FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE November 3, 2011 INTERVIEWS: Tom Jensen 919-744-6312 IF YOU HAVE BASIC METHODOLOGICAL QUESTIONS, PLEASE E-MAIL [email protected], OR CONSULT THE FINAL PARAGRAPH OF THE PRESS RELEASE Favre who? Rodgers is king of Wisconsin Raleigh, N.C. – Now that he is in retirement, this time presumably for good, Wisconsinites seem to be forgiving Brett Favre for his decision to come out of his previous retirement first for the New York Jets and then for the Green Bay Packers’ rival Minnesota Vikings. In August, only a third of the state’s voters viewed Favre favorably, and 54% unfavorably, terrible numbers for a sports icon. That has now recovered significantly, but he is still under water, at 41-45. Men actually now view him favorably (47-41), but women still negatively (35-48) after the sexting scandal. Favre has regained some favor with those who once worshiped the ground he walked on, but he has already been replaced in the pantheon of great Green Bay Packers quarterbacks. It is a close race, however. Current hero Aaron Rodgers is Wisconsinites’ all-time favorite Packers QB, with 36% to Favre’s 29%, Bart Starr’s 23%, and Arnie Herber’s 2%. 10% are not sure. Rodgers has almost unanimous esteem with these voters, at 89%, with only 4% seeing him negatively. Rodgers has now replaced former Nebraska Cornhuskers football coach Tom Osborne as the most popular person on which PPP has ever polled. Packers fans are much more united on the subject of coaches than quarterbacks. 56% think Vince Lombardi was the team’s best leader, followed distantly by current coach Mike McCarthy (13%), Favre’s former coach Mike Holmgren (9%), and their founder and the namesake of the team’s stadium, Curly Lambeau (7%). Despite their mascot being the same as the state’s nickname, there is no question the Wisconsin Badgers play second fiddle to the Packers. Between Badgers and Packers football, 61% of Wisconsinites care more about the former than the latter (18%). The Packers also dominate the pro sports crowd. 70% prefer them to MLB’s Milwaukee Brewers (13%) or NBA’s Milwaukee Bucks (only 3%). PPP surveyed 1,170 Wisconsin voters from October 20th to 23rd. The margin of error for the survey is +/-2.9%. This poll was not paid for or authorized by any campaign or political organization. PPP surveys are conducted through automated telephone interviews. PPP is a Democratic polling company, but polling expert Nate Silver of the New York Times found that its surveys in 2010 actually exhibited a slight bias toward Republican candidates. Public Policy Polling Phone: 888 621-6988 3020 Highwoods Blvd. Web: www.publicpolicypolling.com Raleigh, NC 27604 Email: [email protected] Wisconsin Survey Results Q1 Is your favorite Wisconsin pro sports team the Q6 Do you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion Packers, the Brewers, or the Bucks? of Aaron Rodgers? Packers........................................................... 70% Favorable........................................................ 89% Brewers .......................................................... 13% Unfavorable .................................................... 4% Bucks.............................................................. 3% Not sure .......................................................... 7% Not sure .......................................................... 14% Q7 Do you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion of Mike McCarthy? Q2 Do you care more about Green Bay Packers football or Wisconsin Badgers football? Favorable........................................................ 77% Packers........................................................... 61% Unfavorable .................................................... 7% Badgers .......................................................... 18% Not sure .......................................................... 16% Not sure .......................................................... 21% Q8 Do you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion of Bret Bielema? Q3 Do you think the greatest coach in Packers history is Curly Lambeau, Vince Lombardi, Favorable........................................................ 48% Mike Holmgren, or Mike McCarthy? Unfavorable .................................................... 8% Curly Lambeau ............................................... 7% Not sure .......................................................... 44% Vince Lombardi............................................... 56% Q9 Would you describe yourself as very liberal, Mike Holmgren................................................ 9% somewhat liberal, moderate, somewhat conservative, or very conservative? Mike McCarthy................................................ 13% Very liberal...................................................... 10% Not sure .......................................................... 15% Somewhat liberal ............................................ 19% Q4 Do you think the greatest quarterback in Packers history is Arnie Herber, Bart Starr, Moderate......................................................... 30% Brett Favre, or Aaron Rodgers? Somewhat conservative.................................. 25% Arnie Herber ................................................... 2% Very conservative ........................................... 17% Bart Starr ........................................................ 23% Q10 If you are a woman, press 1. If a man, press 2. 29% Brett Favre...................................................... Woman ........................................................... 52% 36% Aaron Rodgers................................................ Man................................................................. 48% Not sure .......................................................... 10% Q11 If you are a Democrat, press 1. If a Republican, Q5 Do you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion press 2. If you are an independent or identify of Brett Favre? with another party, press 3. 37% Favorable........................................................ 41% Democrat ........................................................ 31% Unfavorable .................................................... 45% Republican...................................................... 32% Not sure .......................................................... 15% Independent/Other.......................................... October 20-23, 2011 3020 Highwoods Blvd. Survey of 1,170 Wisconsin voters Raleigh, NC 27604 [email protected] / 888 621-6988 Q12 If you are white, press 1. If other, press 2. Q13 If you are 18 to 29 years old, press 1. If 30 to 89% 45, press 2. If 46 to 65, press 3. If you are White .............................................................. older than 65, press 4. Other............................................................... 11% 18 to 29........................................................... 12% 30 to 45........................................................... 26% 46 to 65........................................................... 39% Older than 65 .................................................. 23% October 20-23, 2011 3020 Highwoods Blvd. Survey of 1,170 Wisconsin voters Raleigh, NC 27604 [email protected] / 888 621-6988 Crosstabs Ideology Ideology Very Som ew hat Som ew hat Very Very Som ew hat Som ew hat Very Bas e liberal liberal Moderate conservative conservative Bas e liberal liberal Moderate conservative conservative Fave WI Pro Sports Care More About Team Packers or Badgers FB? Packers 70% 61% 70% 70% 76% 69% Packers 61% 47% 61% 61% 64% 65% Brewers 13% 13% 14% 14% 12% 12% Badgers 18% 26% 19% 17% 17% 15% Buck s 3% 3% 3% 2% 2% 5% Not s ur e 21% 27% 21% 22% 19% 20% Not s ur e 14% 24% 14% 14% 10% 14% Ideology Ideology Very Som ew hat Som ew hat Very Very Som ew hat Som ew hat Very Bas e liberal liberal Moderate conservative conservative Bas e liberal liberal Moderate conservative conservative Best Packers Coach Best Packers QB Curly Lambeau 7% 7% 6% 6% 9% 7% Arnie Herber 2% 7% 2% 1% 1% 0% Vince Lombardi 56% 52% 53% 55% 57% 59% Bar t Star r 23% 24% 17% 21% 29% 23% Mike Holmgren 9% 12% 8% 12% 8% 8% Br e tt Favr e 29% 24% 34% 30% 26% 28% Mike McCarthy 13% 11% 13% 13% 15% 11% Aaron Rodgers 36% 27% 34% 38% 37% 40% Not s ur e 15% 19% 20% 14% 10% 15% Not s ur e 10% 17% 13% 10% 6% 9% October 20-23, 2011 3020 Highwoods Blvd. survey of 1,170 Wisconsin voters Raleigh, NC 27604 [email protected] / 888 621-6988 Crosstabs Ideology Ideology Very Som ew hat Som ew hat Very Very Som ew hat Som ew hat Very Bas e liberal liberal Moderate conservative conservative Bas e liberal liberal Moderate conservative conservative Favre Favorability Rodgers Favorability Favorable 41% 36% 42% 40% 42% 40% Favorable 89% 86% 88% 88% 91% 91% Unfavorable 45% 44% 42% 47% 44% 45% Unfavorable 4% 4% 2% 5% 4% 5% Not s ur e 15% 20% 16% 13% 14% 15% Not s ur e 7% 11% 10% 7% 5% 4% Ideology Ideology Very Som ew hat Som ew hat Very Very Som ew hat Som ew hat Very Bas e liberal liberal Moderate conservative conservative Bas e liberal liberal Moderate conservative conservative McCarthy Bielem a Favorability Favorability Favorable 48% 41% 46% 44% 51% 53% Favorable 77% 69% 76% 76% 82% 77% Unfavorable 8% 12% 9% 12% 4% 4% Unfavorable 7% 4% 3% 8% 7% 11% Not s ur e 44% 47% 44% 44% 45% 43% Not s ur e 16% 27% 20% 16% 11% 12% October 20-23, 2011 3020 Highwoods Blvd. survey of 1,170 Wisconsin voters Raleigh, NC 27604 [email protected] / 888 621-6988 Crosstabs Ge nder Ge