Or you have to run for your life.
Posted on 08/31/2016 6:44:57 AM PDT by usafa92
Some have suggested that Donald Trump has hidden support among voters who are unwilling to say publicly where they stand because they’re fearful of criticism. We won’t know for sure until Election Day, but Republicans are clearly more reluctant than Democrats this year to say how they are going to vote.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 17% of Likely Republican Voters are less likely this year to let others know how they intend to vote compared to previous presidential campaigns. Just 10% of Likely Democratic Voters say they are less likely to tell.
Among voters not affiliated with either major party, 25% say they are less likely this year to say publicly which presidential candidate they will vote. Unaffiliateds have leaned in Trump’s direction in recent weeks in our White House Watch survey but also have been the biggest supporters of Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
Clinton and Trump have been running nearly even in our surveys for weeks. When either of them takes a lead, it’s generally been within our +/- 3 percentage point margin of error.
Fifty-two percent (52%) of Democrats say they are more likely to let others know how they intend to vote this year, compared to 46% of Republicans and 34% of unaffiliated voters. Thirty-seven percent (37%) of Democrats, 32% of Republicans and 38% of unaffiliateds feel about the same when it comes to declaring their vote publicly as they have in past presidential election cycles.
The reluctance among GOP voters to speak out also may be due in part to the divisive primary battle that led to Trump’s nomination, with many establishment Republicans publicly rejecting the party’s chosen nominee. Sixty-six percent (66%) of Republicans believe that most top GOP leaders do not want Trump to be elected president of the United States. But only 27% of Republicans now believe the political attitudes of the party’s voters match up with those of party leaders.
(Want a free daily e-mail update? If it's in the news, it's in our polls). Rasmussen Reports updates are also available on Twitter or Facebook.
The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on August 25 and 28, 2016 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.
[Rasmussen Reports analysts Amy Holmes and Fran Coombs are available for interested media. Please call 732-776-9777 ext. 205 for interviews.]
Most major media outlets have been strongly critical of many of Trump’s comments and positions. Voters continue to strongly believe that the media is more interested in controversy than in the issues when it comes to the presidential race. Among voters who support Trump, 76% think the media is blowing up his comments out of proportion. But 80% of Clinton supporters say Trump is careless with his comments.
Fifty percent (50%) of all voters think most reporters will try to help Clinton with their coverage, while only 11% believe they’ll try to help Trump.
Men are a bit less likely this year to say publicly whom they will vote for.
Voters under 40 are more likely than their elders to be holding back their Election Day choice. This is a potential area of worry for Clinton since younger voters are essential to her win.
A plurality (47%) of blacks say they are just as likely this year as any other year to say publicly how they are going to vote. Whites and other minority voters are more likely to let others know.
Twenty percent (20%) of both conservative and moderate voters are less likely to reveal their choice for president this year. Only 10% of liberals say the same.
A majority of voters believe the media, not the candidates, are setting the agenda this presidential election cycle.
Despite heavy criticism by Clinton and by the media, Trump’s recently announced plans for restricting immigration from terrorist countries and for ending U.S. nation-building efforts in the Middle East are supported by most voters.
After initially supporting the Trans-Pacific Partnership, Clinton under pressure from primary rival Bernie Sanders came out against the new trade deal endorsed by President Obama. Trump has long been critical of the TPP, NAFTA and other major free trade agreements, saying they have hurt the economy and taken away U.S. jobs. Voters are not big fans of these free trade deals, and Trump is hoping to peel away younger Sanders supporters from Clinton’s camp.
Generally speaking, when it comes to national security, the economy and other major issues, voters expect Clinton to continue Obama's policies and Trump to change them, for better or worse.
The economy remains the number one issue for all voters this election cycle, but Republicans are a lot more worried about national security than Democrats and unaffiliated voters are.
Additional information from this survey and a full demographic breakdown are available to Platinum Members only.
Why would someone fear criticism from a pollster? I don’t get it.
The bright side is that Kelli Ward can start her primary campaign against the Flake starting today.
Yep.
I remember the 2008 election. I went to a few Hillary sites and those people said they would NEVER vote for Obama.
Except they did.
I don’t really take polls seriously until the last week or two. That is when their reputations really are on the line, because their poll results can be compared to what the voters actually did.
The rest of the time, we take their numbers on faith. Something I don’t have a lot of, regarding my perception of pollsters.
I have not been polled and yes, I’ll vote for Trump.
Haven't seen any Hillary bumper stickers either.
I think you have put your finger on it: These days more and more people are realizing that the pollsters are, for a host of reasons, NOT benign, and so the ones polled are not as openly cooperating as they have in the past.
I live in a very heavey Illinois DEM area...LOL I am supposedly a DEM...but almost everyone you ask is voting for Trump..more and more of black votes also....
Its like the early secret Christians, whose sign was the fish. There was a lot more Christians than the authorities thought. Even the greatest Christ persecutor Paul was one of them :)
“...refused to say I would vote for Trump.”
“Why?”
Sheer orneriness. I am mad at all media, all pollsters, all government.
The hidden code can be measured by the Target Effect. Since April when Target went all deviate all the time, their sales are down more than 2%. There is your hidden vote, people who are disgusted with the elites telling them what is best for them. Oh by the way Target stock is down over 15%.
Praying.
Why post that?
Just askin’
Don’t worry. There’s no martyred JFK this time around.
Trump’s monster vote isn’t enough to overcome Hillary’s dead/illegal alien votes.
If polled, I would say “none of the above,” or “someone else.” And then I’d vote for Trump.
I think I describe millions out there.
“Why would someone fear criticism from a pollster? I don’t get it.”
Because the caller might not be a pollster. (See Post #15.)
Ras was wrong (-4) in 2012. Almost all were, most -1. But Ras was the best pollster in 2000. Pollsters vary season to season as to who is the most accurate. Ras certainly is no worse than any other.
For ex., I found that Suffolk and CNN/ORC both asked for the “youngest voter in the home.” HUH?? This creates a large D bias.
Or you have to run for your life.
I am a 100% Trumper, I work on his campaign, and am very active here in Utah, but I would not dare show any signs of Trump, my car would get smashed, the apartment complex won't allow any advertisement of any kind, and if I wore the shirt and hat, someone would TRY to kick my butt, and I don't feel like hurting someone right now, so I don't wear them...
That's just the way it is with Trump...and those that don't let people know, that's ok, we know they are there, pulling for Trump just as much as those that go out with Trump apparel on...
Isn't it funny, We keep Trump quite, but Hillary supporters, who is the biggest crook that walked the earth are out there pointing fingers and yelling like idiots...and we Trump people are quite, and reserved, just biding our time to pull the level for Trump...
Never even crossed my mind. Good point.
The left is so corrupt, narcissistic and juvenile that we live in a world where it is dangerous to put out a yard sign or bumper sticker. This is just part of that.
Yeah. that is what I was thinking. :-(
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