Research 2000 Massachusetts Poll Results

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    in partnership with...

    MoveOn.org Political Action

    The Research 2000 Massachusetts Poll was conducted for three organizations -- the Progressive Change Campaign Committee, Democracy for America, and MoveOn.org -- on Tuesday, January 19, 2010 after polls closed in the special election for Senate.

    500 Obama voters who did NOT vote in the special election were asked one set of questions. 500 Obama voters who DID vote -- and voted for Republican Scott Brown -- were asked another set of questions. Each has a margin of error of 4.5%.

    2774 Obama voters from 2008 who voted Tuesday were reached -- of which 2274 (82%) voted for Democrat Martha Coakley and 500 (18%) voted against her.

    (Research 2000 also does polling for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Lexington Herald-Leader, Fort Wayne News Sentinel, South Bend Tribune, and Reno Gazette-Journal, and dozens of other media outlets. They did a Virginia 2009 post-election poll of Obama voters for the PCCC, which is located here. )

    Sample Figures

    OBAMA VOTERS WHO VOTED FOR SCOTT BROWN:

    Men: 271 (54%)
    Women: 229 (46%)
    Democrats: 36 (7%)
    Republicans: 41 (8%)
    Independents: 423 (85%)

    OBAMA VOTERS WHO DID NOT VOTE:

    Men: 254 (51%)
    Women: 246 (49%)
    Democrats: 447 (89%)
    Republicans: 19 (4%)
    Independents: 34 (7%)


    DEMOCRATS LEARNING WRONG LESSON FROM MASSACHUSETTS?

    EVEN SCOTT BROWN VOTERS WANT THE PUBLIC OPTION, WANT DEMOCRATS TO BE BOLDER

    "In an election between Scott Brown and the public option, the public option would have won."

    – Charles Chamberlain, political director of Democracy for America

    HEALTH CARE BILL OPPONENTS THINK IT "DOESN'T GO FAR ENOUGH"

    • by 3 to 2 among Obama voters who voted for Brown
    • by 6 to 1 among Obama voters who stayed home

    (18% of Obama supporters who voted supported Brown.)

    VOTERS OVERWHELMINGLY SUPPORT THE PUBLIC OPTION

    • 82% of Obama voters who voted for Brown
    • 86% of Obama voters who stayed home

    OBAMA VOTERS WANT DEMOCRATS TO BE BOLDER

    • 57% of Brown voters say Obama "not delivering enough" on change he promised
    • 49% to 37% among voters who stayed home

    PLUS: Obama voters overwhelming want bold economic populism from Democrats in 2010.

    OBAMA VOTERS WHO VOTED BROWN

    QUESTION: Would you favor or oppose the national government offering everyone the choice of a government administered health insurance plan -- something like the Medicare coverage that people 65 and older get -- that would compete with private health insurance plans?
     FAVOROPPOSENOT SURE
    ALL 82% 14% 4%
    MEN 79% 18% 3%
    WOMEN 85% 10% 5%
    DEMOCRATS 89% 7% 4%
    REPUBLICANS 68% 24% 8%
    INDEPENDENTS 83% 13% 4%
    QUESTION: Do you favor or oppose the health care reform proposal recently passed by the U.S. Senate?
     FAVOROPPOSENOT SURE
    ALL 32% 48% 20%
    MEN 29% 52% 19%
    WOMEN 35% 44% 21%
    DEMOCRATS 42% 46% 12%
    REPUBLICANS 11% 68% 21%
    INDEPENDENTS 33% 47% 20%
    QUESTION: If oppose, do you think it goes too far or doesn't go far enough?
     NOT ENOUGHTOO FARNOT SURE
    ALL 36% 23% 41%
    MEN 34% 26% 40%
    WOMEN 38% 20% 42%
    DEMOCRATS 49% 18% 33%
    REPUBLICANS 11% 61% 28%
    INDEPENDENTS 38% 20% 42%
    QUESTION: Generally speaking do you think Barack Obama and Democrats in Washington, DC are delivering enough on the change Obama promised to bring to America during the campaign?
     YESNONOT SURE
    ALL 31% 57% 12%
    MEN 30% 60% 10%
    WOMEN 32% 54% 14%
    DEMOCRATS 36% 55% 9%
    REPUBLICANS 6% 69% 25%
    INDEPENDENTS 33% 56% 11%
    QUESTION: Generally speaking, do you think Democrats in Washington, DC are fighting hard enough to challenge the Republican policies of the Bush years, aren't fighting hard enough to change those policies, or are fighting about right?
     NOT ENOUGHTOO HARDABOUT RIGHTNOT SURE
    ALL 37% 15% 21% 27%
    MEN 34% 19% 18% 29%
    WOMEN 40% 11% 24% 25%
    DEMOCRATS 45% 8% 35% 12%
    REPUBLICANS 12% 47% 5% 36%
    INDEPENDENTS 39% 13% 21% 27%
    QUESTION: Is the issue of national health care reform very important, somewhat important, or not important when deciding how or if to vote?
     VERYSOMENOTNOT SURE
      
    ALL 32% 35% 13% 20%
    MEN 30% 34% 15% 21%
    WOMEN 34% 36% 11% 19%
    DEMOCRATS 37% 41% 7% 15%
    REPUBLICANS 25% 28% 25% 22%
    INDEPENDENTS 32% 35% 12% 21%
    QUESTION: Would you favor or oppose requiring all Americans to buy health insurance from private companies -- the so-called mandate -- even if they find insurance too expensive or do not want it?
     FAVOROPPOSENOT SURE
    ALL 30% 59% 11%
    MEN 32% 57% 11%
    WOMEN 34% 53% 13%
    DEMOCRATS 38% 51% 11%
    REPUBLICANS 9% 82% 9%
    INDEPENDENTS 31% 58% 11%
    QUESTION: Is the issue of the economy very important, somewhat important, or not important when deciding how or if to vote?
     VERYSOMENOT VERYNOT SURE
    ALL 48% 47% 3% 2%
    MEN 50% 46% 3% 1%
    WOMEN 46% 48% 3% 3%
    DEMOCRATS 51% 44% 2% 3%
    REPUBLICANS 37% 50% 7% 6%
    INDEPENDENTS 49% 47% 3% 1%
    QUESTION: Which candidate in Tuesday's special election for Senate did a better job of representing you and your family on economic issues: Republican Scott Brown or Democrat Martha Coakley ?
     COAKLEYBROWNNEITHER
    ALL 13% 25% 62%
    MEN 10% 29% 61%
    WOMEN 16% 21% 63%
    DEMOCRATS 16% 17% 67%
    REPUBLICANS 6% 42% 52%
    INDEPENDENTS 13% 24% 63%
    QUESTION: If the Democratic Congress passed a bill that laid down stronger rules of the road for Wall Street and cut bonuses for the executives of companies that received government bailouts, would that make you more likely or less likely to vote Democratic in the 2010 general election?
     MORELESSNO AFFECT
    ALL 53% 14% 33%
    MEN 50% 15% 35%
    WOMEN 56% 13% 31%
    DEMOCRATS 61% 7% 32%
    REPUBLICANS 21% 27% 52%
    INDEPENDENTS 55% 13% 32%
    QUESTION: What would do more to improve our nation's economic conditions: Decreasing government spending OR tightening government regulation of Wall Street and corporate executives?
     TIGHTENDECREASENOT SURE
    ALL 43% 25% 32%
    MEN 40% 29% 31%
    WOMEN 46% 21% 33%
    DEMOCRATS 54% 21% 25%
    REPUBLICANS 21% 56% 23%
    INDEPENDENTS 44% 23% 33%

    I'm going to read you several pairs of statements and would like for you to tell us which comes closest to your point of view.

    QUESTION: Democrats in Washington are more on my side than on the side of the lobbyists and special interests, OR
    Democrats in Washington are more on the side of the lobbyists and special interests than on the side of people like me.
     LOBBYISTSMY SIDENOT SURE
    ALL 47% 23% 30%
    MEN 49% 20% 31%
    WOMEN 45% 26% 29%
    DEMOCRATS 46% 29% 25%
    REPUBLICANS 35% 9% 56%
    INDEPENDENTS 48% 24% 28%
    QUESTION: When Democrats took power, they really changed things in Washington, OR
    When Democrats took power, they didn't change much about how Washington works.
     NO CHANGECHANGENOT SURE
    ALL 52% 23% 25%
    MEN 56% 21% 23%
    WOMEN 48% 25% 27%
    DEMOCRATS 49% 29% 22%
    REPUBLICANS 57% 5% 38%
    INDEPENDENTS 52% 24% 24%
    QUESTION: Democrats economic policy is more focused on helping Wall Street than helping main street, OR
    Democrats' economic policy is more focused on helping Main Street than helping wall street.
     MAINWALLNOT SURE
    ALL 31% 51% 18%
    MEN 30% 53% 17%
    WOMEN 32% 49% 19%
    DEMOCRATS 45% 50% 5%
    REPUBLICANS 17% 31% 52%
    INDEPENDENTS 31% 53% 16%

    OBAMA VOTERS WHO STAYED HOME

    QUESTION: Generally speaking do you think Barack Obama and Democrats in Washington, DC are delivering enough on the change Obama promised to bring to America during the campaign?
     YESNONOT SURE
    ALL 37% 49% 14%
    MEN 35% 52% 13%
    WOMEN 39% 46% 15%
    DEMOCRATS 39% 47% 14%
    REPUBLICANS 4% 67% 29%
    INDEPENDENTS 28% 59% 13%
    QUESTION: Generally speaking, do you think Democrats in Washington, DC are fighting hard enough to challenge the Republican policies of the Bush years, aren't fighting hard enough to change those policies, or are fighting about right?
     NOT ENOUGHTOO HARDABOUT RIGHTNOT SURE
    ALL 39% 12% 25% 24%
    MEN 36% 16% 23% 25%
    WOMEN 42% 8% 27% 23%
    DEMOCRATS 41% 10% 26% 23%
    REPUBLICANS 5% 43% 3% 49%
    INDEPENDENTS 32% 25% 18% 25%
    QUESTION: Is the issue of national health care reform very important, somewhat important, or not important when deciding how or if to vote?
     VERYSOMENOTNOT SURE
    ALL 36% 38% 9% 17%
    MEN 32% 35% 13% 20%
    WOMEN 40% 41% 5% 14%
    DEMOCRATS 38% 40% 7% 15%
    REPUBLICANS 14% 16% 29% 41%
    INDEPENDENTS 26% 28% 18% 28%
    QUESTION: Do you favor or oppose the health care reform proposal recently passed by the U.S. Senate?
     FAVOROPPOSENOT SURE
    ALL 34% 43% 23%
    MEN 32% 46% 22%
    WOMEN 36% 40% 24%
    DEMOCRATS 36% 41% 23%
    REPUBLICANS 7% 71% 22%
    INDEPENDENTS 21% 55% 24%
    QUESTION: If oppose, do you think it goes too far or doesn't go far enough?
      
     NOT ENOUGHTOO FARNOT SURE
    ALL 53% 8% 39%
    MEN 51% 11% 38%
    WOMEN 55% 5% 40%
    DEMOCRATS 57% 3% 40%
    REPUBLICANS 7% 56% 37%
    INDEPENDENTS 44% 27% 29%
    QUESTION: Would you favor or oppose the national government offering everyone the choice of a government administered health insurance plan -- something like the Medicare coverage that people 65 and older get -- that would compete with private health insurance plans?
     FAVOROPPOSENOT SURE
    ALL 86% 7% 7%
    MEN 84% 8% 8%
    WOMEN 88% 6% 6%
    DEMOCRATS 88% 6% 6%
    REPUBLICANS 63% 22% 15%
    INDEPENDENTS 78% 14% 8%
    QUESTION: Would you favor or oppose requiring all Americans to buy health insurance from private companies -- the so-called mandate -- even if they find insurance too expensive or do not want it?
     FAVOROPPOSENOT SURE
    ALL 33% 55% 12%
    MEN 32% 57% 11%
    WOMEN 34% 53% 13%
    DEMOCRATS 35% 53% 12%
    REPUBLICANS 8% 79% 13%
    INDEPENDENTS 19% 69% 12%
    QUESTION: Is the issue of the economy very important, somewhat important, or not important when deciding how or if to vote?
     VERYSOMENOT VERYNOT SURE
    ALL 45% 44% 5% 6%
    MEN 46% 46% 5% 3%
    WOMEN 44% 42% 5% 9%
    DEMOCRATS 45% 44% 5% 6%
    REPUBLICANS 38% 39% 8% 15%
    INDEPENDENTS 46% 48% 3% 3%
    QUESTION: Which candidate in Tuesday's special election for Senate did a better job of representing you and your family on economic issues: Republican Scott Brown or Democrat Martha Coakley ?
     COAKLEYBROWNNEITHER
    ALL 26% 9% 65%
    MEN 23% 11% 66%
    WOMEN 29% 7% 64%
    DEMOCRATS 28% 7% 65%
    REPUBLICANS 4% 34% 62%
    INDEPENDENTS 15% 24% 61%
    QUESTION: If the Democratic Congress passed a bill that laid down stronger rules of the road for Wall Street and cut bonuses for the executives of companies that received government bailouts, would that make you more likely or less likely to vote Democratic in the 2010 general election?
     MORELESSNO AFFECT
    ALL 56% 5% 39%
    MEN 54% 6% 40%
    WOMEN 58% 4% 38%
    DEMOCRATS 59% 4% 37%
    REPUBLICANS 24% 14% 62%
    INDEPENDENTS 37% 9% 54%
    QUESTION: What would do more to improve our nation's economic conditions: Decreasing government spending OR tightening government regulation of Wall Street and corporate executives?
     TIGHTENDECREASENOT SURE
    ALL 46% 21% 33%
    MEN 44% 24% 32%
    WOMEN 48% 18% 34%
    DEMOCRATS 48% 19% 33%
    REPUBLICANS 23% 45% 32%
    INDEPENDENTS 42% 31% 37%
    QUESTION: Democrats in Washington are more on my side than on the side of the lobbyists and special interests, OR
    Democrats in Washington are more on the side of the lobbyists and special interests than on the side of people like me.
     LOBBYISTSMY SIDENOT SURE
    ALL 44% 29% 27%
    MEN 47% 27% 26%
    WOMEN 41% 31% 28%
    DEMOCRATS 43% 30% 27%
    REPUBLICANS 56% 7% 37%
    INDEPENDENTS 52% 24% 24%
    QUESTION: When Democrats took power, they really changed things in Washington, OR
    When Democrats took power, they didn't change much about how Washington works.
     NO CHANGECHANGENOT SURE
    ALL 41% 31% 28%
    MEN 44% 29% 27%
    WOMEN 38% 33% 29%
    DEMOCRATS 40% 32% 28%
    REPUBLICANS 55% 8% 37%
    INDEPENDENTS 48% 27% 25%
    QUESTION: Democrats economic policy is more focused on helping Wall Street than helping Main Street, OR
    Democrats' economic policy is more focused on helping Main Street than helping Wall Street.
     MAINWALLNOT SURE
    ALL 38% 37% 25%
    MEN 40% 40% 20%
    WOMEN 36% 34% 30%
    DEMOCRATS 40% 36% 24%
    REPUBLICANS 17% 39% 44%
    INDEPENDENTS 22% 51% 27%