Background Memo  

The most recent survey by Fairleigh Dickinson University’s PublicMind was conducted by telephone from Sept. 29 through Oct. 5, 2008 using a randomly selected sample of 790 likely voters statewide.  The sampling error for 790 randomly selected respondents is +/- 3.5 percentage points at the 95 percent level of confidence.  Sample error for subgroups varies with the size of the subgroup. Survey results are also subject to non-sampling error. This kind of error, which cannot be measured, arises from a number of factors including, but not limited to, non-response (eligible individuals refusing to be interviewed), question wording, the order in which questions are asked, and variations among interviewers. All PublicMind interviews are conducted by professionally trained interviewers using a CATI (Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing) system. Random selection is achieved through computerized random-digit dialing. This technique gives every person with a land-line phone number (including those with unlisted numbers) an equal chance of being selected. Results are mathematically weighted to match known demographics.

The questions included in this release are as follows:

Question: And in the upcoming elections for President of the United States, which candidate are you most likely to vote for…or….?

• Obama
• McCain

Question: Six months from now do you expect the economy will be better, worse, or about the same?

Question: [Ask Democrats and lean Democrat only] Do you recall who you voted for in the Presidential primary election back in February?

Question:  Did you personally watch or hear the recent presidential debate or did you not have the chance…?

Question: Which candidate for President… or … is better described by…?

• Honest, trustworthy
• Understands the concerns of the average person
• Is a strong leader
• Has the background and experience to be a good president

Question:  Did you personally watch or hear the recent vice-presidential debate or did you not have the chance…?

Question: Based on what you saw or read, which candidate do you think did better in the debate..?

• Joe Biden
• Sarah Palin

Question: Do you think [NAME]  is a good choice for Vice President or not a good choice?

• Joe Biden
• Sarah Palin

Question US1: 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?

Question US2: In general, do you approve or disapprove of the way George W. Bush is handling his job as President?

see also:
Survey Analysis
Tabular Results