Obama ahead of Romney in latest poll

Milwaukee, Wis. – A new Marquette Law School poll finds former Governor Tommy Thompson holding an eight-point lead over Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin, 49 percent to 41 percent among likely voters, in Wisconsin’s U.S. Senate race. Thompson also holds the advantage among those planning to vote in the August 14 Republican primary; 34 percent of likely primary voters said they would support him. Former Congressman Mark Neumann has 16 percent, businessman Eric Hovde has 14 percent and Assembly Speaker Jeff Fitzgerald is at 10 percent. A substantial 25 percent said that they were undecided or didn’t know whom they would support in the Republican primary.

In other matchups for the November U.S. Senate race, Baldwin and Neumann are tied at 44 percent each; Baldwin receives 45 percent support to Fitzgerald’s 39 percent; and Baldwin has a nine-point edge, 45 percent to 36 percent, over Hovde.

In the presidential race, 49 percent said they would vote for President Barack Obama, to former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney’s 43 percent. In the previous Marquette Law School Poll, conducted May 23-26, Obama led 51-43.

The poll was conducted June 13-16 by both landline and cell phone. The November matchups for likely voters have a margin of error of +/- 4.1 percentage points while the result for Republican primary voters has a margin of error of +/- 5.4 percentage points.

Candidate images

Among the entire sample of registered voters, Thompson is best known, with 84 percent name recognition. He is viewed favorably by 48 percent and unfavorably by 36 percent. Baldwin is less well known, with 57 percent name recognition, which splits 27 percent favorable to 30 percent unfavorable. Slightly less well known is Neumann, with 48 percent recognition and an evaluation of 24 percent favorable to 24 percent unfavorable. Fitzgerald is recognized by 39 percent, with 17 percent favorable to 22 percent unfavorable. Hovde remains the least recognized, with 27 percent able to give an opinion about him, dividing 14 percent favorable to 13 percent unfavorable.

Marquette Law School Poll Director Charles Franklin noted, “The gubernatorial recall election dominated the attention of Wisconsin voters, resulting in less awareness of and knowledge about most of the U.S. Senate candidates at this point. As the campaign approaches the August 14 primary, we would expect to see substantial gains in voters’ knowledge of all the candidates.”

The images of the Republican candidates are somewhat different among likely GOP primary voters. Thompson has 60 percent favorable to 27 percent unfavorable ratings among these voters, with just 13 percent unable to give a rating. Neumann is rated favorably by 38 percent and unfavorably by 18 percent, with 44 percent unable to rate him. Fitzgerald has a 30 percent favorable rating to 16 percent unfavorable, with 53 percent unable to rate him. Hovde is viewed favorably by 22 percent of GOP primary voters, with 11 percent unfavorable and 67 percent unable to rate him.

There is no contested Democratic primary for comparison, but among likely voters who are Democrats or independents who lean towards the Democratic party, Baldwin is viewed favorably by 54 percent and unfavorably by 8 percent, with 38 percent unable to give an impression.

Presidential race

President Obama’s job approval rating stands at 52 percent approve and 43 percent disapprove, unchanged since the previous poll May 23-26. Fifty-three percent say they have a favorable opinion of Obama while 39 percent say unfavorable. Governor Romney’s favorable rating stands at 35 percent with 43 percent unfavorable. In the late May poll Obama’s favorable rating was 55 percent with 41 percent unfavorable while Romney was viewed favorably by 40 percent and unfavorably by 47 percent. The June poll was completed prior to Romney’s visit to Janesville on June 18.

Republicans somewhat more engaged

In the aftermath of the recalls, Republicans remain a bit more enthusiastic about voting. Ninety-three percent of Republicans said they were certain to vote in November, compared to 85 percent of Democrats and 78 percent of independents. Among all registered voters, Democrats make up 30 percent to 27 percent for Republicans, but among likely voters that three-percentage-point Democratic advantage shrinks to just one point, with 31 percent Democratic and 30 percent Republican among likely voters.

Opinion of recalls

Wisconsin voters have shifted their opinion of recalls since January. Then 43 percent said they would like to see recalls “only in cases of criminal wrongdoing,” while 53 percent favored keeping the current rules “with no such restrictions.” In the new June poll, those numbers have reversed, with 50 percent now wishing to limit recalls to cases involving criminal wrongdoing while 44 percent wish to keep the current law.

Governor Scott Walker received the votes of 70 percent of those wishing to limit recalls, while Mayor Tom Barrett was supported by 61 percent of those wishing to keep the recalls without restrictions. The possible impact of views of the recall process is more clearly seen among those who might be expected to vote against Walker. Among those who disapprove of the job Walker is doing as governor, and therefore might be expected to vote against him, Walker received 4 percent of the vote among those who favor the current recall law but 8 percent among those who want to see the law limited. A larger effect appears in the decision to vote at all. Among those disapproving of Walker yet preferring limits on the recall, 26 percent did not vote, whereas 13 percent did not vote among those disapproving of Walker while supporting the current law.

Partisan cooperation

An overwhelming 84 percent of registered voters say they would like to see more cooperation between the parties, with just 11 percent saying it is better for the parties to stand for different things even if that prevents cooperation. But asked if they think cooperation between the parties is possible or if the differences are too great for cooperation, just over half (55 percent) thought cooperation was possible while 41 percent thought party differences are too great. Republicans were a bit more optimistic about cooperation, with 61 percent saying that it is possible, while 58 percent of independents and 48 percent of Democrats said the same. Interestingly, reminding poll respondents that both Walker and Barrett had called for cooperation in their election night speeches had no statistically significant effect on views of cooperation.

U.S. Supreme Court and health care reform

Wisconsin voters express limited approval of the job the U.S. Supreme Court is doing, with 46 percent approving and 35 percent disapproving, a result in line with recent national polls. With the Supreme Court likely to release its decision on health care reform soon, Wisconsin voters are divided in their opinion of the law. Thirty-three percent would like to see the Court keep the entire law intact, while 19 percent favor overturning only the part of the law that requires individuals to purchase insurance and 38 percent hope to see the Court overturn the entire law.

About the Marquette Law School Poll

The Marquette Law School Poll is the most extensive independent statewide polling project in Wisconsin history. Running monthly through the 2012 election, it provides a snapshot of voter attitudes from across the state on the gubernatorial recall election and the campaigns for president and U.S. Senate, in addition to gauging opinion on major policy questions.

The results of today’s poll were discussed at “On the Issues with Mike Gousha” at Marquette Law School. Similar poll release events will be held at Marquette Law School throughout the year.

The poll interviewed 707 registered Wisconsin voters by both landline and cell phone June 13-16, 2012. The margin of error is +/- 3.8 percentage points for the full sample. There are 594 “likely voters,” those who said they were certain to vote in the November elections, with a margin of error of +/- 4.1 percentage points. For the August Republican primary there are 344 likely voters with a margin of error of +/-5.4 percentage points. The entire questionnaire, full results and breakdowns by demographic groups are available at http://law.marquette.edu/poll.

Obama leads Romney in latest poll

Milwaukee, Wis. – A new Marquette Law School poll finds Governor Scott Walker with 52 percent to Mayor Tom Barrett with 45 percent among 600 likely voters in next week’s recall election. That lead falls slightly short of statistical significance. The poll was taken May 23-26, with most interviews completed before last Friday’s first gubernatorial debate, and has a margin of error of +/- 4.1 percentage points. Lt. Governor Rebecca Kleefisch had 46 percent and Professional Fire Fighters of Wisconsin president Mahlon Mitchell had 41 percent, with 11 percent not expressing a preference. The margin in the Lt. Governor’s race is not statistically significant.

The seven-point advantage for Walker was statistically unchanged from the six-point margin two weeks ago in the Marquette Law School poll taken May 9-12, when Walker had 50 percent to Barrett’s 44 percent.

Among all registered voters the margin is six points, with Walker at 50 percent and Barrett at 44 percent. The registered voter sample has a margin of error of +/- 3.7 percentage points.

In the presidential race President Barack Obama received 51 percent to former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney’s 43 percent among likely voters.

Jobs

Perceptions of the jobs situation in the state have shifted over the past two weeks. In the latest survey, 38 percent think the state has gained jobs in the last year, while 30 percent say the state has lost jobs, with 29 percent saying jobs are about the same. In the survey two weeks ago, only 20 percent thought the state had gained jobs, while 37 percent said it had lost jobs. Voters also said Walker would be better at creating jobs than Barrett by a 50 percent to 43 percent margin.

Asked about the impact of limiting collective bargaining for public employees, 39 percent thought it had decreased jobs in the state while 28 percent thought it had increased jobs, with 26 percent seeing no effect. Asked about the impact of legislation “reducing regulation and offering incentives to business” to stay or move to the state, 43 percent thought this had increased jobs while 14 percent thought it had decreased jobs and 35 percent saw no effect.

Candidate images

Walker holds a 51 percent favorable to 46 percent unfavorable image among voters, with just 3 percent unable to give an opinion. Walker’s job approval rating is similar, with 51 percent approval and 45 percent disapproval. For Barrett, 41 percent have a favorable opinion to 46 percent unfavorable, while a larger 11 percent are unable to give an opinion. In the Lt. Governor’s race, Kleefisch receives a 30 percent favorable to 33 percent unfavorable rating, with 36 percent unable to rate her. Opinions of Mitchell were 17 percent favorable, 12 percent unfavorable and 71 percent unable to express an opinion.

There are some ambivalent feelings about how Walker has done his job as governor. Asked which statement comes closest to their view of how Scott Walker has done as Governor, 39 percent said, “I like what he’s done,” while 38 percent said, “I don’t like what he’s done.” Twenty-one percent said, “I like what he’s done but not how he’s done it.”

Voters’ views of the direction of the state are on balance positive though still quite divided. Fifty-two percent say the state is “going in the right direction,” while 44 percent say “things have gotten off on the wrong track.” In “[t]hinking about all the changes in state government over the past year,” 54 percent said “Wisconsin is better off in the long run” because of the changes, while 42 percent said the state was worse off in the long run.

Some issues favor each party

The public remains divided over issues. Asked if they favor or opposed each of six issues, majorities said they opposed cuts to spending for education by a 67 percent to 29 percent margin, and opposed limiting the number of people eligible for health insurance through the BadgerCare program by a 57 percent to 33 percent majority. Majorities supported increases in public employee contributions to health and retirement benefits, with 75 percent in favor and 22 percent opposed. Sixty-one percent favored requiring a government-issued photo id to vote, while 37 percent opposed that. A smaller majority, 55 percent, said they favored limiting collective bargaining for most public employees, while 41 percent opposed such limits. A subsequent question found a closer division on collective bargaining, with 50 percent wanting to keep the current law on bargaining and 45 percent wishing for a return to the previous law prior to last year. The public split on legalizing possession of concealed weapons with 49 percent opposed and 47 percent in favor.

Voters also favored both increased taxes on the wealthy and limits on state spending. Asked to agree or disagree with the statement “The middle class in the state won’t catch a break unless we ask the rich to pay their fair share,” 65 percent agreed and 31 percent disagreed. When asked whether “[t]he middle class in the state won’t catch a break unless we get state spending under control,” 77 percent agreed while 17 percent disagreed.

John Doe Investigation

Seventy-seven percent of voters say they have heard or read about the John Doe investigation of former aides and associates of Scott Walker while he was Milwaukee County Executive. Of those who had heard of the investigation, voters split almost evenly, with 46 percent saying the investigation is “really something serious” and 47 percent saying it is “just more politics.”

Voter participation

Voters remain highly engaged in political activity, with 54 percent saying they had tried to convince someone how to vote, and 26 percent displaying a yard sign or bumper sticker. As in previous polls, about a third, 34 percent, said they had stopped talking about politics with someone because of conflict over the recall.

The campaigns and parties have also been very active. Seventy-eight percent of registered voters said they had been contacted by a campaign over the last 17 months, and 58 percent said they had been contacted in the last week. Of those saying they had been contacted, 14 percent said the contact supported Democrats, 23 percent said it favored Republicans and 59 percent said they had been contacted by both sides.

Republicans are more likely to say they are “absolutely certain to vote” on June 5, at 92 percent, while 77 percent of Democrats say this. Eighty-four percent of independents say they are absolutely certain to vote.

U.S. Senate candidates

With the gubernatorial recall drawing most attention, views of the candidates for U.S. Senate have changed little since last asked on the March 22-25 Marquette Law School Poll. Democratic U.S. Representative Tammy Baldwin has a 26 percent favorable and 26 percent unfavorable rating, with 47 percent unable to give an opinion. Former Governor Tommy Thompson holds a 46 percent favorable to 38 percent unfavorable, with 16 percent unable to rate. Former congressman Mark Neumann received a 26 percent favorable to 23 percent unfavorable rating, with 51 percent unable to rate him. Assembly Speaker Jeff Fitzgerald was seen favorably by 18 percent and unfavorably by 26 percent, with 55 percent unable to give an opinion. Businessman Eric Hovde was seen favorably by 15 percent and unfavorably by 13 percent, with 72 percent unable to say.

Presidential race

President Obama’s job approval rating stands at 52 percent approve and 43 percent disapprove. Fifty-five percent say they have a favorable opinion of Obama while 41 percent say unfavorable. Governor Romney’s favorable rating stands at 40 percent with 47 percent unfavorable. The presidential vote among likely voters moved to 51 percent for Obama and 43 percent for Romney. In the May 9-12 poll, the race was tied 46-46 percent.

About the Marquette Law School Poll
The Marquette Law School Poll is the most extensive independent statewide polling project in Wisconsin history. Running monthly through the 2012 election, it provides a snapshot of voter attitudes from across the state on the gubernatorial recall election and the campaigns for president and U.S. Senate, in addition to gauging opinion on major policy questions.

The results of today’s poll were discussed at “On the Issues with Mike Gousha” at Marquette Law School. Similar poll release events will be held at Marquette Law School throughout the year.

The poll interviewed 720 registered Wisconsin voters by both landline and cell phone May 23-26, 2012. The margin of error is +/- 3.7 percentage points for the full sample. There are 600 “likely voters,” those who said they were certain to vote, with a margin of error of +/- 4.1 percentage points. Results for vote in the Governor, Lt. Governor and presidential races are reported for likely voters. All other results are for the full sample of 720 registered voters. The entire questionnaire, full results and breakdowns by demographic groups are available at http://law.marquette.edu/poll.