If the election were held today, 47 percent of the registered voters in Rhode Island say they will vote for Obama, 34 percent for McCain, and approximately 19 percent are undecided. In a Taubman Center poll conducted in August, prior to the Republican National Convention, Obama was leading McCain by 20 percent. When asked to choose between a candidate who is more experienced and a candidate who will bring greater change to national politics, 55 percent of Rhode Island voters said they want someone who will bring greater change. Thirty-five percent said a more experienced and tested person was preferable.
Nearly 50 percent of women respondents said they plan to vote for Obama. McCain was supported by 37 percent of female respondents. Ninety-four percent of respondents said they were likely to vote in November.
Participants were also asked about the Democratic and Republican vice presidential candidates. When asked if Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, the Republican nominee for vice president, has the kind of experience it takes to serve effectively as president if necessary, 53 percent of respondents said she does not. Thirty-three percent believe that Palin does have the experience necessary to become president. Seventy-four percent of the Rhode Island voters believe Delaware Sen. Joe Biden, the Democratic nominee for vice president, has the experience necessary to become president if necessary, while nearly 14 percent believe he does not. Fifty-six percent of women and 50 percent of men believe Palin does not have the experience necessary to become president. Seventy-three percent of women and nearly 76 percent of men believe Biden has the experience to become president.
The survey found that 60.5 percent of respondents who voted for Sen. Hillary Clinton in the 2008 Democratic primary said they plan to vote for Obama in the general election. McCain was favored by nearly 22 percent of those who supported Clinton. The survey found that 37.6 percent of the respondents believe Bill and Hillary Clinton are spending enough time and effort to help Obama win the election. Nearly 30 percent believe the Clintons are not doing enough. Of those respondents who said they voted for Obama in the primary, nearly 42 percent believe the Clintons are not doing enough. Forty-six percent of the respondents who voted for Sen. Clinton believe the Clintons are doing enough to help Obama.
Approval Ratings
Only 12 percent of state voters believe President George W. Bush is doing an excellent or good job. Sixty-eight percent of Rhode Island voters rate the performance of Sen. Jack Reed as good or excellent. Forty-six percent believe Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse is doing a good or excellent job. Forty-six percent feel Rep. Patrick Kennedy is doing an excellent or good job and 51 percent believe Rep. Jim Langevin is doing an excellent or good job.
When asked about the job performance of state officials, 39 percent feel Gov. Donald Carcieri is doing a good or excellent job. Twenty-four percent believe Lt. Gov. Elizabeth Roberts is doing a good or excellent job.
Fifty-two percent think Attorney General Patrick Lynch is doing an excellent or good job. Twenty-four percent feel Secretary of State Ralph Mollis is doing an excellent or good job. Forty percent believe Treasurer Frank Caprio Jr. is doing an excellent or good job.
Forty-six percent rate the job of Providence Mayor David Cicilline as excellent or good. Sixteen percent believe House Speaker William Murphy is doing an excellent or good job and 13 percent of respondents feel Senate President Joseph Montalbano is doing an excellent or good job.
Findings also show that a large majority (70 percent) of Rhode Island voters believe the state is on the wrong track. The survey also asked respondents their views on workplace raids carried out by the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency to crack down on businesses that hire undocumented immigrants. Fifty-six percent of Rhode Island voters believe that ICE should continue the practice of workplace raids, while nearly 31 percent of respondents believe ICE should stop the raids.
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