USConstitution.net 2009 Survey Results
This site has conducted an unscientific survey on various issues since July
of 1998. The results, while interesting in most cases, are to be taken with a
grain of salt – the results can easily be skewed by an individual or group of
individuals; the sample is, by nature, not representative (because it consists
only of Web users who visit my site and bother to view the survey page and
submit an opinion).
This page includes results from 2009. For results from other years, please
go to the Main Results Page.
Question 136, December 2009 President Barack Obama’s new
plan for Afghanistan calls for an additional 30,000 troops in-country. His plan
also calls for the first withdrawals of troops to happen in July, 2011. What
are your thoughts on Obama’s timetable?
Response | Count | Percentage |
---|---|---|
18 months is too long; we should begin pulling out now | 152 | 18.86 |
We should be able to be at a point where we can begin withdrawing in 18 months |
50 | 6.20 |
An 18 month timetable is fine, but we never should have announced that to the world |
102 | 12.66 |
The setting of any timetable is bad military strategy; we should scrap the timetable |
502 | 62.28 |
Total | 806 | 100.00 |
Question 135, November 2009 The presidential election was
held one year ago — would you have voted the same then if you knew what
you know now?
Response | Count | Percentage |
---|---|---|
I voted for Obama and would again | 395 | 26.56 |
I voted for Obama and would have voted for someone else | 124 | 8.34 |
I voted for McCain and would again | 642 | 43.17 |
I voted for McCain and would have voted for someone else | 175 | 11.77 |
I voted for someone other than Obama or McCain and would vote the same again |
115 | 7.73 |
I voted for someone other than Obama or McCain and would have voted for someone else |
36 | 2.42 |
Total | 1487 | 100.00 |
Combined percentages
Category | Count | Percentage |
---|---|---|
Voted for Obama | 519 | 34.90 |
Voted for McCain | 817 | 54.94 |
Voted for Someone else | 151 | 10.15 |
Would vote the same | 1152 | 77.47 |
Would vote differently | 335 | 22.53 |
Question 134, October 2009 President Barack Obama has been
in office for only eight months, but much has happened in that time. What is
your opinion of his job performance so far?
Response | Count | Percentage |
---|---|---|
Strongly Approve | 502 | 13.25 |
Approve | 293 | 7.73 |
Neutral | 140 | 3.69 |
Disapprove | 358 | 9.45 |
Strongly Disapprove | 2496 | 65.87 |
Total | 3789 | 100.00 |
Question 133, September 2009 The United States has had
troops in Afghanistan since October, 2001. Though the United States and its
allies were able to quickly remove the Taliban from power, the Taliban
continues to wage an insurgency that keeps U.S. troops in danger and puts the
lives of Afghan civilians, government officials, police, and soldiers at risk.
What is your opinion of U.S. involvement in Afghanistan?
Response | Count | Percentage |
---|---|---|
We need to persevere and finish the job of driving the Taliban out of Afghanistan. |
864 | 56.21 |
We need to put a time limit on our involvement in Afghanistan. | 205 | 13.34 |
The U.S. needs to pull out of Afghanistan as soon as possible. | 468 | 30.45 |
Total | 1537 | 100.00 |
Question 132, August 2009 The so-called “public option” in
the current health care debate refers to a government-run health care benefit
that would allow anyone to buy into something akin to Medicare, the health care
option available for American seniors. Liberals see it as a way to ensure that
all Americans have access to health care; conservatives see it as an unfair
alternative to for-profit insurance. Do you support the public option?
Response | Count | Percentage |
---|---|---|
Yes, I support the public option. | 721 | 28.53 |
No, I absolutely oppose the public option. | 1668 | 66.01 |
I need to learn more about the public option before I can decide. | 138 | 5.46 |
Total | 2527 | 100.00 |
Question 131 (July 2009) Each July, this survey will be
offered, allowing us to track, over time, the political persuasion of our
visitors. Questions are asked about party affiliation as well as economic and
social ranking on a scale of 1 to 9 (1 being very conservative and 9 being very
liberal).
Response | Count | Percentage | Avg Econ | Avg Soc |
---|---|---|---|---|
Other Parties | 14 | 0.10 | — | — |
Communist Party | 3 | 0.26 | 1.86 | 7.67 |
Constitution Party | 76 | 6.52 | 1.86 | 2.11 |
Democratic Party | 152 | 13.05 | 6.38 | 7.56 |
Green Party | 14 | 1.20 | 6.64 | 7.50 |
Independent | 330 | 28.33 | 3.04 | 3.48 |
Libertarian | 165 | 14.16 | 2.33 | 4.72 |
Liberty Union | 1 | 0.09 | 1.00 | 1.00 |
Natural Law | 4 | 0.34 | 1.25 | 2.75 |
Reform Party | 3 | 0.26 | 2.33 | 2.33 |
Republican Party | 395 | 33.91 | 2.06 | 2.36 |
Socialist Party | 7 | 0.60 | 8.29 | 8.43 |
Total | 1165 | 100.00 | 3.02 | 3.78 |
Notable “Other” parties: Conservative, Nationalist, United
Economics ranking:
Response | Count | Percentage | Grouped |
---|---|---|---|
1 = Very Conservative | 404 | 34.68 | 69.70 |
2 | 218 | 18.71 | |
3 | 190 | 16.31 | |
4 | 66 | 5.67 | 18.72 |
5 = Moderate | 114 | 9.79 | |
6 | 38 | 3.26 | |
7 | 64 | 5.49 | 11.58 |
8 | 35 | 3.00 | |
9 = Very Liberal | 36 | 3.09 |
Social ranking:
Response | Count | Percentage | Grouped |
---|---|---|---|
1 = Very Conservative | 374 | 32.10 | 58.79 |
2 | 165 | 14.16 | |
3 | 146 | 12.53 | |
4 | 50 | 4.29 | 17.93 |
5 = Moderate | 131 | 11.24 | |
6 | 28 | 2.40 | |
7 | 69 | 5.92 | 23.26 |
8 | 67 | 5.75 | |
9 = Very Liberal | 135 | 11.59 |
Question 130, June 2009 Former Vice President Richard
Cheney has said, and continues to say, that the United States is at greater
risk from terrorist attack because of President Barack Obama’s policies. What
do you think?
Response | Count | Percentage |
---|---|---|
Vice President Cheney is absolutely right, we are at greater risk. |
2001 | 74.03 |
There is no more or less risk now, under President Obama, than under President Bush. |
267 | 9.88 |
Cheney is exactly wrong – we are much safer under Obama than we were under Bush. |
435 | 16.09 |
Total | 2703 | 100.00 |
Question 129, May 2009 Supreme Court Justice David Souter
announced his retirement from the bench after the end of the current term.
Souter’s seat will be the first seat President Barack Obama will fill. What is
your guess for the number of other seats Obama will have a chance to fill in
his term?
Response | Count | Percentage |
---|---|---|
0 | 71 | 11.56 |
1 | 122 | 19.87 |
2 | 230 | 37.46 |
3 or more | 191 | 31.11 |
Total | 614 | 100.00 |
Question 128, April 2009 Since 1991, there has been no
press coverage of the bodies of U.S. soldiers being repatriated for burial.
That policy was reversed by President Barack Obama, who said that at the
request of the deceased’s loved ones, the press can cover the return. The first
press coverage of one of our returning fallen took place on April 6, 2009. What
are your thoughts?
Response | Count | Percentage |
---|---|---|
I support the lifting of the ban — the public has to be reminded of the human cost of our wars. |
145 | 32.22 |
Coverage, or no coverage, should be left up to the family of the soldier. |
178 | 39.56 |
I think that covering the return of a flag-draped coffin can only be for political purposes and should be banned. |
53 | 11.78 |
I think it is disrespectful to show, and out of respect for our soldiers, the ban should continue. |
74 | 16.44 |
Total | 450 | 100.00 |
Question 127, March 2009 Looking ahead, what are your
prospects for your current job in 2009?
Response | Count | Percentage |
---|---|---|
I am confident that my current job is safe in 2009. | 158 | 25.61 |
I think my job is safe in 2009. | 108 | 17.50 |
I am unsure about my job in 2009. | 142 | 23.01 |
I think I will lose my job in 2009. | 36 | 5.83 |
I am confident I will lose my job in 2009. | 64 | 10.37 |
I lost my job before 2009 even started. | 109 | 17.67 |
Total | 617 | 100.00 |
Question 126, February 2009 Homeland Security Secretary
Janet Napolitano said that one of the main focuses of her department in the
near future will be on employers who hire illegal workers, rather than on the
illegal workers themselves. Has she got it right?
Response | Count | Percentage |
---|---|---|
Yes, she does – if the employers are too scared to hire the workers, the workers will eventually see no reason to come here. |
270 | 46.88 |
No, we need to flush out the illegal immigrants so that they can be rounded up and deported. |
209 | 36.28 |
No, we must accept that our nation is a destination for too many people, and nothing we do will stop that. Instead, we should figure out how to make it easier to come here. |
97 | 16.84 |
Total | 576 | 100.00 |
Question 125, January 2009 Roland Burris, the nominee to
take Barack Obama’s vacated Senate seat, was appointed by embattled Governor
Rob Blagojevich (D-Ill). Because of the cloud of controversy and scandal
surrounding Blagojevich, the Senate has refused to seat Burris. Fair, or
not?