A supermajority (68%) of Republican voters also believe that the GOP should not interfere with the nomination process to stop frontrunner Donald Trump. Younger voters, women, Democrats, more highly educated respondents, and non-whites are more likely to favor a GOP effort to try to stop Trump’s bid for the nomination, according to the seven-county regional poll conducted by BW’s Community Research Institute (CRI).
‘The Republican Party is pursuing a multi-pronged strategy to stop Trump,” said Lauren Copeland, associate director of the BW-CRI. “But the message from conservative voters is clear: leave the process alone.”
Gov. Kasich will become the latest presidential candidate to visit BW, with plans to stage an Ohio primary election night watch event at BW on Tuesday, March 15.
Politics and the Supreme Court Vacancy
On the issue of the U.S. Supreme Court vacancy, a clear majority of all respondents (59%) say the U.S. Senate should move ahead with hearings on President Obama’s eventual nominee, with 28% saying the appointment should be left to the next president. Nearly 80% of Democrats and more than half of Independents (56%) want to see the Senate proceed, while just a third of Republicans (34%) want the process to move forward.
‘While a majority of voters want to avoid the politics swirling around the Court vacancy, many Republicans and independents do not want another appointment by President Obama, perhaps reflecting both partisan concern and the president’s lame duck status,’” said Tom Sutton, director of the BW-CRI.
‘The Constitution is clear about what President Obama and the Senate need to do,” Copeland added. “But Republican voters have lost one of the most conservative voices on the Court, and they don’t want to see the Court swing in a liberal direction.”Regional BW-CRI Poll Surveyed Seven-County Area
The study of 495 registered voters in Cuyahoga, Geauga, Lake, Lorain, Medina, Portage, and Summit counties was conducted between March 2-9, 2016 using online panel data with quotas in place for gender and age (margin of error +/- 4 percentage points).
Additional highlights include:
Should Kasich Stay in the Race?
• All voters: Kasich should stay in the race (48%); Kasich should drop out (43%); Unsure (9%).• Just over half of Republicans (53%) think Kasich should stay in the race, but Democrats are torn; while 47% think Kasich should stay in the race, 46% think he should drop out. An additional 7% are undecided.• A majority (52%) of older voters (ages 55+) want Kasich to stay in the race, compared to 44% of voters ages 18-34, and 46% of voters ages 35-54. Stop Trump or Let the Voters Decide?
• Half of all voters (52%) want the GOP to should let voters decide who becomes the eventual nominee, while 41% believe the GOP should try to stop Trump. An additional 7% are undecided.• A majority of Democrats (56%) want the GOP to intervene, compared to 36% of Independents, and 26% of Republicans. • Younger voters (ages 18-34) are more likely than older voters (ages 55+) to believe that the GOP should stop Trump (60% vs. 32%, respectively).• Women are more likely than men to believe the GOP should stop Trump (50% vs. 34%, respectively).• Non-whites are about 18 percentage points more likely than whites to believe the GOP should stop Trump (57% vs. 39%, respectively).
Should the Senate Hold Hearings on Obama’s Supreme Court Nominee?
• All voters: Senate should hold hearings and vote on whomever President Obama nominates (59%); Wait until next President (28%); Unsure (13%).• Most Democratic voters (79%) believe the Senate should hold hearings, compared to 56% of Independents, and 34% of Republicans.About the Baldwin Wallace University Community Research Institute (CRI)
Founded in 2005 at Baldwin Wallace University (BW) in Berea, Ohio, the CRI conducts regional, statewide, and national surveys for government agencies, nonprofits, foundations, community-based organizations, businesses, and the media. CRI also offers BW students opportunities for mentored experience in social science research. Visit www.bw.edu/centers/community-research-institute.Access the full Top Line Report for this poll
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