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POLL: 81% OF DEMOCRATS WANT LIEBERMAN STRIPPED OF CHAIRMANSHIP
MANY DEMOCRATS WILL STAY HOME IN 2010 -- OR SUPPORT A PRIMARY CHALLENGER -- IF CONGRESS FAILS TO PASS PUBLIC OPTION.
VOTERS THINK TIM GEITHNER AND BEN BERNANKE PUT WALL STREET BEFORE MAIN STREET.
This Research 2000 National Poll was conducted for the Progressive Change Campaign Committee and Democracy for America from Dec. 11 through Dec. 13, 2009. A total of 802 voters were interviewed by telephone. Margin of error is 3.5% overall, 6% for Democratic numbers specifically.
(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.)
| TIM GEITHNER | |||
| QUESTION: Who do you think that Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner cares about more, Wall Street or Main Street? | |||
| WALL STREET | MAIN STREET | NOT SURE | |
| ALL | 45% | 21% | 34% |
| Men | 43% | 21% | 36% |
| Women | 47% | 21% | 32% |
| Democrats | 42% | 26% | 32% |
| Republicans | 45% | 22% | 33% |
| Independents | 48% | 17% | 35% |
| Other | 46% | 19% | 35% |
| BEN BERNANKE | |||
| QUESTION: Who do you think that Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke cares about more, Wall Street or Main Street? | |||
| WALL STREET | MAIN STREET | NOT SURE | |
| ALL | 47% | 20% | 33% |
| Men | 44% | 21% | 35% |
| Women | 50% | 19% | 31% |
| Democrats | 44% | 24% | 32% |
| Republicans | 47% | 23% | 30% |
| Independents | 50% | 15% | 35% |
| Other | 48% | 18% | 34% |
| White | 47% | 21% | 32% |
| Black | 48% | 17% | 35% |
| Latino | 46% | 18% | 36% |
| Other | 47% | 17% | 36% |
| 18-29 | 48% | 19% | 33% |
| 30-44 | 47% | 20% | 33% |
| 45-59 | 47% | 20% | 33% |
| 60+ | 46% | 21% | 33% |
| Northeast | 48% | 19% | 33% |
| South | 47% | 21% | 32% |
| Midwest | 47% | 20% | 33% |
| West | 47% | 20% | 33% |
| PUBLIC OPTION | |||
| QUESTION: Would you favor or oppose creating a public health insurance option administered by the federal government that would compete with plans offered by private health insurance companies? (Wording of CNN poll) | |||
| FAVOR | OPPOSE | NOT SURE | |
| ALL | 58% | 32% | 10% |
| Men | 54% | 37% | 9% |
| Women | 62% | 27% | 11% |
| Democrats | 86% | 10% | 4% |
| Republicans | 24% | 65% | 11% |
| Independents | 56% | 30% | 14% |
| Other | 55% | 32% | 13% |
| Democrats Open to Primary for Incumbent Democrat (See question below) | 89% | 6% | 5% |
| White | 53% | 40% | 7% |
| Black | 76% | 8% | 16% |
| Latino | 67% | 14% | 19% |
| Other | 70% | 12% | 18% |
| 18-29 | 71% | 23% | 6% |
| 30-44 | 50% | 38% | 12% |
| 45-59 | 65% | 24% | 11% |
| 60+ | 49% | 42% | 9% |
| Northeast | 71% | 18% | 11% |
| South | 45% | 44% | 11% |
| Midwest | 61% | 30% | 9% |
| West | 60% | 32% | 8% |
| HOWARD DEAN'S "WE CAN DO BOTH" PROPOSAL | |||
| QUESTION: If Congress proposed passing a strong public health insurance option PLUS allowing people age 55 to 64 to buy into Medicare, would you favor or oppose this idea? | |||
| FAVOR | OPPOSE | NOT SURE | |
| ALL | 57% | 32% | 11% |
| Men | 51% | 39% | 10% |
| Women | 63% | 25% | 12% |
| Democrats | 87% | 9% | 4% |
| Republicans | 21% | 70% | 9% |
| Independents | 56% | 28% | 16% |
| Other | 51% | 31% | 18% |
| Democrats Open to Primary for Incumbent Democrat (See question below) | 88% | 7% | 5% |
| White | 51% | 41% | 8% |
| Black | 79% | 6% | 15% |
| Latino | 69% | 11% | 20% |
| Other | 72% | 9% | 19% |
| 18-29 | 73% | 19% | 8% |
| 30-44 | 48% | 40% | 12% |
| 45-59 | 65% | 23% | 12% |
| 60+ | 47% | 43% | 10% |
| Northeast | 71% | 15% | 14% |
| South | 43% | 46% | 11% |
| Midwest | 60% | 30% | 10% |
| West | 59% | 32% | 9% |
| RECONCILIATION | |||
| QUESTION: A longtime Senate procedure called the filibuster allows a minority of senators to block a piece of legislation from being voted on unless a super-majority of 60 senators agrees to move forward to a vote. However, Democratic Majority Leader Harry Reid has the right to invoke a different rule called reconciliation to move forward with the support of just 51 senators – a simple majority. Do you think Harry Reid should use this 51-vote option to move forward on health care reform? | |||
| YES | NO | NOT SURE | |
| ALL | 43% | 41% | 16% |
| Men | 39% | 47% | 14% |
| Women | 47% | 35% | 18% |
| Democrats | 73% | 13% | 14% |
| Republicans | 13% | 77% | 10% |
| Independents | 38% | 42% | 20% |
| Other | 36% | 44% | 20% |
| LIEBERMAN | |||
| QUESTION: A year ago, after Independent Senator Joe Lieberman campaigned for Republican John McCain for president, Senate Democrats allowed Lieberman to keep his powerful committee chairmanship. If Lieberman now joins with Republican senators to block a vote on health care reform, do you think Senate Democrats should take away Lieberman’s powerful committee chairmanship? | |||
| YES | NO | NOT SURE | |
| ALL | 47% | 32% | 21% |
| Men | 43% | 35% | 22% |
| Women | 51% | 29% | 20% |
| Democrats | 81% | 10% | 9% |
| Republicans | 10% | 66% | 24% |
| Independents | 43% | 30% | 27% |
| Other | 40% | 32% | 28% |
| HEALTH CARE REFORM | |||
| QUESTION: Is the issue of health care reform very important, somewhat important, or not important when you vote? | |||
| VERY | SOMEWHAT | NOT IMPORTANT | |
| ALL | 38% | 45% | 7% |
| Men | 35% | 46% | 19% |
| Women | 41% | 44% | 15% |
| Democrats | 61% | 33% | 6% |
| Republicans | 11% | 38% | 51% |
| Independents | 36% | 58% | 6% |
| Other | 34% | 56% | 10% |
| Democrats Open to Primary for Incumbent Democrat (See question below) | 64% | 30% | 6% |
| 2010 ELECTIONS | |||
| QUESTION: If Congress does not pass a public health insurance option as part of health care reform, will that make you more likely or less likely to vote for Democrats in the 2010 general election or would it have no real effect on your vote? | |||
| MORE | LESS | NO EFFECT | |
| ALL | 15% | 36% | 49% |
| Men | 17% | 32% | 51% |
| Women | 13% | 40% | 47% |
| Democrats | 9% | 53% | 38% |
| Republicans | 25% | 6% | 69% |
| Independents | 14% | 39% | 47% |
| Other | 16% | 38% | 46% |
| QUESTION: If Congress does not pass a public option as part of health care reform, will that make you more likely or less likely to vote in the 2010 general election, or no effect? | |||
| MORE | LESS | NO EFFECT | |
| ALL | 13% | 21% | 66% |
| Men | 16% | 17% | 67% |
| Women | 10% | 25% | 65% |
| Democrats | 7% | 33% | 60% |
| Republicans | 22% | 5% | 73% |
| Independents | 13% | 21% | 66% |
| Other | 14% | 22% | 64% |
| DEMOCRATS ONLY | |||
| QUESTION: If a Democratic member of Congress votes against a public health insurance option, would you want a more progressive candidate to run against them in a Democratic primary? | |||
| YES | NO | NOT SURE | |
| 84% | 11% | 5% | |
| PRESIDENT OBAMA | |||
| QUESTION: Which do you think should be a higher priority for Barack Obama right now — working in a bipartisan way with Republicans in Congress or sticking to the policies he promised he would during the campaign? | |||
| POLICIES | BIPARTISAN | NOT SURE | |
| ALL | 49% | 33% | 18% |
| Men | 45% | 39% | 16% |
| Women | 53% | 27% | 20% |
| Democrats | 84% | 8% | 8% |
| Republicans | 9% | 72% | 19% |
| Independents | 45% | 30% | 25% |
| Other | 44% | 33% | 23% |
| QUESTION: President Obama said that he supports a public health insurance option. Do you think he is fighting too hard for it, not fighting strongly enough for it, or is about right? | ||||
| ABOUT RIGHT | TOO HARD | NOT STRONG ENOUGH | NOT SURE | |
| ALL | 28% | 18% | 31% | 23% |
| Men | 26% | 21% | 27% | 26% |
| Women | 30% | 15% | 35% | 20% |
| Democrats | 29% | 8% | 49% | 14% |
| Republicans | 18% | 31% | 9% | 42% |
| Independents | 33% | 18% | 30% | 19% |
| Other | 31% | 20% | 28% | 21% |
| RAHM EMANUEL | |||
| QUESTION: Do you trust Rahm Emanuel as White House Chief of Staff? | |||
| YES | NO | NOT SURE | |
| ALL | 36% | 35% | 29% |
| Men | 33% | 39% | 28% |
| Women | 39% | 31% | 30% |
| Democrats | 62% | 17% | 21% |
| Republicans | 8% | 55% | 37% |
| Independents | 33% | 37% | 30% |
| Other | 31% | 39% | 30% |
| HARRY REID | |||
| QUESTION: Do you think Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid is a strong or weak leader? | |||
| WEAK | STRONG | NOT SURE | |
| ALL | 55% | 36% | 9% |
| Men | 58% | 34% | 8% |
| Women | 52% | 38% | 10% |
| Democrats | 37% | 58% | 5% |
| Republicans | 74% | 11% | 15% |
| Independents | 58% | 34% | 8% |
| Other | 60% | 32% | 8% |
| SAMPLE FIGURES | |||
| Men | 384 (48%) | ||
| Women | 418 (52%) | ||
| Democrats | 256 (32%) | ||
| Republicans | 185 (23%) | ||
| Independents | 274 (34%) | ||
| Other | 87 (11%) | ||
| White | 585 (73%) | ||
| Black | 103 (13%) | ||
| Latino | 97 (12%) | ||
| Other | 17 (2%) | ||
| 18-29 | 143 (18%) | ||
| 30-44 | 266 (33%) | ||
| 45-59 | 231 (29%) | ||
| 60+ | 162 (20%) | ||
| Northeast | 167 (21%) | ||
| South | 240 (30%) | ||
| Midwest | 217 (27%) | ||
| West | 178 (22%) | ||