Interview dates: February 26
th
­ 28
th
, 2010
Interviews: 1,076 adults; 950 registered voters
505 Democrats/Lean Democrats; 467 Republicans/Lean Republicans
Margin of error: + 2.99 for all adults; 3.18 for registered voters
+ 4.36 for Democrats; + 4.53 for Republicans
Ipsos/McClatchy Poll
PROJECT #81-4621-23
NOTE: all results shown are percentages unless otherwise labeled.
These are some of the findings of an Ipsos poll conducted February 26-28, 2010. For the survey, a nationally representative,
randomly selected sample of exactly 1,076 adults aged 18 and older across the United States was interviewed by Ipsos. With
a sample of this size, the results are considered accurate within 2.99 percentage points, 19 times out of 20, of what they would
have been had the entire adult population in the U.S. been polled. All sample surveys and polls may be subject to other
sources of error, including, but not limited to coverage error, and measurement error. These data were weighted to ensure that
the sample's composition reflects that of the actual U.S. population according to U.S. Census figures. Respondents had the
option to be interviewed in English or Spanish.
POLITICAL TRACKER
1. Generally speaking, would you say things in this country are heading in the right direction, or are they off on the wrong
track?
2/26-
28/10
1/28-
31/10
1/7-
11/10
12/3-
6/09
10/29-
11/1/0
9
10/1-
5/09
8/27-
31/09
7/30-
8/3/09
7/9-
13/09
6/4-
8/09
4/30-
5/3/09
4/2-
6/09
3/5-
9/09
2/6 ­
9/09
Right direction.... 34 37 39 36 38 40 40 46 40 52 55 45 44 42
Wrong track........ 60 57 55 60 57 56 54 48 54 42 38 48 48 50
(Not sure)........... 6 5 6 4 4 5 6 6 6 6 7 7 8 8
2a. Overall, do you approve, disapprove or have mixed feelings about the way Barack Obama is handling his job as
President? (IF `APPROVE' OR `DISAPPROVE' ASK: ) Is that strongly (approve/disapprove) or somewhat (approve/
disapprove)? (IF HAVE `MIXED FEELINGS' OR `NOT SURE' ASK:) If you had to choose, do you lean more toward approve
or disapprove?
2/26-
28/10
1/28-
31/10
1/7-
11/10
12/3-
6/09
10/29-
1/1/09
10/1-
5/09
8/27-
31/09
7/30-
8/3/09
7/9-
13/09
6/4-
8/09
4/30-
5/3/09
4/2-
6/09
3/5 -
9/09
2/6-
9/09
Strongly approve..................... 25 22 27 25 23 30 31 32 29 40 40 35 39 38
Somewhat approve................. 18 13 15 12 17 12 16 17 17 14 17 18 15 19
Lean toward approval.............. 11 14 11 12 14 14 9 9 11 10 8 9 10 13
Still have mixed feelings.......... 2 3 2 2 2 3 3 4 3 3 2 4 5 3
Lean toward disapproval......... 13 13 12 15 14 12 8 8 11 9 9 9 8 10
Somewhat disapprove............. 7 6 5 6 4 5 3 5 6 7 3 4 5 4
Strongly disapprove................. 25 27 28 27 25 23 28 24 22 16 19 20 17 12
(Not sure)............................... 1 1 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 1
Total Approve.......................... 53 50 52 49 53 56 56 58 57 64 65 63 65 69
Total Disapprove..................... 44 46 45 49 43 40 40 37 38 32 31 33 29 26
Mean Rating.................... ......... 4.2 4 4.1 4 4.2 4.4 4.4 4.5 4.4 4.9 4.9 4.7 4.9 5.1
Democrats: Total Approve......... 80 79 81 77 82 86 88 82 84 89 95 91 89 92
Democrats: Total Disapprove... 18 19 17 21 15 12 10 15 13 10 4 6 8 6
Independents: Total Approve.... 54 53 49 41 45 47 54 57 50 58 56 57 58 70
Independents: Total Disapprove. 42 31 46 55 41 41 37 34 36 31 34 21 31 19
Republicans: Total Approve....... 23 19 18 16 21 18 18 24 24 27 29 26 29 34
Republicans: Total Disapprove.. 75 79 80 81 78 80 78 70 73 67 67 72 66 60
1146 19
th
St., NW, Suite 200
Washington, DC 20036
(202) 463-7300
Ipsos Public Affairs Project #81-4621-23 Page 2
January 28-31, 2010 Ipsos/McClatchy Poll
5. Has the U.S. economy turned the corner on the current crisis, is the worst yet to come, or have things stabilized but not yet
begun to improve?
2/26-
28/10
1/28-
31/10
1/7-
11/
2010
12/3-
6/09
10/29-
11/1/0
9
10/1-
5/09
8/27-
31/09
7/30-
8/3/09
7/9-
13/09
6/4-
8/09
4/30-
5/3/09
4/2-
6/09
3/5 -
9/09
2/6 ­
9/09
Turned the corner..... 11 10 11 8 7 11 11 9 6 9 10 8 3 7
Worst yet to come..... 31 28 30 35 32 31 35 32 39 37 38 36 57 54
Stabilized, but not yet
begun to improve.....
55 57 56 54 59 55 49 56 49 48 48 52 35 35
(Not sure)................. 3 5 3 2 2 3 4 3 5 6 4 4 4 4
6. I know it is a long way off, but thinking about the elections in 2010, if the election for U.S. Congress were held today,
would you vote for the Democratic candidate or the Republican candidate in your district where you live? (IF
"CANDIDATE FROM ANOTHER PARTY/WILL NOT/DO NOT PLAN TO VOTE/DK/REF", ASK: If you had to
choose, would you lean more towards the Democratic candidate or the Republican candidate?)*
2/26-
28/10
10/29-
11/ 1/09
Initial Democratic candidate......................... ..... 44 43
Lean Democratic candidate......................... ..... 5 5
Total Democratic candidate......................... ..... 50 48
Initial Republican candidate......................... ..... 34 36
Lean Republican candidate......................... ..... 5 6
Total Republican candidate......................... ..... 40 41
(Candidate from another political party) .............. 1 2
(Will not/do not plan to vote) ......................... .... 3 3
(Not sure)......................................... ...... .... ...... . 6 6
7. How strongly do you agree or disagree that Washington no longer works effectively because the fighting between
parties and branches of government means that nothing can be accomplished. Would you say you...(READ LIST)
Total Democrats Independents Republicans
Strongly agree........ ........... 51 50 50 53
Somewhat agree........ ....... 29 30 29 28
Somewhat disagree........ ... 10 10 10 10
Strongly disagree........ ....... 7 9 4 6
(Not sure) ........ ........ ........ 3 2 7 3
Top2Box (Agree) ........ ...... 80 80 79 81
Low2Box (Disagree) ......... 17 19 14 17
ASK IF "STRONGLY AGREE" OR "SOMEWHAT AGREE IN Q7 (Base: n=648)
8. And which party do you think has done more to cause this situation, [ROTATE]the Democrats or the Republicans?
Combination Q7/8
Total Democrats Independents Republicans
Washington is not broken....................................... 17 19 14 17
Washington is broken and Dems are more to blame.... 27 14 18 44
Washington is broken and Reps are more to blame.... 33 54 16 14
Washington is broken and no party is to blame........... 15 8 38 18
Washington is broken and both parties are to blame... 2 2 3 3
(Not sure) ........................................................... 5 4 11 5
Ipsos Public Affairs Project #81-4621-23 Page 3
January 28-31, 2010 Ipsos/McClatchy Poll
HEALTH CARE REFORM
1. As of right now, do you favor or oppose the healthcare reform proposals presently being discussed?
2/26-
28/10
1/28-
31/10
10/29-
11/1/09
10/1-5/09
8/27-
31/09
Favor....................................... 41 37 39 40 40
Oppose.................................... 47 51 49 42 45
(Don't have an opinion) ............... 9 9 14 14
(Not sure)............ .....................
11
3 3 4 1
Democrats: Favor.... .................... 62 65 62 65 62
Democrats: Oppose..................... 24 23 25 18 18
Independents: Favor.................... 43 36 29 28 39
Independents: Oppose................. 41 41 53 38 37
Republicans: Favor...................... 18 9 14 12 12
Republicans: Oppose.................... 75 86 78 77 81
ASK IF OPPOSE IN Q1 (Base: n=535)
1b. You said you are opposed to the healthcare reform proposals presently being discussed. Is that because...
You favor healthcare reform overall but think the current proposals don't
go far enough to reform healthcare....................................................
37
You oppose healthcare reform overall and think the current proposals go
too far in reforming healthcare...........................................................
54
(Not sure) ....................................................................................... 10
ASK IF FAVOR IN Q1 (Base: n=427)
1c. You said you are in favor of the healthcare reform proposals presently being discussed. Is that because...
You favor healthcare reform overall and think the current proposals go far enough to
reform healthcare..............................................................................................
78
You oppose healthcare reform overall and think the current proposals being discussed
will keep healthcare reform from happening............................................................
12
(Not sure) .......................................................................................................... 10
2. Do you favor or oppose the following health care initiatives?
Insurance
subsidies for
lower-income
families
New taxes on the
most expensive
insurance policies
A government
requirement that
everyone buy
health coverage
Favor....................................... 73 24 37
Oppose.................................... 23 70 60
(Not sure) ..................................... 4 6 3
Democrats: Favor.... .................... 83 36 53
Democrats: Oppose..................... 14 57 43
Independents: Favor.................... 73 19 40
Independents: Oppose................. 20 75 57
Republicans: Favor...................... 62 13 18
Republicans: Oppose.................... 35 84 81
Ipsos Public Affairs Project #81-4621-23 Page 4
January 28-31, 2010 Ipsos/McClatchy Poll
3. How much, if anything, would you say you know about President Obama's new health care plan that was released this
week? Would you say...[READ LIST]
A great deal............... 10
A fair amount............. 32
Not very much............ 40
Nothing at all.............. 17
(Not sure)............ ........ 1
ASK IF "Know a great deal/ fair amount about new health care plan" in Q3 (Base: n=484)
3a. And how much better or worse do you, personally, think this new plan is compared to the plan that was being discussed
before, or are they about the same? Would you say...?
Much better................... 9
Somewhat better............ 21
About the same.............. 57
Somewhat worse............ 6
Much worse................... 5
(Not sure)................ ........ 2
Better (Net) ................... 30
Worse (Net) .................. 11
ASK IF `SOMEWHAT WORSE' OR `MUCH WORSE' IN Q3a (Base n=65)
3b. . And why do you think that the new health care plan is [INSERT Q3a RESPONSE] than the plan that was being discussed
before? (DO NOT READ LIST)
Too costly................................................... 32
Too much big government.............................. 11
Doesn't ensure everyone will have health
coverage..................................................... 8
Relies too much on insurance companies.......... 6
Not enough cost controls............................... 3
Other......................................................... 30
(Not sure) ..................................................... 12
4. Some people think that Republicans in Congress are working hard to try to find a compromise with the Democrats on the
healthcare bill. Other people think that the Republicans are deliberately avoiding compromise in order to obstruct the bill in any
form. Which of these comes closer to your view?
Total Democrats Independents Republicans
Republicans in Congress are working hard to try to find a
compromise..............................................................
36 16 30 60
Republicans are deliberately avoiding compromise........... 57 77 51 35
(Not sure)........................... ......... .............................. 7 7 19 4
Ipsos Public Affairs Project #81-4621-23 Page 5
January 28-31, 2010 Ipsos/McClatchy Poll
PARTY AFFILIATION / IDEOLOGY
1. Are you currently registered to vote at this address, or not?
Yes........... 81
No............ 19
(Not sure)... -
2a. Do you consider yourself a Democrat, a Republican, an Independent or none of these?
(IF "DEMOCRAT" TO Q.2a, Q.2b ASKED. IF "REPUBLICAN" TO Q.2a, Q.2c ASKED. IF "INDEPENDENT" or "NONE
OF THESE" TO Q.2a, Q.2d ASKED. RESULTS SHOWN IN SUMMARY BELOW.)
2b. Do you lean strongly or only moderately toward the Democratic Party?
2c. Do you lean strongly or only moderately toward the Republican Party?
2d. Do your beliefs tend to lean more toward the Democrats or the Republicans?
Strongly Democrat........ 19
Moderately Democrat.... 13
Lean Democrat............ 15
Strongly Republican...... 14
Moderately Republican... 11
Lean Republican.......... 18
Independent (No lean)... 10
Initial Democrats......... 32
Total Democrats......... 47
Initial Republicans....... 25
Total Republicans....... 42