Posted on 11/24/2015 11:34:12 AM PST by Red Steel
BOSTON -- Massachusetts voters are feeling positive about Gov. Charlie Baker and more of the state's independents plan to vote in the Republican presidential primary than the Democratic Party contest, according to a Suffolk University poll for the Boston Globe published Tuesday.
Baker received a roughly 70/15 favorable/unfavorable rating, besting U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (54/34), Boston Mayor Marty Walsh (54/15), Attorney General Maura Healey (43/14) and U.S. Sen. Ed Markey (47/28).
About 47 percent of those surveyed Thursday-Sunday agreed with a stance attributed to Baker and 25 governors that "do not want to accept Syrian refugees in their states," while 40 percent disagreed.
About 40 percent of Bay Staters did not want to accept Syrian refugees "because there is too great a risk of a terrorist slipping through the screening process," while 51 percent support accepting Syrian refugees who have been "properly vetted."
Baker has not thrown the brakes on Massachusetts's cooperation with the federal government on refugee resettlement though he has said he wants more information before he can support bringing in refugees from war-torn parts of the Middle East.
Senate President Stan Rosenberg and Speaker Robert DeLeo have both said it is prudent to gather more information on the process from the federal government while Congressman Seth Moulton has criticized that tack and said refugees are vetted more than any other visitors.
Key aspects of Baker's bill (H 3817) to deal with the opioid crisis were popular among the 500 likely voter respondents, too. About 65 percent support allowing hospitals to hold drug abusers for 72 hours against their will, and about 54 percent support limiting initial opiate prescriptions to 72 hours.
The poll had a 4.4 percent margin of error and 64 percent believe Massachusetts is heading in the right direction while about 43 percent believe Baker is doing a better job as governor than his predecessor Gov. Deval Patrick compared to 24 percent who disagree with that.
Republicans reported they were less likely to vote in the presidential primary than Democrats, but roughly 32 percent of the independents surveyed said they planned to vote in the Republican primary versus about 26 percent planning to vote in the Democratic primary.
Of the 134 surveyed about the Republican primary, the plurality (32 percent) backed businessman Donald Trump, while U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio came in second (18 percent), followed by U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (10 percent).
Hillary Clinton was most popular among the 241 respondents surveyed on the Democratic primary, winning about 53 percent, while U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders took 29 percent and former Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley took roughly 3 percent.
In its poll, the Globe indicated that it plans to in the future release information about how voters view mandatory minimum sentences for drug offenses, a policy target of some reformers who want a great focus on drug treatment and see potential savings in reducing the prison population.
Several more Repub delegates for Trump to be had in Massachusetts than in Iowa. ;-)
And since those delegates would otherwise go to Romneys, McCains and John Ellis Bushes, they may as well go to Trump.
That’s right. I can’t support Trump now because he is winning in a liberal state like Massachusetts - yeah right!
The shiite heads you named didn’t want to win Trump does. Big difference don’t you think?
I believe you misunderstood my post. I meant that if a man like Trump doesn’t take those delegates, a RINO will, because Cruz and Carson don’t do so well in the northeast.
I think it’s GREAT that Trump knows how to run in those states.
I am a Cruz supporter, but if I’m in my old home state of Connecticut and Trump is at 25%, Rubio is at 20%, and Carson and Cruz are lagging at 12%, I would certainly consider voting Trump.
Interesting that of the 500 individuals surveyed only 375 were asked about primaries (134 Republican and 241 Democrat [iirc]).
I wonder why this split. Are these how the voters self-identify with 25% id’ing as independent? Again iirc, the article seemed to indicate MA primaries are open. I don’t remember if these were likely voters or likely primary voters. Maybe that answers the question.
I didn’t see a link to the survey specifics. Would be interesting to see what, if any, crossovers there are.
Well, there are more Ds than Rs in Mass, and check the Boston Globe for details if they have publicized them.
Yes, obviously more Democrats than Republicans. That wasn’t my point. I looked at the source and couldn’t find a link. Could be my browser.
This says to me that it REALLY might come down to Trump vs. Cruz in the end. If trump is up in the Northern States, and Cruz takes Iowa, SC and most of the SEC states, as well as middle/western states. Rubio may get squeezed out of the middle!! The best scenario imaginable..
I hate to burst your bubble but Trump is running away with SC and the SEC in the polls.
Perhaps, and perhaps what is the reality of Trump on top now will change..
It could happen, but it likely won’t. We are getting too close to the first voting. The holidays are here and people will not pay much attention to politics until after Jan 1st. At that point it will be only 30 days til Iowa with NH and SC right behind.
Let’s play this out: Ted Cruz continues to gain-maybe he’s close to where Carson was..
He wins Iowa, that gives him a boost, however New England is still split between Trump (in the lead, Rubio second because let’s face it they’re more into the establishment, and Cruz a close 3rd).
The boost out of Iowa gives enough “mo” for Cruz to overtake in the more conservative South, Trump still dominates in the NE, and Rubio is squeezed out.
Then it’s one one and one and I believe in that situation that Cruz wins.
Jeb and Rubio are not going to get out of the race right away and it looks like Carson will hang in there through Iowa and who knows even NH. So as long as its a four man race Cruz will never be able to consolidate enough votes to get near Trump. IMO.
As Carson bleeds out Trump is going to get a significant portion of his supporters. Cruz will likely get some but not enough to bounce from 8%-9% to 32% or more. Overall the polls are pretty accurate and nationally Trump is just killing it. I don’t see anybody catching him unless he commits an unforced error and he’s probably too smart to do it.
I would say its possible Cruz takes Iowa and maybe Texas.
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