Greg Bryan/Arizona Daily Star 2010
A large crowd turns out to show support during the Tucson Tea Party's second annual tax day rally at Presidio Park in Tucson on April 15, 2010.
Posted on 07/02/2010 12:06:36 PM PDT by SandRat
PHOENIX - Nearly one in four Arizonans consider themselves part of the tea party movement. And those tea partyers love Gov. Jan Brewer.
Scott Rasmussen, who runs Rasmussen Reports, said Thursday that the 23 percent figure for tea party identification in Arizona is about the highest of anywhere in the country. The national average is about 16 percent.
Less clear, he said, is what that means for Arizona politics, now and in the future.
"Part of what has been driving the tea party movement has been a sense that no politicians are listening," Rasmussen said.
Fred Solop, who chairs the Department of Politics and International Affairs at Northern Arizona University, said some of what makes it hard to calculate is that there is no clear, defined idea of what the tea party is, or what it takes to be a part of it.
"There is no formal membership," Solop noted. "Anybody can say they're a member of the movement."
What the figure from the Rasmussen Reports likely tracks, Solop said, is the heart of the anti-tax movement - people who will not support any increase. He noted that about 35 percent of people who went to the polls last month voted against Proposition 100, which hiked the state sales tax by a penny per dollar for the next three years to help balance the budget.
What is clearer is that Republican candidates in particular cannot ignore such a large segment of the Arizona electorate.
Despite their general anti-tax stance, Brewer, the leading proponent of the tax hike, appears to have locked up their support.
Rasmussen said 89 percent of those who identified themselves as members of the tea party support Brewer's re-election, with Terry Goddard scoring just 9 percent.
Even among 61 percent who clearly say they're not a part of the movement, Goddard doesn't have that much of a leg up. He is favored over Brewer in that group by a margin of just 47 percent to 42 percent, which, with the survey's 4.5 percent margin of error, makes it a statistical dead heat.
Rasmussen said politicians should watch the 16 percent of Arizonans who are on the tea party fence.
"We've found all across the country there's a sizable number of people who tell us they're not sure they're part of the tea party movement," he said.
"A lot of those people like some of the ideas of what they hear of the tea party," Rasmussen explained. "But they're a little concerned about some of what they see going on."
Rasmussen would not spell out exactly what he thinks those voters see that makes them a uneasy about the movement. "I'm just telling you what the numbers say," he said.
The telephone survey of 500 likely voters was conducted Tuesday.
On StarNet: Go to azstarnet.com/news/ local/govt-and-politics to read more about local and state government and election news.
Did you know
The tea party emerged in 2009 through a series of local and national protests, partially in response to the bank bailout, stimulus package and health-care reform.
Isn’t this newspaper a sex poddle for RINO MCcain?
16% nation wide? That seems kinda low for people that believe in the constitution. How can it be that low?
“16% nation wide? That seems kinda low for people that believe in the constitution. How can it be that low”?
...for the same reason that so many dumbass goons voted FOR the kenyan.
Arizona, I’ll raise you 10%, from Colorado...
Weird, this article in my reply above states: “That compares to 24% of U.S. voters nationwide.” Posted article for this thread states 16% national average.
So TPers are 23% of the population there and the paper can’t figure out the effect of that.
Meanwhile, look at all of the pandering that has been done there and everywhere else to get the black vote, which is 12% of the population nationwide, or the Hispanic vote, which is somewhere around the same. Also throw in that the TPers are a lot more enthused about voting.
Still can’t figure out what the effect will be?
Identifying with is much stronger than “favoring” as the headline reads. 23% identifying with is enough for a successful revolution!
Other sources including FOX have put the number that nationally identify with the Tea Party as high as 30% and nearly 60% are in general agreement with many of their points. This is a little squishy, like Rasmussen’s question about don’t you somewhat approve of something the W0N claims to have done. That’s how he keeps getting the 43-48% “somewhat approve” rating.
Rasmussen has been showing some volatility in his numbers recently. Either he is getting a twisted sample or he is fudging to meet his expectations. Rasmussen has recently published polling and some remarks that might associate him with trying to position Hitlary for a run.
Not bad for a non-organization that lacks a recognized national head office, board of directors and written platform [except for the Constitution].
Often referred to around here as the Arizona Red Star.
The source is the Arizona Red Star; go figure.
“Less clear, he said, is what that means for Arizona politics, now and in the future. “
I can help with this: It means that the REPUBLICAN PARTY had better pay attention to the needs of the Tea Party. If not, they will simply find themselves OUT OF POWER.
Governor Brewer obviously GETS IT and is steamrolling her opposition for re-election (which is rare for someone who wasn’t even elected to the office). Now it is up to the rest of the party to QUIT SUPPORTING MCCAIN and get with the program - or they will regret.
Polls always understate the strength of any movement, like the Tea Party or the NRA, that is secretly favored by large numbers of people but subject to ridicule by fatuous celebrities, traitor politicians, and the enemedia.
Put the core goals of the Tea Party in plain language with no attribution, and you will draw 75% support from likely voters.
Not good coming fro Tucson; the Blue stain on Arizona’s Red Dress.
Steve Van Doorn is absoutely correct. The question should be, “Do you think we should follow the constitution?”
Rasmussen ask that question on July 1, 2010
The results are a stark look at reality.
http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/general_politics/june_2010/62_say_constitution_should_be_left_alone
62% say leave the Constitution alone. 39% say the Constitution needs some minor changes, but they say the changes should be to put more restrictions on Government.
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