Results and data | Sept. 18, 2008

Pennsylvania

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=608	100%
Just about always	14	2.4%
Most of the Time	113	18.5%
Only Some of the Time	378	62.2%
Never	85	14.0%
Don’t know/refused	18	2.9%

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=608	100%
Right direction	116	19.0%
Wrong track	447	73.5%
Don’t know/refused	46	7.5%

Question 6

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

	N=608	100%
Right direction	218	35.8%
Wrong track	325	53.5%
Don’t know/refused	65	10.7%

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=608	100%
Gotten better	22	3.6%
Stayed about the same	71	11.6%
Gotten worse	508	83.5%
Don’t know/refused	7	1.2%

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=608	100%
Very favorable	182	29.9%
Somewhat favorable	159	26.2%
Very unfavorable	140	23.1%
Somewhat unfavorable	95	15.7%
Don’t know/refused	31	5.0%

Question 10

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

	N=608	100%
Very favorable	56	9.2%
Somewhat favorable	152	25.0%
Very unfavorable	293	48.2%
Somewhat unfavorable	89	14.6%
Don’t know/refused	18	3.0%

Question 11

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

	N=608	100%
Very favorable	128	21.1%
Somewhat favorable	214	35.2%
Very unfavorable	155	25.6%
Somewhat unfavorable	87	14.3%
Don’t know/refused	23	3.8%

Question 12

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

	N=608	100%
Very favorable	132	21.7%
Somewhat favorable	160	26.4%
Very unfavorable	103	16.9%
Somewhat unfavorable	99	16.3%
Don’t know/refused	114	18.7%

Question 13

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

	N=608	100%
Very favorable	161	26.4%
Somewhat favorable	155	25.5%
Very unfavorable	134	22.1%
Somewhat unfavorable	73	12.1%
Don’t know/refused	85	13.9%

Question 14

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

	N=608	100%
Very favorable	159	26.2%
Somewhat favorable	193	31.8%
Very unfavorable	136	22.4%
Somewhat unfavorable	105	17.2%
Don’t know/refused	15	2.4%

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=608	100%
Obama/Biden	259	42.6%
McCain/Palin	253	41.6%
Other	5	.8%
Undecided	68	11.2%
Refused	23	3.9%

Question 15a

If undecided, which way do you lean?

	N=91	100%
Obama/Biden	15	16.2%
McCain/Palin	18	20.0%
Undecided	42	46.0%
Refused	16	17.8%

Cumulative results from question 15 and 15a

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

	N=608	100%
Obama/Biden	274	45.0%
McCain/Palin	271	44.6%
Other	5	.8%
Undecided	42	6.9%
Refused	16	2.7%

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=608	100%
Barack Obama	308	50.7%
John McCain	186	30.6%
Same	44	7.2%
Don’t know/refused	70	11.6%

Question 17

Shares my values

	N=608	100%
Barack Obama	258	42.4%
John McCain	260	42.8%
Same	21	3.4%
Don’t know/refused	70	11.4%

Question 18

Experienced

	N=608	100%
Barack Obama	102	16.8%
John McCain	455	74.9%
Same	12	2.0%
Don’t know/refused	38	6.3%

Question 20

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

	N=608	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.	303	49.9%
The most responsible thing we can do is to remain in Iraq until the situation in the country is stable.	275	45.2%
Unsure	13	2.2%
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=608	100%
Permitted in all cases	162	26.6%
Permitted, but with greater restrictions	100	16.5%
Permitted only in cases such as rape, incest, to save the woman's life	166	27.2%
Only permitted to save the woman's life	97	15.9%
Never	31	5.1%
Don’t know/refused	53	8.7%

Pennsylvania-specific question

Question 26

Judges in Pennsylvania are currently elected to office in partisan elections, but the state is now considering a proposed constitutional amendment to switch to a merit plan, where a nonpartisan panel evaluates and recommends potential judges to the governor, who then chooses a nominee from the list. Based on this statement, would you...

	N=608	100%
Strongly support such a proposal	90	14.9%
Somewhat support such a proposal	171	28.1%
Somewhat oppose such a proposal	104	17.1%
Strongly oppose such a proposal	142	23.4%
Don’t know/refused	101	16.6%