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Results and data | Sept. 18, 2008

Michigan

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Margin of error: +/- 4%

Results for select poll questions:

Question 4

How much of the time do you think you can trust the federal government in Washington to do what is right? Just about always, most of the time, only some of the time, or never?

N=628 100%
Just about always 16 2.5%
Most of the Time 130 20.7%
Only Some of the Time 371 59.0%
Never 100 15.9%
Don’t know/refused 12 1.9%

Question 5

Thinking about things in the United States, do you think things in the country are generally going in the right direction, or do you feel things have gotten off on the wrong track?

N=628 100%
Right direction 98 15.6%
Wrong track 493 78.5%
Don’t know/refused 37 5.9%

Question 6

Thinking about things in Michigan, do you think things in Michigan are generally going in the right direction, or do you feel things have gotten off on the wrong track?

N=628 100%
Right direction 71 11.4%
Wrong track 529 84.2%
Don’t know/refused 28 4.4%

Question 7

Would you say that over the past year the nation’s economy has gotten better, stayed about the same or gotten worse?

N=628 100%
Gotten better 24 3.8%
Stayed about the same 79 12.5%
Gotten worse 517 82.3%
Don’t know/refused 9 1.4%

The questions about favorability for Obama, McCain, Biden, Palin, and Bush were rotated — that is, they were asked in a random order to each individual respondent.

Question 9

Do you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion of Barack Obama?

N=628 100%
Very favorable 208 33.1%
Somewhat favorable 150 23.8%
Very unfavorable 151 24.0%
Somewhat unfavorable 84 13.4%
Don’t know/refused 36 5.7%

Question 10

Do you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion of George W. Bush?

N=628 100%
Very favorable 67 10.7%
Somewhat favorable 137 21.9%
Very unfavorable 308 49.1%
Somewhat unfavorable 101 16.1%
Don’t know/refused 14 2.3%

Question 11

Do you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion of John McCain?

N=628 100%
Very favorable 134 21.3%
Somewhat favorable 212 33.7%
Very unfavorable 154 24.6%
Somewhat unfavorable 105 16.7%
Don’t know/refused 23 3.7%

Question 12

Do you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion of Joe Biden?

N=628 100%
Very favorable 126 20.1%
Somewhat favorable 166 26.4%
Very unfavorable 99 15.7%
Somewhat unfavorable 76 12.1%
Don’t know/refused 162 25.7%

Question 13

Do you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion of Sarah Palin?

N=628 100%
Very favorable 154 24.6%
Somewhat favorable 140 22.2%
Very unfavorable 123 19.5%
Somewhat unfavorable 98 15.6%
Don’t know/refused 114 18.1%

Question 14

Do you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion of Hillary Clinton?

N=628 100%
Very favorable 148 23.6%
Somewhat favorable 197 31.4%
Very unfavorable 147 23.4%
Somewhat unfavorable 120 19.2%
Don’t know/refused 16 2.5%

Question 15

If the 2008 presidential election were being held today and the candidates were Barack Obama and Joe Biden, the Democrats, and John McCain and Sarah Palin, the Republicans, for whom would you vote?

N=628 100%
Obama/Biden 276 44.0%
McCain/Palin 255 40.6%
Other 9 1.4%
Undecided 73 11.7%
Refused 14 2.3%

Question 15a

If undecided, which way do you lean?

N=88 100%
Obama/Biden 24 27.1%
McCain/Palin 20 22.5%
Undecided 35 40.4%
Refused 9 10.0%

Cumulative results from question 15 and 15a

Decided voters and undecided voters who are leaning one way or another.

N=628 100%
Obama/Biden 300 47.8%
McCain/Palin 275 43.8%
Other 9 1.4%
Undecided 35 5.6%
Refused 9 1.4%

Questions 16-18: I’m going to read you a list of words and phrases that people sometimes use to describe political leaders. Please tell me who the following words and phrases describe better: Barack Obama or John McCain?

Question 16

Can bring about change

N=628 100%
Barack Obama 355 56.5%
John McCain 195 31.0%
Same 26 4.1%
Don’t know/refused 53 8.4%

Question 17

Shares my values

N=628 100%
Barack Obama 288 45.8%
John McCain 265 42.1%
Same 19 3.0%
Don’t know/refused 57 9.0%

Question 18

Experienced

N=628 100%
Barack Obama 105 16.7%
John McCain 455 72.5%
Same 24 3.9%
Don’t know/refused 43 6.9%

Question 20

When it comes to the war in Iraq, which of the following statements comes closer to your point of view?

N=628 100%
The most responsible thing we can do is to set a firm deadline for the withdrawal of U.S. troops within the next 16 months. 330 52.6%
The most responsible thing we can do is to remain in Iraq until the situation in the country is stable. 264 42.1%
Unsure 17 2.7%
Don’t know/refused 17 2.7%

Question 21

What is your personal feeling about abortion? (1) It should be permitted in all cases. (2) It should be permitted, but subject to greater restrictions than it is now. (3) It should be permitted only in cases such as rape, incest and to save the woman's life. OR, (4) It should only be permitted to save the woman's life?

N=628 100%
Permitted in all cases 153 24.4%
Permitted, but with greater restrictions 94 15.0%
Permitted only in cases such as rape, incest, to save the woman's life 166 26.5%
Only permitted to save the woman's life 104 16.6%
Never 51 8.1%
Don’t know/refused 59 9.4%

Michigan-specific questions

Question 23

Do you think the federal government should or should not make fuel efficiency standards for cars stricter than they are now?

N=628 100%
Should 419 66.6%
Should not 157 25.0%
Don’t know/refused 53 8.4%

Question 24

In general, do you think that free trade agreements like NAFTA, and organizations like the World Trade Organization, have been a good thing or a bad thing for the United States?

N=628 100%
Good thing 148 23.6%
Bad thing 346 55.1%
Don’t know/refused 134 21.3%

Question 25

Who has policies that are more likely to create jobs?

N=628 100%
John McCain 209 33.3%
Barack Obama 317 50.4%
Both 7 1.1%
Neither 27 4.3%
Don’t know/refused 69 10.9%

Question 26

And who has policies that are more likely to improve the economy?

N=628 100%
John McCain 243 38.6%
Barack Obama 314 50.0%
Both 10 1.6%
Neither 16 2.6%
Don’t know/refused 45 7.2%

Question 27

Next, in today’s economy, if a person wants to be economically successful, how important is it to have a college degree?

N=628 100%
Very important 425 67.7%
Somewhat important 171 27.2%
Not very important 18 2.9%
Not important at all 7 1.1%
Don’t know/refused 7 1.1%

Question 28

Michigan is home to some of the nation’s top research universities. In your opinion, how important are these universities for the future economic development of the state?

N=628 100%
Very important 455 72.4%
Somewhat important 136 21.6%
Not very important 14 2.3%
Not important at all 6 1.0%
Don’t know/refused 17 2.7%

Question 29

In this year’s Presidential election campaign, different people have different opinions about which issues are most important. We would like your opinion about which of the following three issues is most important to you.

N=628 100%
Foreign policy 73 11.6%
The economy 473 75.4%
Abortion 24 3.8%
Foreign policy and the economy equally important 26 4.2%
Foreign policy and abortion equally important 1 .2%
The economy and abortion equally important 3 .4%
All three equally important 18 2.9%
Don’t know/refused 10 1.5%

Question 30

In the last several Presidential election campaigns, the Iowa caucuses have gone first, and the New Hampshire primary has gone second. This year, Michigan and Florida attempted to move their primaries to an earlier place in the calendar, but they were penalized by the national Democratic and Republican parties. What is your opinion about a proposed new system, where the timing of the primaries and caucuses would be chosen in a random drawing? Would you say you are…

N=628 100%
Strongly in favor 193 30.7%
Somewhat in favor 224 35.7%
Somewhat against 59 9.4%
Strongly against 64 10.2%
Don’t know/refused 88 14.0%