While in this Easter season of hope it seems somewhat untoward to say so, it appears Mainers are a pessimistic bunch when it comes to the economy, Maine’s overall direction, and politics and politicians, both here and nationally.
A spring poll of 610 registered Maine voters taken March 4-10 by Critical Insights shows economic concerns as the most pressing issue among Mainers, with the economy in general and unemployment worries topping the list of issues facing the state. In order of importance, the top two were followed by education, health care, taxes and welfare programs, according to the spring reports.
The survey has a4 percent margin of error.
And while there is an 11 percent increase in the percentage of folks who have a positive sense of where Maine is headed over last fall, that percentage is still a mere 28 percent.
The CI report shows 28 percent of Mainers had a positive view of where the state was headed, 41 percent said Maine is on the wrong track and 30 percent had mixed views or said they didn’t know.
In the fall of 2015, just 17 percent of Mainers had that upbeat feeling, but in the spring of 2015, 40 percent said they felt positive about Maine’s track.
According to CI, 52 percent of Democrats claim the state is headed down the wrong track, while 31 percent of Republicans felt that way.
Of the 28 percent who do feel Maine is headed in the right direction, a third say that is because of Gov. Paul LePage and his policies. Thirty-two percent of the 28 percent say LePage is doing a good job, the CI report indicates.
But LePage also gets the blame among the 42 percent of Mainers who feel the state is headed down the wrong track, with 49 percent of the 42 percent saying he is an ineffective leader, 18 percent saying state government isn’t doing its job, 17 percent reporting lack of jobs and 10 percent saying the economy is not improving.
Of the 610 registered voters polled, LePage’s approval rating remains at 36 percent, up from 32 percent in the fall of 2015. LePage’s highest rating came in the fall of 2011, when Critical Insights reported his approval at 47 percent. According to CI, of those who approve of his performance, 47 percent are men and 67 percent are Republicans. Disapproval, CI said, tends to be among women, at 61 percent, and 85 percent of Democrats.
The spring survey shows just 1 in 5 Mainers feels there will be economic improvement over the year. More than half of the registered voters polled believe things will remain roughly the same this year.
Cost of living is the top near-term financial concern for Mainers, followed by health care, the economy in general, and taxes.
As to the presidential candidates? Bernie Sanders prevailed as the most trustworthy among those polled, at 54 percent. Hillary Clinton scored 26 percent on the trustworthy question; Ted Cruz 22 percent; Donald Trump 19 percent, and Marco Rubio, who has since dropped out, 16 percent. Sanders was seen as most trustworthy among women, college educated Mainers, those who live in the First Congressional District and by Democrats and unenrolled voters.
Critical Insights reported that in a 2016 presidential match-up between Clinton and Trump, 43 percent would vote for Clinton while 34 percent would support Trump. If the race were between Sanders and Trump, 57 percent would vote for Sanders over 31 percent for Trump.
Clinton was most favored by women, Mainers 65 years old and older, Democrats and unenrolled. Sanders’ support is strongest in Maine among women 18-34, senior citizens, college graduates, southern Mainers, Democrats and the unenrolled. Support for Trump is strongest among men ages 34- 64, Republicans, those considered less highly educated and northern Mainers.
Fifty-five percent of Mainers polled believe the next Supreme Court justice should be nominated by President Barack Obama and confirmed by the Senate.
Nationally, only one-fifth of Mainers polled, or 21 percent, claim to have a positive sense of where the country us headed. According to CI, optimism is most acute among college-educated Mainers, southern Maine residents and Democrats. Those polled who are doubtful about the country’s direction tend to be male, less highly educated and Republican.
Thirty-nine percent of those taking the poll identified themselves as Democrat, 30 percent Republican and 26 percent unenrolled. Of the 610 polled, 53 percent were women, 47 percent were men. Twenty-six percent were in the 35-44 age group, and 23 percent in the 55-64 age group, with others scattered throughout. College graduates comprised 34 percent of the respondents, 31 percent had technical school or some college background, 20 percent had a high school education and 13 percent had a graduate degree. Of those who took the survey, 61 percent had no children. Of the total, 29 percent reported income of less than $35,000 annually or more than $75,000 annually, with the rest in between.
— Senior Staff Writer Tammy Wells can be contacted at 282-1535, ext. 327 or twells@journaltribune.com.
Comments are not available on this story.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
