewhat liberal, moderate, somewhat
conservative, or very conservative?
Very liberal ……………………………………………… 8%
Somewhat liberal …………………………………….. 15%
Moderate………………………………………………… 26%
Somewhat conservative……………………………. 28%
Very conservative ……………………………………. 22%
Q14 If you are a woman, press 1. If a man, press 2.
Woman ………………………………………………….. 53%
Man……………………………………………………….. 47%
Q15 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 ……………………………………………….. 55%
Republican……………………………………………… 36%
Independent/Other…………………………………… 9%
Q16 If you are white, press 1. If other, press 2.
White …………………………………………………….. 95%
Other……………………………………………………… 5%
Q17 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………………………………………………….. 8%
30 to 45………………………………………………….. 18%
46 to 65………………………………………………….. 45%
Older than 65………………………………………….. 29%
