COMMONWEALTH FOUNDATION/LINCOLN INSTITUTE

Spring 2000 Statewide Poll

 

Q1        Are you registered to vote?

If NO, “thank you” and terminate the call.

If YES, will local record show you are registered as a Republican, a Democrat, or something else?

45%      REPUBLICAN
55%      DEMOCRAT
0%       SOMETHING ELSE

Q2       Are you likely to vote in the upcoming April 4th Primary Election?

If NO, “thank you” and terminate call.

IF YES, continue . . .

Q          Now, I’d like to read you a list of names of people who have been in the news recently. Please tell me whether you have HEARD of that person, if so, please tell me whether you have a FAVORABLE or UNFAVORABLE impression of the person:

Q3        Have you heard of Rick Santorum?  If YES, Do you have a FAVORABLE or UNFAVORABLE impression of him?

55%      FAVORABLE
19%      UNFAVORABLE
21%      NO OPINION
 5%       NEVER HEARD
 -           REFUSED

Q4      Have you heard of Ron Klink?  If YES, Do you have a FAVORABLE or UNFAVORABLE impression of him?

25%      FAVORABLE
10%      UNFAVORABLE
25%      NO OPINION
41%      NEVER HEARD
 -           REFUSED

Q5        Have you heard of Tom Foley?  If YES, Do you have a FAVORABLE or UNFAVORABLE impression of him?

28%      FAVORABLE
 6%       UNFAVORABLE
41%      NO OPINION
25%      NEVER HEARD
 1%       REFUSED

Q6        Have you heard of Allyson Schwartz?  If YES, Do you have a FAVORABLE or UNFAVORABLE opinion of her?

19%      FAVORABLE
 7%       UNFAVORABLE
26%      NO OPINION
47%      NEVER HEARD
 1%       REFUSED

Q7        Have you heard of Bob Rovner?  If YES, Do you have a FAVORABLE or UNFAVORABLE opinion of him?

11%      FAVORABLE
 5%       UNFAVORABLE
25%      NO OPINION
59%      NEVER HEARD
 -           REFUSED

Q8        Have you ever heard of Mike Fisher?  If YES, Do you have a FAVORABLE or UNFAVORABLE opinion of him?

24%      FAVORABLE
 5%       UNFAVORABLE
32%      NO OPINION
38%      NEVER HEARD
 -           REFUSED

Q9        Have you ever heard of James Eisenhower?  If YES, Do you have a FAVORABLE or UNFAVORABLE opinion of him?

5%       FAVORABLE
4%       UNFAVORABLE
7%       NO OPINION
3%       NEVER HEARD
1%       REFUSED

Q10      Have you ever heard of John Morganelli?  If YES, Do you have a FAVORABLE or UNFAVORABLE opinion of him?

 5%       FAVORABLE
 4%       UNFAVORABLE
16%      NO OPINION
75%      NEVER HEARD
 -           REFUSED

Q11      Have you ever heard of Tom Ridge?  If YES, Do you have a FAVORABLE OR UNFAVORABLE opinion of him?

69%      FAVORABLE
16%      UNFAVORABLE
13%      NO OPINION
 2%       NEVER HEARD
 -           REFUSED

Q12      Have you ever heard of Jeff Piccola?  If YES, Do you have a FAVORABLE or UNFAVORABLE opinion of him?

 9%       FAVORABLE
 2%       UNFAVORABLE
19%      NO OPINION
68%      NEVER HEARD
 1%       REFUSED

Q13      If the election for President of the United States was held today, would you vote for (ROTATE) Republican George W. Bush or Democrat Al Gore?

43%      BUSH
39%      GORE
 7%       NEITHER/OTHER
10%      DON’T KNOW
 1%       REFUSED

Q14      If the election for President of the United States was held today, and Governor Tom Ridge was George W. Bush’s running mate for Vice President, would you vote for the Bush/Ridge Republican ticket, or would you vote for Democrat Al Gore?

46%      BUSH/RIDGE
37%      GORE
 5%       NEITHER/OTHER
11%      DON’T KNOW
 1%       REFUSED

Q15      If the election for President of the United States was held today, and Elizabeth Dole was George W. Bush’s runningmate for Vice President, would you vote for the Bush/Dole Republican ticket, or would you vote for Democrat Al Gore?

31%      BUSH/DOLE
38%      GORE
 6%       NEITHER/OTHER
12%      DON’T KNOW
 1%       REFUSED

Q16      If the election for President of the United States was held today, and Colin Powell was George W. Bush’s runningmate for Vice President, would you vote for the Bush/Powell Republican ticket, or would you vote for Democrat Al Gore?

47%      BUSH/POWELL
37%      GORE
 4%       NEITHER/OTHER
11%      DON’T KNOW
 1%       REFUSED

Q17      Do you think Rick Santorum has performed his job as a U.S. Senator well enough to deserve re-election, or is it time to give someone else a chance?

51%      RE-ELECT SANTORUM
30%      SOMEONE ELSE
18%      DON’T KNOW
 1%       REFUSED

Q18      Do you think Bob Casey, Jr. has performed his job as Pennsylvania Auditor General well enough to deserve re-election, or is it time to give someone else a chance?

50%      RE-ELECT CASEY
12%      SOMEONE ELSE
37%      DON’T KNOW
 1%       REFUSED

Q19      Do you think Barbara Hafer has performed her job as Pennsylvania State Treasurer well enough to deserve re-election, or is it time to give someone else a chance?

58%      RE-ELECT HAFER
13%      SOMEONE ELSE
29%      DON’T KNOW
 1%       REFUSED

Q20      Do you think Michael Fisher has performed his job as Pennsylvania Attorney General well enough to deserve re-election, or is it time to give someone else a chance?

41%      RE-ELECT FISHER
10%      SOMEONE ELSE
49%      DON’T KNOW
 1%       REFUSED

Q21      Are you MORE or LESS likely to vote for a candidate if they are endorsed by a LABOR UNION?

31%      MORE LIKELY
24%      LESS LIKELY
40%      MAKES NO DIFFERENCE
 4%       DON’T KNOW

Q22      Are you MORE or LESS likely to vote for a candidate if they are endorsed by a TAXPAYER GROUP?

40%      MORE LIKELY
13%      LESS LIKELY
39%      MAKES NO DIFFERENCE
 8%       DON’T KNOW

Q23      Are you MORE or LESS likely to vote for a candidate if they are endorsed by a NEWSPAPER?

14%      MORE LIKELY
30%      LESS LIKELY
51%      MAKES NO DIFFERENCE
4%       DON’T KNOW

Q24      Are you MORE or LESS likely to vote for a candidate if they are endorsed by a BUSINESS GROUP?

22%      MORE LIKELY
23%      LESS LIKELY
45%      MAKES NO DIFFERENCE
 9%       DON’T KNOW
 1%       REFUSED

Q25      Are you MORE or LESS likely to vote for a candidate if they are endorsed by a POLITICAL PARTY?

29%      MORE LIKELY
19%      LESS LIKELY
46%      MAKES NO DIFFERENCE
 6%       DON’T KNOW
 1%       REFUSED


ASK DEMOCRATS ONLY:

Q26      If the Primary Election for the Democrat Nomination for U. S. Senator were held today, would you vote for (ROTATE): Ron Klink, Tom Foley, Allyson Schwartz, Bob Rovner, Phil Berg or Murray Levin?

26%      RON KLINK
14%      TOM FOLEY
10%      ALLYSON SCHWARTZ
 5%       BOB ROVNER
 -           PHIL BERG
 1%       MURRAY LEVIN
38%      UNDECIDED
 3%       REFUSED

Q27      If the Primary Election for the Democrat Nomination for Pennsylvania Attorney General were held today, would you vote for (ROTATE): James Eisenhower or John Morganelli?

13%      JAMES EISENHOWER
14%      JOHN MORGANELLI
 4%       NEITHER/OTHER
67%      DON’T KNOW
 2%       REFUSEDASK ALL VOTERS:

Q          Turning now to issues,

Q28      In general do you think things here in Pennsylvania are going in the right direction, or have they pretty seriously gone off on the wrong track?

69%     RIGHT DIRECTION
22%     WRONG TRACK
8%       UNDECIDED/NO OPINION
1%       REFUSED

Q29      Given the current high cost of gasoline, do you think Pennsylvania should suspend STATE gasoline taxes for four (4) months, which would result in a savings of about $93 for the average motorist?

65%      YES, SUSPEND THE TAX
27%      NO, DO NOT SUSPEND THE TAX
 8%       DON’T KNOW
 -           REFUSED

Q30      Currently, out-of-state purchases made over the Internet are not taxed.  Do you AGREE or DISAGREE that Pennsylvania should begin collecting a 6% sales tax on out-of-state Internet purchases?

23%      STRONGLY AGREE
14%      SOMEWHAT AGREE
15%      SOMEWHAT DISAGREE
34%      STRONGLY DISAGREE
13%      DON’T KNOW
 1%       REFUSED

Q31      Do you AGREE or DISAGREE with the statement that: The growth of electronic commerce and the Internet is too important to burden with taxation and additional government regulation?

30%      STRONGLY AGREE
14%      SOMEWHAT AGREE
15%      SOMEWHAT DISAGREE
20%      STRONGLY DISAGREE
21%      NO OPINION
 1%       REFUSED

Q32      Would you SUPPORT or OPPOSE a proposal to eliminate ALL Pennsylvania sales taxes and replace that revenue by DOUBLING the state’s personal income tax?

9%       STRONGLY SUPPORT
8%       SOMEWHAT SUPPORT
17%      SOMEWHAT OPPOSE
50%      STRONGLY OPPOSE
14%      NO OPINION
-            REFUSED

Q33      Pennsylvania’s state government has been collecting substantially more money in taxes over the past few years than it has been spending.  Which of the following options most closely reflects what you think should be done with that surplus:  (ROTATE)

10%      DEBT REPAYMENT SHOULD BE INCREASED
24%      PERSONAL INCOME TAXES SHOULD BE CUT
 2%       BUSINESS TAXES SHOULD BE CUT
 1%       STATE GOVERNMENT SHOULD INCREASE SPENDING
57%      MORE MONEY SHOULD BE GIVEN TO SCHOOL DISTRICTS SO THEY CAN LOWER                 PROPERTY TAXES
2%       DON’T KNOW
3%       OTHER
1%       REFUSED

Q34      Given the fact Pennsylvania state government has a substantial budget surplus, is additional spending of tax money all right with you, or should spending be kept to a minimum and the surplus money returned to taxpayers?

73%      RETURN MONEY TO TAXPAYERS
17%      MORE SPENDING IS ALRIGHT
5%       NEITHER
4%       DON’T KNOW
-           REFUSED

Q35      Governor Ridge has proposed giving each homeowner in Pennsylvania a rebate of $100.00 from the surplus in state tax money that has accumulated over the past few years.  Do you think this is a good way to use the surplus, or should there be some other form of tax relief?

61%      GOOD WAY
32%      OTHER FORM
 6%       DON’T KNOW
 -           REFUSED

Q36      Pennsylvania is currently one of 13 states in the county that imposes an inheritance tax, often called the death tax, which taxes people’s estates after their death. This tax generates more than $700 million per year for the state. If it were up to you, would you:

7%       KEEP THE TAX AS IT IS TODAY
28%     REDUCE THE TAX SLIGHTLY
49%     ELIMINATE THE TAX ALTOGETHER AND CUT OTHER STATE SPENDING TO MAKE UP  FOR THE SHORTFALL
8%       ELIMINATE THE TAX AND INCREASE OTHER STATE TAXES TO MAKE UP FOR THE SHORTFALL
3%       OTHER
4%       DON’T KNOW
1%       REFUSED

Q37      Should unions be forbidden from deducting money from union workers’ pay without their permission, then using that money for political purposes?

YES
NO
DON’T KNOW
REFUSED

Q38      Do you FAVOR or OPPOSE enactment of a Right to Work Law, whereby a worker cannot be fired for either joining or not joining a labor union?

65%      STRONGLY FAVOR
12%      SOMEWHAT FAVOR
 6%       SOMEWHAT OPPOSE
10%      STRONGLY OPPOSE
 5%       DON’T KNOW
 -           REFUSED

Q39      Do you support capital punishment, also known as the death penalty?

70%      YES
21%      NO
 9%       DON’T KNOW
 1%       REFUSED

Q40      Do you think use of the death penalty should be suspended while the impact of newer crime-solving techniques such as DNA testing is studied, even though the appeals process can take years?

39%      YES
49%      NO
11%      DON’T KNOW
 1%       REFUSED

Q          Now a few questions for statistical purposes:

Q41      What is you age please?

 9%       18-34
18%      35-44
27%      45-54
17%      55-64
29%      65+

Q42      When it comes to politics, do you consider yourself to be a CONSERVATIVE, a MODERATE, or a LIBERAL?

47%      CONSERVATIVE
37%      MODERATE
12%      LIBERAL
 3%       DON’T KNOW
 -           REFUSED

Q43      What is your current household income?

 9%       BELOW $15,000
14%      $15,000 to $30,000
22%      $30,000 to $50,000
15%      $50,000 to $75,000
 7%       $75,000 to $100,000
 5%       ABOVE $100,000
 5%       DON’T KNOW
23%      REFUSED

Q44      What is you main ethnic heritage or background?

85%      WHITE or CAUCASIAN
 4%       AFRICAN AMERICAN
 -           HISPANIC
 -           ASIAN OR PACIFIC ISLANDER
 2%       NATIVE AMERICAN
 6%       OTHER
 2%       REFUSED

Q45      Are you:

38%      MAINLINE PROTESTANT
39%      CATHOLIC
10%      EVANGELIC CHRISTIAN
 -           EASTERN ORTHODOX
 3%       JEWISH
 -           MORMON
2%       AGNOSTIC OR ATHIEST
6%       OTHER/NONE
2%       REFUSED

Q46      Gender (by observation)

48%      MALE
52%      FEMALE

The Commonwealth Foundation/Lincoln Institute Voter Poll was conducted March 22 – 26, 2000 by Precision Marketing, Inc. of Easton, Pennsylvania.  A total of 730 voters were polled giving the sample a margin of error of +\- 3.5% at a 95% confidence level.