Connecticut Survey of 500 Likely Voters Conducted February 1-2, 2012 By Pulse Opinion Research for Yankee Institute for Public Policy Margin of Error: +/- 4.5% with a 95% level of confidence
1* How would you rate the job Barack Obama has been doing as President… do you strongly approve, somewhat approve, somewhat disapprove, or strongly disapprove of the job he’s been doing?
| Feb 2012 | June 2011 | Feb 2011 |
| 37% Strongly approve 16% Somewhat approve 11% Somewhat disapprove 33% Strongly disapprove 3% Not sure | 36% Strongly approve 19% Somewhat approve 8% Somewhat disapprove 34% Strongly disapprove 2% Not sure | 30 % Strongly approve 34 % Somewhat approve 10 % Somewhat disapprove 27 % Strongly disapprove 0 % Not sure |
| 53/44 approve/disapprove | 55/42 approve/disapprove | 64/37 approve/disapprove |
2* How would you rate the job Dan Malloy has been doing as Governor… do you strongly approve, somewhat approve, somewhat disapprove, or strongly disapprove of the job he’s been doing?
| Feb 2012 | June 2011 | Feb 2011 |
| 18% Strongly approve 33% Somewhat approve 20% Somewhat disapprove 26% Strongly disapprove 3% Not sure | 18% Strongly approve 24% Somewhat approve 22% Somewhat disapprove 34% Strongly disapprove 2% Not sure | 18% Strongly approve 32% Somewhat approve 19% Somewhat disapprove 27% Strongly disapprove 3% Not sure |
| 51/46 approve/disapprove | 42/56 approve/disapprove | 50/46 approve/disapprove |
3* 2012 Presidential Race9a* In thinking about the 2012 Presidential Election suppose you had a choice between Republican Mitt Romney and Democrat Barack Obama. If the election were held today would you vote for Republican Mitt Romney or Democrat Barack Obama?10b* In thinking about the 2012 Presidential Election, suppose you had a choice between Democrat Barack Obama and Republican Newt Gingrich. If the election were held today would you vote for Democrat Barack Obama or Republican Newt Gingrich?11a* Okay, what if the Republicans nominate Newt Gingrich? If the 2012 Presidential Election were held today would you vote for Republican Newt Gingrich or Democrat Barack Obama?12b* Okay, what if the Republicans nominate Mitt Romney? If the 2012 Presidential Election were held today would you vote for Democrat Barack Obama or Republican Mitt Romney?
| Obama | 50% |
| Romney | 37% |
| Some other candidate | 4% |
| Not sure | 8% |
| Obama | 56% |
| Gingrich | 35% |
| Some other candidate | 5% |
| Not sure | 4% |
4* 2012 Connecticut Senate Race13a* In thinking about the 2012 Election for United States Senate suppose you had a choice between Republican Linda McMahon and Democrat Chris Murphy. If the election were held today would you vote for Republican Linda McMahon or Democrat Chris Murphy?14b* In thinking about the 2012 Election for United States senate suppose you had a choice between Democrat Susan Bysiewicz (BY-suh-wits) and Republican Linda McMahon. If the election were held today would you vote for Democrat Susan Bysiewicz or Republican Linda McMahon?15a* Okay…what if the Democrats nominate Susan Bysiewicz. If the 2012 election for U.S. Senate were held today would you vote for Republican Linda McMahon or Democrat Susan Bysiewicz?16b* Okay…what if the Democrats nominate Chris Murphy. If the 2012 election for U.S. Senate were held today would you vote for Democrat Chris Murphy or Republican Linda McMahon?17a* Fine…what if the Republicans nominate Chris Shays and the Democrats nominate Chris Murphy. If the 2012 election for U.S. Senate were held today would you vote for Republican Chris Shays or Democrat Chris Murphy?18b* Fine…what if the Democrats nominate Susan Bysiewicz and the Republicans nominate Chris Shays. If the 2012 election for U.S. senate were held today would you vote for Democrat Susan Bysiewicz or Republican Chris Shays?
| Murphy | 49% |
| McMahon | 40% |
| Some other candidate | 3% |
| Not sure | 8% |
| Murphy | 45% |
| Shays | 39% |
| Some other candidate | 4% |
| Not sure | 12% |
| Bysiewicz | 43% |
| McMahon | 40% |
| Some other candidate | 7% |
| Not sure | 10% |
| Bysiewicz | 41% |
| Shays | 42% |
| Some other candidate | 7% |
| Not sure | 10% |
5* Now I’m going to read you a short list of people in the News. For each, please let me know if you have a favorable or unfavorable impression of that person. If you have never heard of them that’s OK, just let me know?
| Fav | Unfav | Never Heard of | Not sure | Net | ||
| “Republican Presidential candidate Mitt Romney” | 41% | 46% | 4% | 9% | -5 | |
| “Republican Presidential candidate Newt Gingrich” | 28% | 63% | 2% | 8% | -35 | |
| “Congressman Chris Murphy” | 44% | 25% | 10% | 21% | +19 | |
| “Former Secretary of State Susan Bysiewicz” | 40% | 39% | 9% | 12% | +1 | |
| “Businesswoman Linda McMahon” | 39% | 48% | 4% | 9% | -9 | |
| “Former Congressman Chris Shays” | 37% | 30% | 10% | 22% | +7 |
6* If Governor Malloy runs for re-election in the year 2014, how likely are you to vote to re-elect Dan Malloy for governor – do you think you will definitely vote for him, probably vote for him, probably vote against him, or definitely vote against him?
| Feb 2012 | June 2011 |
| 24% Definitely vote for him 23% Probably vote for him 20% Probably vote against him 27% Definitely vote against him 6% Not sure | 10% Definitely vote for him 29% Probably vote for him 25% Probably not vote for him 31% Definitely not vote for him 5% Not sure |
| 47% re-elect | 39% re-elect |
7* How would you rate the job Joe Lieberman has been doing as Senator… do you strongly approve, somewhat approve, somewhat disapprove, or strongly disapprove of the job he’s been doing?
| Feb 2012 | June 2011 |
| 17% Strongly approve 36% Somewhat approve 27% Somewhat disapprove 16% Strongly disapprove 4% Not sure | 10% Strongly approve 42% Somewhat approve 28% Somewhat disapprove 18% Strongly disapprove 2% Not sure |
| 53/43 approve/disapprove | 52/46 approve/disapprove |
8* How would you rate the job Richard Blumenthal has been doing as Senator… do you strongly approve, somewhat approve, somewhat disapprove, or strongly disapprove of the job he’s been doing?
| Feb 2012 | June 2011 |
| 30% Strongly approve 32% Somewhat approve 16% Somewhat disapprove 15% Strongly disapprove 7% Not sure | 23% Strongly approve 38% Somewhat approve 14% Somewhat disapprove 22% Strongly disapprove 2% Not sure |
| 62/31 approve/disapprove | 61/36 approve/disapprove |
9* Despite last year’s tax increase, the Connecticut state budget has a projected deficit of 145 million dollars. Which approach would you choose for dealing with the state’s budget shortfall … rely entirely on spending cuts with no tax increases … rely mainly on spending cuts, with some tax increases … have an even balance of spending cuts and tax increases … rely mainly on tax increases, with some spending cuts … or rely entirely on tax increases, with no spending cuts?
40% Rely entirely on spending cuts with no tax increases
30% Rely mainly on spending cuts, with some tax increases 21% Have an even balance of spending cuts and tax increases 6% Rely mainly on tax increases, with some spending cuts 0% Rely entirely on tax increases, with no spending cuts 2% Not sure10* Public school teachers in Connecticut gain tenure after four years on the job, after which they can only lose their jobs for cause. Do you think teacher tenure is a necessary job protection and should be kept, or do you think tenure makes it too hard to get rid of bad teachers and should be abolished?
24% Tenure should be kept 61% Tenure should abolished 15% Not sure
11* Should teacher salaries be mostly tied to a teacher’s years of experience and formal education, or mostly tied to how well their students do and classroom evaluations?
28% Experience and education
53% How well students do and classroom evaluations 19% Not sure
12* Overall, are teachers’ unions more interested in the quality of education or in protecting their members’ jobs?
28% Quality of education
63% Protecting their members’ jobs 10% Not sure
13* Governor Malloy and two state commissioners recently attended the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Governor Malloy says the trip was a unique opportunity to promote Connecticut businesses. Critics say the conference is more about networking for the global elite at an exclusive resort than about substance. Do you approve or disapprove of Governor Malloy’s decision to attend the World Economic Forum?
35% Approve 48% Disapprove 17% Not sure
14* The Connecticut legislature is considering a bill that would allow the sale of beer, wine and liquor on Sundays. Do you favor or oppose changing state law to allow for Sunday beer, wine and liquor sales?
62% Favor 31% Oppose 7% Not sure
15* The Malloy administration and state employee labor unions have been working to unionize certain daycare providers and personal care attendants who service poor families, the elderly, and the disabled. Critics say this is a forced-unionization scheme designed to unionize private sector workers against their wishes in order to collect union dues. Supporters say the daycare providers and personal care assistants should be treated like other state employees who perform similar tasks. Do you agree or disagree with efforts to unionize daycare providers and personal care attendants?
34% Agree 52% Disagree 14% Not sure
16* Should the illegal immigrants who are living in the United States be allowed to stay as guest workers and given a path to legal status provided they pay back taxes or fines and pass a background check; or they should be required to leave the country?
56% Illegal immigrants in the United States should be allowed to stay as guest workers and given a path to legal status
37% They should be required to leave the country 7% Not sure
