KAET-ASU Poll

A new statewide telephone poll of 419 registered voters conducted by KAET-TV/Channel 8 and the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University Nov. 17-20, 2005 revealed a majority of Arizona voters (54 percent) disapprove of the job George W. Bush is doing as president. Forty percent approve and 6 percent said they had no opinion. That's the lowest approval rating ever for Bush in the KAET-ASU Poll. A majority of Republicans and social conservatives support the president; Democrats, independents and social moderates disapprove of the job he is doing.

The poll found that registered voters in Arizona are split over whether they believe President Bush misled the American people about pre-war intelligence. Fifty percent said he misled Americans, while 44 percent said he told the truth and 6 percent said they had no opinion.

In another survey result, a majority of Arizonans (55 percent) favor a federal ban on torture even if torturing terrorists could lead to saving lives.

The survey also found that while a majority of Arizona voters said the state is moving in a positive direction, fewer believe that the country as a whole is moving in the right direction. Almost two-thirds of those interviewed (62 percent) said that Arizona is moving in the right direction while 24 percent said it is not. Only 37 percent said the United States is moving in a positive direction, with 53 percent expressing concern about the direction the nation is headed.

Finally, voters said that they plan to spend less on holiday gifts this year than they did a year ago. Twelve percent said they would be spending more, but more than twice as many (28 percent) said they would be spending less. The remainder, 57 percent, said they would be spending about the same amount they did last year.

The survey has a sampling error of plus or minus 4.8 percent. Sixty percent of the interviews were conducted in Maricopa County, 17 percent in Pima County, and 23 percent in the less populated counties. The sample was 40 percent Republican, 35 percent Democrat and 25 percent independent or other. Fifty-two percent of voters interviewed were female and 48 percent were male. Data were weighted to ensure the proper balance of males and females.

Question wording:

1. First, we'd like to know if you think our country is headed in the right direction?

2. Do you think our state is headed in the right direction?

3. Overall, do you approve or disapprove of the job George Bush is doing as president of the United States?

4. Do you think that President Bush misled the American people about the pre-war intelligence on Iraq in order to build support for the war with Iraq?

5. Would you support or oppose federal legislation that would ban using torture, which is defined as cruel, inhuman or degrading interrogation techniques, against terrorists even if there is reason to believe they may have information that could save American lives?

6. Thinking about how much you spent on holiday gifts last year, this year will you probably spend more, less or about the same as a year ago?

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