Tables
Question: In your opinion, do you believe that the country is moving in the right direction or do you believe it has gotten off on the wrong track? |
||||||
October 22 |
All |
Dem. |
Ind. |
Rep. |
Men |
Women |
Right direction |
36% |
9 |
33 |
72 |
37 |
35 |
Wrong track |
52% |
84 |
44 |
15 |
53 |
52 |
Don’t know/Unsure |
12% |
8 |
24 |
13 |
11 |
14 |
October 15 |
All |
Dem. |
Ind. |
Rep. |
Men |
Women |
Right direction |
36% |
12 |
35 |
67 |
36 |
36 |
Wrong track |
54% |
84 |
46 |
19 |
52 |
55 |
Don’t know/Unsure |
11% |
4 |
20 |
14 |
13 |
9 |
October 12 |
All |
Dem. |
Ind. |
Rep. |
Men |
Women |
Right direction |
36% |
13 |
34 |
66 |
37 |
34 |
Wrong track |
53% |
81 |
51 |
18 |
51 |
55 |
Don’t know/Unsure |
12% |
6 |
16 |
16 |
12 |
11 |
Post-debate: Oct. 7 |
All |
Dem. |
Ind. |
Rep. |
Men |
Women |
Right direction |
34 |
11 |
17 |
67 |
39 |
31 |
Wrong track |
54 |
79 |
61 |
21 |
52 |
55 |
Don’t know/Unsure |
12 |
10 |
22 |
12 |
10 |
14 |
Pre-debate: Sept 29 |
All |
Dem. |
Ind. |
Rep. |
Men |
Women |
Right direction |
35% |
11 |
19 |
73 |
41 |
31 |
Wrong track |
52% |
79 |
56 |
17 |
50 |
54 |
Don’t know/Unsure |
13% |
10 |
26 |
10 |
9 |
16 |
Question: How would you rate the job George W. Bush is doing as President—excellent, good, only fair, or poor? |
||||||
Oct. 22 |
All |
Dem |
Ind. |
Rep. |
Men |
Women |
Excellent |
16% |
2 |
15 |
37 |
18 |
16 |
Good |
25% |
8 |
32 |
46 |
25 |
26 |
Only fair |
22% |
30 |
21 |
11 |
22 |
21 |
Poor |
34% |
58 |
26 |
6 |
34 |
35 |
Don’t know/Unsure (vol) |
2% |
2 |
6 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
Question: How would you rate the job George W. Bush is doing handling the economy—excellent, good, only fair, or poor? |
||||||
Oct. 22 |
All |
Dem |
Ind. |
Rep. |
Men |
Women |
Excellent |
10% |
2 |
5 |
23 |
10 |
10 |
Good |
25% |
5 |
20 |
52 |
24 |
26 |
Only fair |
21% |
24 |
29 |
15 |
21 |
22 |
Poor |
43% |
68 |
43 |
9 |
45 |
41 |
Don’t know/Unsure (vol) |
1% |
1 |
3 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
Question: How would you rate the job George W. Bush is doing handling foreign affairs and national security—excellent, good, only fair, or poor? |
||||||
Oct. 22 |
All |
Dem |
Ind. |
Rep. |
Men |
Women |
Excellent |
19% |
3 |
15 |
42 |
22 |
16 |
Good |
24% |
9 |
35 |
39 |
22 |
25 |
Only fair |
19% |
26 |
17 |
11 |
19 |
19 |
Poor |
37% |
61 |
30 |
7 |
36 |
38 |
Don’t know/Unsure (vol) |
2% |
2 |
3 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
Question: Later this year, there will be an election for President of the United States. If the election were held today do you think you would vote for …. or …. [ROTATE] ? If “unsure,” or “don’t know” ask “which way do you lean?” |
||||||
October 22 Base = 503 likely voters |
All |
Dem. |
Ind. |
Rep. |
Men |
Women |
George Bush, the Republican Candidate |
40 |
9 |
33 |
85 |
40 |
40 |
lean Bush |
1 |
-- |
2 |
2 |
1 |
2 |
John Kerry, the Democratic candidate |
46 |
80 |
30 |
8 |
47 |
45 |
lean Kerry |
3 |
5 |
3 |
1 |
3 |
3 |
Nader or Other (vol.) |
1 |
1 |
4 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
Don’t know (vol.) |
9 |
6 |
28 |
4 |
9 |
9 |
Post-debate: Oct. 15 Base= 508 likely voters |
All |
Dem. |
Ind. |
Rep. |
Men |
Women |
George Bush, the Republican Candidate |
42 |
11 |
43 |
80 |
42 |
42 |
lean Bush |
4 |
2 |
6 |
6 |
5 |
3 |
John Kerry, the Democratic candidate |
44 |
78 |
31 |
7 |
41 |
47 |
lean Kerry |
2 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
Nader or Other (vol.) |
2 |
2 |
4 |
2 |
3 |
1 |
Don’t know (vol.) |
6 |
5 |
15 |
4 |
7 |
6 |
Post-debate: Oct. 12 Base= 500 likely voters |
All |
Dem. |
Ind. |
Rep. |
Men |
Women |
George Bush, the Republican Candidate |
40 |
9 |
34 |
81 |
40 |
39 |
lean Bush |
3 |
2 |
5 |
4 |
3 |
3 |
John Kerry, the Democratic candidate |
46 |
81 |
36 |
6 |
43 |
49 |
lean Kerry |
2 |
2 |
-- |
2 |
2 |
2 |
Nader or Other (vol.) |
2 |
2 |
2 |
-- |
3 |
1 |
Don’t know (vol.) |
8 |
4 |
25 |
6 |
10 |
7 |
Post-debate: Oct. 7 Base= 500 likely voters |
All |
Dem. |
Ind. |
Rep. |
Men |
Women |
George Bush, the Republican Candidate |
39 |
9 |
26 |
79 |
43 |
36 |
lean Bush |
2 |
1 |
-- |
4 |
2 |
2 |
John Kerry, the Democratic candidate |
47 |
79 |
44 |
10 |
46 |
48 |
lean Kerry |
2 |
4 |
2 |
1 |
3 |
2 |
Nader or Other (vol.) |
2 |
1 |
6 |
2 |
4 |
1 |
Don’t know (vol.) |
8 |
7 |
23 |
4 |
4 |
12 |
Pre-debate: September 29 Base= 489 likely voters |
All |
Dem. |
Ind. |
Rep. |
Men |
Women |
George Bush, the Republican Candidate |
41 |
11 |
35 |
85 |
45 |
38 |
lean Bush |
3 |
2 |
-- |
3 |
1 |
4 |
John Kerry, the Democratic candidate |
43 |
76 |
35 |
5 |
43 |
43 |
lean Kerry |
2 |
3 |
3 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
Nader or Other (vol.) |
2 |
-- |
1 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
Don’t know (vol.) |
10 |
7 |
25 |
4 |
8 |
11 |
Question: Are you satisfied with choice of candidates you have for President in this election or do you wish there were different candidates? |
||||
All |
Dem. |
Ind. |
Rep. |
|
Satisfied |
49 |
46 |
36 |
56 |
Wish for different choices |
47 |
49 |
58 |
42 |
Don’t know (vol.) |
4 |
5 |
6 |
2 |
Question: In deciding their vote for president, people focus on different things. Which one of the following issues is the most important to you in deciding who to vote for for President…? |
On that issue, _____, which candidate would do a better job? |
||||||||
[ROTATE LIST] |
All |
Dem |
Ind |
Rep |
Men |
Women |
Bush |
Kerry |
N= |
The state of the economy |
23% |
27 |
28 |
16 |
25 |
22 |
22 |
62 |
116 |
national security and the war on terror |
43% |
29 |
33 |
64 |
40 |
44 |
65 |
29 |
214 |
quality of the environment |
2% |
2 |
4 |
2 |
4 |
1 |
18 |
63 |
12 |
providing health care insurance |
11% |
18 |
10 |
3 |
14 |
9 |
10 |
77 |
56 |
improving education |
6% |
6 |
6 |
6 |
7 |
6 |
28 |
49 |
30 |
Other (vol) |
1% |
1 |
-- |
1 |
1 |
1 |
|||
None (vol.) |
1% |
1 |
-- |
1 |
1 |
1 |
|||
All (vol.) |
13% |
15 |
20 |
7 |
9 |
16 |
|||
Don’t know (vol.) |
1% |
1 |
-- |
1 |
1 |
1 |
Question: Now, in deciding their vote for president, people also focus on different qualities in a candidate. Which one of the following qualities is most important to you in deciding who to vote for for President…? |
And which candidate is better described by that quality…? |
||||||||
[ROTATE LIST] |
All |
Dem |
Ind |
Rep |
Men |
Women |
Bush |
Kerry |
N= |
Being a strong leader |
30 |
19 |
31 |
42 |
33 |
26 |
66 |
25 |
147 |
Understanding the concerns of the average person |
23 |
35 |
21 |
8 |
25 |
21 |
10 |
83 |
115 |
Honest and trustworthy |
36 |
34 |
32 |
38 |
32 |
39 |
42 |
45 |
179 |
Other (vol) |
-- |
1 |
-- |
-- |
1 |
-- |
|||
None (vol.) |
1 |
2 |
-- |
-- |
1 |
1 |
|||
All (vol.) |
10 |
9 |
15 |
11 |
8 |
12 |
|||
Don’t know (vol.) |
1 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
Question: Recently two Presidential candidates held a debate. Did you personally watch or hear the debate or did you not have the chance? |
||||
All |
Dem |
Ind |
Rep |
|
Yes |
82% |
80 |
86 |
83 |
No |
18% |
20 |
14 |
17 |
Question: Based on what you saw or read, which candidate do you think did better in the debates? |
|||||
All |
Dem |
Ind |
Rep |
Most important issue is National Security (N=X) |
|
Bush |
21 |
5 |
26 |
42 |
31 |
Kerry |
57 |
83 |
44 |
28 |
42 |
Neither (vol) |
3 |
2 |
6 |
3 |
4 |
Both equally/tie (vol) |
12 |
8 |
13 |
18 |
16 |
Not sure (vol) |
6 |
3 |
10 |
10 |
7 |
Question: How well is the U.S. military effort in Iraq going…? |
|||||||||
All |
Dem |
Ind |
Rep |
Sept 04 |
July ‘04 |
April ‘04 |
Jan ‘04 |
Sept ‘03 |
|
Very well |
8% |
3 |
10 |
13 |
9 |
17 |
17 |
21 |
21 |
Fairly well |
36% |
16 |
31 |
65 |
31 |
42 |
38 |
48 |
40 |
Not too well |
27% |
36 |
27 |
17 |
31 |
25 |
27 |
19 |
25 |
Not at all well |
27% |
43 |
23 |
4 |
26 |
13 |
12 |
8 |
10 |
Unsure |
2% |
2 |
9 |
2 |
4 |
4 |
6 |
3 |
4 |
Question: Considering everything, do you think the United States did the right thing in going to war with Iraq, or do you think it was a mistake? |
||||||
Party |
Gender |
|||||
All |
Dem |
Ind. |
Rep |
Men |
Women |
|
Right thing |
42% |
16 |
50 |
75 |
44 |
41 |
Mistake |
52% |
81 |
37 |
20 |
52 |
52 |
Don’t know (vol.) |
6% |
4 |
13 |
5 |
4 |
7 |
Question: Now, regardless of which candidate you want to win, if you had to guess, who would you say is going to win the election for President in November… or …? |
||||
Oct. 22 |
All |
Dem |
Ind |
Rep. |
John Kerry |
30% |
47 |
19 |
14 |
George Bush |
49% |
32 |
53 |
72 |
Don’t Know/Too close to call [vol] |
20% |
21 |
28 |
14 |
Oct. 12 |
All |
Dem |
Ind |
Rep. |
John Kerry |
31% |
53 |
23 |
6 |
George Bush |
49% |
29 |
48 |
76 |
Don’t Know/Too close to call [vol] |
19% |
18 |
29 |
18 |
Post-debate: Oct. 7 |
All |
Dem |
Ind |
Rep. |
John Kerry |
23% |
37 |
23 |
7 |
George Bush |
56% |
41 |
41 |
78 |
Don’t Know/Too close to call [vol] |
21% |
21 |
35 |
15 |
Pre-debate: Sept 29 |
All |
Dem |
Ind |
Rep. |
John Kerry |
22% |
34 |
18 |
8 |
George Bush |
66% |
49 |
60 |
88 |
Don’t Know/Too close to call [vol] |
13% |
16 |
22 |
4 |
Question: Regardless of who you think will win the national election, which candidate do you think will get the most votes in New Jersey? |
||||
All |
Dem |
Ind |
Rep. |
|
John Kerry |
64% |
79 |
46 |
51 |
George Bush |
20% |
10 |
28 |
30 |
Don’t Know/Too close to call [vol] |
17% |
11 |
26 |
19 |
Contacts:
Rick Thigpen, academic associate, 609-394-0888.
Steve Salmore, research professor of political science: 973-292-3633.
Peter Woolley, coordinator: 973-443-8725
Radio actuality line: (201) 692-2846.
For more information, please call (201) 692-7032.
see also:
Survey
Analysis
Salmore's Analysis
Thigpen's Analysis
Survey Details