TO: Interested Parties
FR: John Murray, YG Network
DT: May 12, 2014
RE: May Battleground/Red District Tracking Surveys
The YG Network Battleground & Red District Polls were conducted online May 4-7, 2014 using Survey Sampling International and the data for each survey were weighted to approximate a target sample of midterm voters based on age, gender, educational attainment, race, and marital status.
The YG Battleground Poll was conducted among a sample of 823 likely voters across the 90 most competitive U.S. House districts, as defined by the Cook Political Report. As we work to advance our organization’s public policy agenda, the YG Network chose to survey the 90 most competitive districts because of their importance as battlegrounds in the public policy debate. After demographic weighting, party identification was weighted to be representative of the 90 selected Congressional Districts (D+2). This poll should be viewed as a representative sample of these 90 competitive Congressional districts and is not a representation of the entire United States. Results from the full survey have a margin of error of plus or minus three percentage points.
The YG Red District Poll was conducted among a sample of 726 likely voters across the 90 most Republican U.S. House districts, as defined by the Cook Political Report. After demographic weighing, party identification was weighted to be representative of the 90 selected Congressional Districts (R+9). This poll should be viewed as a representative sample of these 90 selected Congressional districts and is not a representation of the entire United States. Results from the full survey have a margin of error of plus or minus four percentage points.
Click to view the Data Powerpoint HERE.
Click to view the Toplines HERE.
Click to view the Red District Toplines HERE.
BOTTOM LINE:
- Battleground and Red District constituents both hold our nation’s veterans in the highest regard.
- The buck stops with President Obama. Two-thirds of Battleground constituents believe the President bears responsibility for the poor handling of medical benefits to military benefits, including 56% of his own party.
- Constituents in military households in both geographies trust Republicans over the party of their Commander-In-Chief when it comes to military issues. A majority of military household constituents from both Battleground and Red Districts trust Republicans to handle national security/the military and do a better job looking out for the interests of the nation’s veterans over Democrats.
KEY DATA
- Constituents in both geographies hold our nation’s military veterans in the highest regard—
- 87% of Battleground (63% very) and 89% of Red District (70% very) constituents have a favorable image of veterans.
- Two-thirds of Battleground constituents believe Obama bears responsibility for the slow output of medical benefits —
- With the recent coverage of the Veterans Affairs department’s poor administering of medical benefits including the cover-ups at the Phoenix VA, a strong majority of Battleground constituents believe the buck stops with the President. Fully 80% of Battleground constituents in a military household believe Obama bears responsibility for the situation. And, a majority of Obama’s own party (56%) believe he bears responsibility for ensuring better and timelier care for our veterans.
- A plurality of both Battleground and Red District constituents believe Republicans will do a better job at looking out for the interests of veterans—
- 42% of Battleground constituents say they believe Republicans will do a better job looking out for veterans, while just 28% say they believe Democrats will do the better job. And, 47% of Red District constituents believe the GOP will do a better job while just 26% say Democrats will do the better job.
- And, a majority of constituents in military households in both geographies believe Republicans will do a better job looking out for the interests of veterans—
- 52% of Battleground constituents who live in a military household believe Republicans will do a better job looking out for the interests of the nation’s veterans, while just 26% believe Democrats will do the better job. And nearly 7 in 10 Red District constituents in a military household believe Republicans will do a better job looking out for those who have served our country.
- A strong majority of military households in both geographies believe Republicans are better at handling national security/military—
- 58% of Battleground constituents who live in a military household believe Republicans will do a better job at handling national security and the military over the party of their Commander-In-Chief. And, 74% of Red District constituents trust Republicans to do a better job on handling national security and the military.
- An overwhelming majority from both constituent groups believe the federal government needs to do more to support our nation’s veterans—
- 72% of Battleground constituents and 74% of Red District constituents believe the government needs to do more to support veterans.