MTSUPoll

Debate to happen in Obama's City but McCain's state across wide partisan gulf

Next week’s presidential debate in Nashville will bring senators Barack Obama and John McCain to the relatively Democratic capital of a firmly Republican state. McCain leads Obama by a firm 48 percent to 36 percent statewide with 10 percent undecided. But Metro Nashville is relatively warmer toward Obama.

• Economy trumps other national issues by unprecedented margin
• Barometer of national mood at all-time low, with dramatic party split
• Doubt prevails about Palin’s “bridge to nowhere” assertion
• No consensus on the meaning of Obama’s “lipstick on a pig” remark
• Alexander outpolls Tuke among likely voters
• Bush compares poorly to other U.S. presidents
• Tennesseans rank economy, energy, education most personally important issues
• Most evangelicals think churches should express political views
• Many discount notion that religious conservatives influence Republicans too much

To view the current poll press release, click here. Or click here for the first round of findings. To learn about the accuracy of the MTSU Poll in elections, click here.

The MTSU Poll's mission is to provide independent, non-partisan, and unbiased public opinion data regarding major social, political, and ethical issues affecting Tennessee.

Surveys are conducted twice yearly under the direction of faculty specialists in public opinion research in accordance with scientifically validated polling standards. Students serve as poll interviewers as an integral part of their training in mass communication.

The poll's directors welcome suggestions about issues and topics from any individual or group. The poll's directors are, however, charged to select, formulate, and interpret results independent of outside interests.

The poll fulfills the major goals of Middle Tennessee State University in that it provides an opportunity for student- and faculty- centered research in partnership with the citizens of Tennessee and the news media that serve them.

The following people supervise the MTSU Poll:

• Ken Blake
  • Director, The MTSU Poll
• Robert Wyatt
  • Director, Office of Communication Research
• Jason Reineke
  • Associate Director, The MTSU Poll

   

  Sponsored by the Office of Communication Research at Middle Tennessee State University's College of Mass Communication, the poll tracks attitudes regarding free expression, faith in major institutions, and a wide range of public issues.

  The poll is supported by MTSU's Office of Communication Research, College of Mass Communication, and School of Journalism.

• Students wishing to register for an MTSU Poll session may click click here to access the online registration system. Additional information for students is available here.
• The polling lab is in BAS S302. To learn how to find the polling lab and what to expect when you get, go to: http://www.mtsu.edu/~commres/findlab.htm.
• MTSU faculty using the MTSU Poll in their classes will find helpful material at: www.mtsu.edu/~commres/271/271.htm. A password is required.

NOTE: Data files may be downloaded and analyzed with these restrictions: Researchers wishing to make academic or scientific use of these data must request and obtain permission in writing from the Director of the Office of Communication Research prior to presentation or publication. For general descriptive use, we ask only that the Middle Tennessee Poll at Middle Tennessee State University be cited as the source of the data.