By FITSNews || “Who dat?” Who knows …
That’s the message Palmetto State citizens have for S.C. gubernatorial candidates struggling to build their name identification, according to new polling data. Forget likely voters … or even registered ones. This poll measured everybody. And you can toss out the standard, memory-jogging polling language, too (a.k.a. “I’m going to read you a list of Republican/ Democratic candidates for governor”).
This poll didn’t provide any such “qualifying remarks.”
As a result, it does a better job than most of answering this question: With primary elections less than four months away, how much do South Carolinians really know (without prompting) about their 201o candidates for governor?
Or, more accurately, do they even know who any of these bozos are?
Short answer? No …
The new poll (from Winthrop University) is interesting because it breaks through the insider political scene (and the partisan echo chamber) to bring us some startling insights into the widespread lack of awareness most South Carolinians have when it comes to the majority of candidates running to “lead” their state.
“It’s surveying the battlefield before anybody has moved any of their troops,” Winthrop Professor Scott Huffmon told FITS. “It’s raw, pure name identification.”
Something precious few of these wanna-be governors have.
In fact, of the eight Republican and Democratic candidates currently vying to replace S.C. Gov. Mark Sanford, only one of them is known (without prompting) to more than half of the state’s residents, according to the survey.
Conversely, six of the eight candidates are known (again, without prompting) to less than one-third of the state’s population.
Let’s first take a look at the raw name ID numbers for each candidate:
Bauer (R) – 69.7 percent
McMaster (R) – 48.3 percent
Rex (D) – 30.5 percent
Barrett (R) – 28.1 percent
Ford (D) – 28 percent
Haley (R) – 21.4 percent
Sheheen – 19.6 percent
Drake (D) -18.5 percent
That’s basically how many South Carolinians have heard of each candidate, according to the poll.
Now, let’s look at the percentages of South Carolinians who view each candidate favorably:
Bauer (R) – 23.7 percent
McMaster (R) – 21.4 percent
Rex (D) – 11.6 percent
Barrett (R) – 10.3 percent
Ford (D) – 9.9 percent
Haley (R) – 8.9 percent
Sheheen (D) – 6.7 percent
Drake (D) – 5.9 percent
Hey hey … things are looking good for Bauer, right? Wrong … take a look at the percentages of South Carolinians who view each candidate unfavorably:
Bauer (R) – 27.3 percent
McMaster (R) – 9.9 percent
Ford (D) – 7.1 percent
Rex (D) – 5.6 percent
Barrett (R) – 4.8 percent
Haley (R) – 3.6 percent
Drake (D) – 3.6 percent
Sheheen (D) – 3.3 percent
Ouch! Andre!
Clearly “being known” in this race isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.
We’ll have more on the Winthrop Poll soon, so stay tuned … in the meantime, feel free to click through its findings.
WEB EXTRA
Winthrop February 2010 Poll
By Webster February 25, 2010 at 1:14 pm
Likely voters aren’t only more tuned into politics…they will actually vote. If we had mandated voting, then this would be an accurate poll. This is what avg Joe thinks, not Joe Voter. In other words, yawn…
By fitsnews February 25, 2010 at 1:17 pm
Dude, I haven’t voted since 1992 (nobody worth voting for). Does my voice not count? Because I think if you ask any S.C. lawmaker they will tell you different.
Maybe “average joe’s” are like me, and they would rather piss on most Republicans and Democrats than vote for them.
-Will Folks
P.S. – “Bitch.”
By south mauldin February 25, 2010 at 1:18 pm
This only shows the collective ignorance of this state. We get the politicians we deserve.
By Joe Blow February 25, 2010 at 1:57 pm
You got a typo in the paragraph that says: “six of the eight candidates are known (again, without prompting)to less than two-thirds of the state’s population.” You mean one-third.
By Spartanburg Local February 25, 2010 at 2:16 pm
It is true 6 of the 8 are known by less than two-thirds of the state – it is also true that 6 of 8 are known by less than one-third of the state.
By Ynotfirst February 25, 2010 at 2:18 pm
please please vote democrat this time……..please
By PDiddy February 25, 2010 at 2:26 pm
This poll is complete crap. It spans 3 weeks instead of 3 nights. It called adults instead of registered or likely voters. And they got wacky results to prove it.
The Rasmussen poll of SC in December had Obama’s job approval at 45/54. The Winthrop “poll” has it at 47/40. A 16-point swing in two months — in Obama’s favor — in SC? Really? I guess it’s all that “good news” coming out of Washington that has turned it around.
Professor Huffmon should go back to his ivory tower as he clearly has no idea what he’s doing when it comes to polling. Shame on The State for giving this garbage front-page billing.
By Miranda Austin February 25, 2010 at 2:36 pm
My guess is the people who don’t like Bauer are the people on welfare who are scared their checks are going to stop coming and they’ll have to get off the couch and get a job like the rest of us. I’m for Andre.
By kool kat February 25, 2010 at 5:06 pm
Yeah Miranda, that’s it their scared. All of us are but NOT for that reason.
By They call me Mr. Sinister February 25, 2010 at 5:12 pm
Miranda-the other side of the coin is that the people who are for Andre are all in the closet with him.
By Liberty for Me February 25, 2010 at 6:06 pm
Mr. Sinister …”the closet” is that where you found your so called law degree??.
By SC Moderate February 25, 2010 at 6:43 pm
PDiddy wrote:
“The Rasmussen poll of SC in December had Obama’s job approval at 45/54. The Winthrop “poll” has it at 47/40. A 16-point swing in two months — in Obama’s favor — in SC? Really?”
————-
It seems obvious that the difference in the poll, is the Rasmussen poll didn’t allow for “undecided/ unsure”.. (45+54=99)….I know more that 1% are undecided.
Where as the Wintrop Poll is basically saying (47+40=87)… Leaving 13% undecided or unsure. Also, the PPP poll from December also found Obama had 46% approval rating (which was high than both Demint & Graham).
So they are all consistent regarding arond 46% approval. The rest depends on how the question in structured…probably whether it is a (Dem/ Rep/ Neutral) Polling Co.
By southernmapart February 25, 2010 at 9:15 pm
The “201o candidates” will certainly confuse the search engine.
By WorkingTommyC February 25, 2010 at 9:32 pm
Ynotfirst:
It is unseemly to beg in public.