Ah yes....
A small sample size summer time poll from unknown pollsters...
All together now, let's sing in unison....
"If it's summer time... and it don't say Mason-Dixon... let's burn it...
http://news.mainetoday.com/apwire/D83HEIP01-181.shtmlOn the bright side... some very interesting data on the spread of low carb diets
From the AP WIRE Today's stories
Wednesday, June 30, 2004 12:30 pm
Support for Kerry, tax cap dwindle in latest quarterly poll
By JERRY HARKAVY
©Copyright 2004 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
PORTLAND, Maine — John Kerry´s double-digit lead over President Bush evaporated Wednesday in a new statewide poll that also found a drop in support for a controversial plan to cap property taxes.
Bush and Kerry were tied at 35.5 percent, according to the latest quarterly survey by Strategic Marketing Services. But when those leaning toward the candidate were added to those who intended to vote for him, Kerry had a slight edge, 43.5 percent to 41 percent. Ralph Nader had 4.5 percent and 11 percent were undecided.
By contrast, the marketing research firm´s Omnibus Poll in March showed 51 percent intending to vote or leaning toward Kerry, compared to 38 percent for Bush, 4 percent for Nader and 7.5 percent undecided.
A poll conducted this spring by another Portland firm, Critical Insights, had Kerry leading Bush by a margin of 49 percent to 39 percent, with 12 percent either undecided or favoring another candidate.
Patrick Murphy, president of Strategic Marketing Services, said he was "a bit surprised" by the size of the drop in Kerry´s support. He suggested that the numbers may reflect Republican advertising that Kerry had yet to respond to as well as the blanket news coverage of former President Ronald Reagan´s funeral.
The poll also found that placing Republican John McCain on the ticket with Democrat Kerry would boost its support to 51 percent, compared to 42 percent for Bush and Dick Cheney.
Because of its independent voting history and the slim margin by which Bush lost the state to Al Gore four years ago, Maine is regarded as one of 17 battleground states in this year´s campaign.
The latest Strategic Marketing Services poll results were based on a random survey of 400 registered voters conducted between June 5 and June 12, with a margin of error of plus or minus 5 percentage points.
Nearly 47 percent of voters said they would vote for, or lean toward, the plan by Carol Palesky´s Maine Taxpayers Action Network to limit taxes to 1 percent of the assessed value of a property. About 32 percent said they would vote against the cap or lean toward doing so, while 21 percent were undecided.
Those results represent a slight erosion of backing for the tax cap, which led by 51 percent to 32 percent in the previous poll.
In a hypothetical referendum addressing the racino issue, voters gave strong support to keeping the existing law that allows slot machines at the Bangor racetrack.
Nearly 58 percent indicated support for the law, while just over 36 percent would throw out the law and ban slots at the track.
A group called No Slots for ME! has been working toward a 2005 referendum to outlaw slow machines but state officials last week rejected the wording of its proposed bill, saying it failed to clearly state how it would relate to existing gambling law.
In other political races, the survey showed Maine´s two Democratic congressmen holding sizable leads over their Republican challengers.
In the 1st District, nearly 56 percent were voting for or leaning toward Tom Allen, while 24 percent favored Charlie Summers and 20 percent were undecided.
The 2nd District incumbent, Mike Michaud, had 49 percent, to Brian Hamel´s 24 percent and 27 percent undecided.
In the congressional races, the poll´s margin of error was plus or minus 7 percent.
The poll indicated that Mainers were generally pleased with Gov. John Baldacci´s performance in office, with 7.5 percent rating it as excellent, 46.5 percent as good and 30 percent as average. Only 8 percent rated his performance as poor and 5 percent as very poor, with 2.5 percent undecided.
By contrast, the Critical Insights poll found that Baldacci´s job approval rating was 54 percent, a drop of 18 points from late last year.
The Strategic Marketing Services poll found an 8 percentage point drop since March in the number of respondents who feel that Maine´s economy is headed in the "wrong direction." But 52 percent still felt that was true, while 31.5 percent said the economy was headed in the "right direction" and 16.5 percent were unsure.
Reaction to Bush´s handling of the Iraq situation remained stable, with 42 percent indicating approval and 51.5 percent disapproval; the Omnibus Poll six months ago showed 41 percent approval and 50 percent disapproval.
The latest poll indicated that 45 percent of Mainers thought it was worth going to war in Iraq and 47 percent took the opposite view.
The poll also sought to measure the extent to which Mainers have embraced low-carbohydrate diets.
Thirty percent of those surveyed said they, or a close family member, were on a low-carb regimen, compared to 68.5 percent who were not, with the remaining 1.5 percent uncertain.
"I thought it would have been more," Murphy said. "Everybody I know seems to be on some kind of a low-carb diet."
