FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 9, 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 Perdue remains down to McCrory by 10, would romp Faison Raleigh, N.C. – The good news for North Carolina Gov. Bev Perdue is that she has not been harmed yet by the indictments to her 2008 campaign staff that came down last week. The bad news is she is still underwater with voters and facing a double-digit deficit to likely Republican opponent Pat McCrory. She lags McCrory by ten points (50- 40), hardly a change from last month (48-39). Her approval rating stands at 37-48, again, not much different than in late October (38-50). State Rep. Bill Faison has been making noise for months about possibly challenging Perdue in the primary, but his name identification statewide is only 27%, and those who are familiar with him fall at 5% favorable and 22% unfavorable. He is best-known but least-liked by his own Democrats, so right now, he would fall to Perdue by 32 points (55- 23), and if he somehow made it through that hurdle, he would have twice Perdue’s deficit to McCrory (47-26). It remains a daunting task for proponents of gay rights to defeat the marriage amendment that will be on the primary ballot next May. 58% of likely primary voters say they would vote for the amendment and only 32% against. But the task is entirely about education. The amendment would, among other things, prohibit civil unions and domestic partnerships, and even these primary voters who are overwhelmingly for the amendment’s ballot language and against same-sex marriage itself are in favor of gay couples having civil unions. While they oppose gay marriage by a 30-57 margin, 56% of them want gay couples to still have the option of the same legal rights as married heterosexual couples. That includes 65% of Democrats, who right now are for the amendment by a 47-43 margin. It also includes 62% of independents, who favor the amendment even more (52-35). If opponents can turn those numbers around through information initiatives and voter turnout, the amendment could narrowly fail. PPP surveyed 865 North Carolina voters, including 688 likely primary voters and 392 likely Democratic primary voters, from December 1st to 4th. The margin of error for the entire survey is +/-3.3%, +/-3.7% for the entire primary sample, and +/-5.0% for the Democratic primary sample. 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] North Carolina Survey Results Q1 If the candidates for Governor next year were Q7 Would you vote for or against a constitutional Democrat Bev Perdue and Republican Pat amendment to provide that marriage between McCrory, who would you vote for? one man and one woman is the only domestic 40% 10% legal union that shall be valid or recognized in Bev Perdue ............. Undecided............... this State? (Asked of 688 likely primary voters) Pat McCrory............ 50% Would vote for it.............................................. 58% Q2 Do you approve or disapprove of Governor Bev Perdue’s job performance? Would vote against it ...................................... 32% 9% Approve................. 37% Not sure ................ 14% Not sure .......................................................... 48% Q8 Do you think same-sex marriage should be Disapprove............ legal or illegal? Q3 Do you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion of Pat McCrory? Legal....................... 30% Not sure .................. 13% 57% Favorable........................................................ 41% Illegal ...................... 28% Q9 Which of the following best describes your Unfavorable .................................................... opinion on gay marriage: gay couples should Not sure .......................................................... 32% be allowed to legally marry, or gay couples Q4 Do you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion should be allowed to form civil unions but not of Bill Faison? legally marry, or there should be no legal recognition of a gay couple's relationship? 5% Favorable........................................................ Gay couples should There should be no Unfavorable .................................................... 22% be allowed to legally legal recognition of marry....................... 27% a gay couple's 40% Not sure .......................................................... 73% Gay couples should relationship ............. Q5 If the candidates for Governor next year were be allowed to form Not sure .................. 3% Democrat Bill Faison and Republican Pat civil unions but not 29% McCrory, who would you vote for? marry....................... Q10 Who did you vote for President in 2008? Bill Faison ............... 26% Undecided............... 26% John McCain................................................... 46% Pat McCrory............ 47% 48% Q6 If the Democratic candidates for Governor Barack Obama................................................ were Bill Faison and Bev Perdue, who would Someone else/Don't remember ...................... 6% you vote for? (Asked of 392 Democratic Q11 Would you describe yourself as very liberal, primary voters) somewhat liberal, moderate, somewhat Bill Faison ....................................................... 23% conservative, or very conservative? Bev Perdue..................................................... 55% Very liberal...................................................... 9% Undecided....................................................... 23% Somewhat liberal ............................................ 17% Moderate......................................................... 30% Somewhat conservative.................................. 24% Very conservative ........................................... 19% December 1-4, 2011 3020 Highwoods Blvd. Survey of 865 North Carolina voters Raleigh, NC 27604 [email protected] / 888 621-6988 Q12 If you are a woman, press 1. If a man, press 2. Q15 If you are 18 to 29 years old, press 1. If 30 to 52% 45, press 2. If 46 to 65, press 3. If you are Woman ........................................................... older than 65, press 4. Man................................................................. 48% 18 to 29........................................................... 12% Q13 If you are a Democrat, press 1. If a Republican, press 2. If you are an independent or identify 30 to 45........................................................... 30% with another party, press 3. 46 to 65........................................................... 38% 47% Democrat ........................................................ Older than 65 .................................................. 20% Republican...................................................... 35% Q16 Independent/Other.......................................... 18% 252.................................................................. 11% Q14 If you are white, press 1. If African-American, 336.................................................................. 19% press 2. If other, press 3. 704.................................................................. 24% White .............................................................. 75% 828.................................................................. 12% African-American ............................................ 20% 910.................................................................. 16% Other............................................................... 4% 919.................................................................. 18% December 1-4, 2011 3020 Highwoods Blvd. Survey of 865 North Carolina voters Raleigh, NC 27604 [email protected] / 888 621-6988 Crosstabs 2008 Vote 2008 Vote John Bar ack Someone else/Don't John Bar ack Someone else/Don't Bas e McCain Obam a remember Bas e McCain Obam a remember Perdue/McCrory Perdue Approval Be v Pe r due 40% 10% 72% 23% Approve 37% 13% 62% 25% Pat McCrory 50% 85% 18% 42% Dis appr ove 48% 77% 22% 35% Unde cide d 10% 5% 11% 35% Not s ur e 14% 10% 15% 41% 2008 Vote 2008 Vote John Bar ack Someone else/Don't John Bar ack Someone else/Don't Bas e McCain Obam a remember Bas e McCain Obam a remember McCrory Favorability Faison Favorability Favorable 41% 63% 21% 28% Favorable 5% 5% 6% 4% Unfavorable 28% 13% 44% 15% Unfavorable 22% 14% 31% 11% Not s ur e 32% 25% 35% 58% Not s ur e 73% 81% 63% 85% December 1-4, 2011 3020 Highwoods Blvd. survey of 865 North Carolina voters Raleigh, NC 27604 [email protected] / 888 621-6988 Crosstabs 2008 Vote 2008 Vote John Bar ack Someone else/Don't John Bar ack Someone else/Don't Bas e McCain Obam a remember Bas e McCain Obam a remember Faison/McCrory Faison/Perdue Bill Faison 26% 6% 48% 12% Bill Faison 23% 54% 16% 24% Pat McCrory 47% 76% 19% 47% Be v Pe r due 55% 27% 61% 50% Unde cide d 26% 18% 33% 42% Unde cide d 23% 19% 24% 26% 2008 Vote 2008 Vote John Bar ack Someone else/Don't John Bar ack Someone else/Don't Bas e McCain Obam a remember Bas e McCain Obam