Peter Brown, Assistant

Director,
Quinnipiac University Polling
Institute
(203) 582-5201

Rubenstein Associates, Inc.

Public Relations
FOR RELEASE: DECEMBER 16, 2010

CASEY GETS OK MARKS FROM PENNSYLVANIA VOTERS,

QUINNIPIAC UNIVERSITY POLL FINDS;
VOTERS BACK TAX DEAL, SPLIT ON HEALTH CARE REPEAL
Pennsylvania voters give Sen. Robert Casey Jr. a 39 – 29 percent job approval rating; by 43 – 35
percent they favor him over an unnamed Republican for re-election in 2012 and by 40 – 33
percent they say he deserves another term, according to a new Quinnipiac University poll.
Voters split 45 – 45 percent on whether or not Congress should repeal the health care
overhaul passed last winter, the independent Quinnipiac (KWIN-uh-pe-ack) University survey
finds. The poll, except for Monday night’s interviewing, was completed before a federal judge in
Virginia ruled that part of the law was unconstitutional.
By an overwhelming 69 – 24 percent, Pennsylvania voters approve of the tax deal that
President Barack Obama had negotiated with congressional Republican leaders.
President Obama has a split 44 – 43 percent approval rating in the Keystone State, and
would defeat an unnamed Republican in 2012 by 41 – 37 percent. Still, voters are split 44 – 45
percent on whether the president deserves a second term in the White House. This compares to a
negative 46 – 49 percent approval rating July 14, when Commonwealth voters said 48 – 42
percent Obama did not deserve re-election.
“Half of Pennsylvania voters say Sen. Robert Casey generally shares the same views as
President Barack Obama, while 16 percent say he does not. A third, 34 percent, are not sure,”
said Peter Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute. “Depending on
how popular the president is in Pennsylvania in 2012, and how Sen. Casey conducts himself
during the next 23 months, that could be a plus or a minus for Casey’s re-election prospects.”
-more-
Quinnipiac University Poll/December 16, 2010 – page 2
“Although there is a sense in the political community that Casey will be a strong bet for
re-election, his numbers are not overwhelming,” Brown added.
At 44 percent, Democrats are the least sure that Casey shares Obama’s views, while 52
percent of independent voters and 57 percent of Republicans think that he does. About a quarter
of voters, 24 percent, think Casey is too liberal, while 7 percent say he is too conservative and 43
percent see his views as about right.
On Obama, 38 percent say he is too liberal, 7 percent too conservative and 45 percent
about right.
“President Obama carried Pennsylvania by 55 – 44 percent in the 2008 election. Although
these new numbers are not exact comparisons, it’s clear that he has lost some support since then,”
said Brown.
Among independent voters, the key voting bloc that was heavily Democratic in 2008 and
just as strongly Republican this November, voters are split 40 – 40 percent on whether Obama
deserves a second term.
On health care, 73 percent of Republicans, but only 42 percent of independents and 22
percent of Democrats, want it repealed.
“Health care remains a highly partisan issue,” said Brown.
Although many Democrats in Congress have balked at the tax deal Obama negotiated with
the GOP, at least in Pennsylvania rank-in-file Democrats are solidly behind the president on the
issue, supporting the deal 66 – 29 percent. Republicans back it 72 – 21 percent while independent
voters support it 72 – 20 percent.
By 56 – 38 percent, Pennsylvania voters do not think the United States should be involved
in Afghanistan, a decline from July when by 48 – 45 percent voters thought the United States was
doing the right thing by being there.
From December 6 – 13, Quinnipiac University surveyed 1,584 Pennsylvania voters, with
a margin of error of +/- 2.5 percentage points.
The Quinnipiac University Poll, directed by Douglas Schwartz, Ph.D., conducts public
opinion surveys in Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Florida, Ohio and the
nation as a public service and for research.
For more data or RSS feed– http://www.quinnipiac.edu/polling.xml, call (203) 582-5201, or
follow us on Twitter.

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1. Do you approve or disapprove of the way Barack Obama is handling his job as President?

Union
Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom HsHlds

Approve 44% 18% 72% 41% 43% 45% 47%

Disapprove 43 75 17 42 43 42 47
DK/NA 13 7 11 17 14 12 6

Alghny Philly NthEst SthEst NthWst SthWst Cntrl

Approve 42% 74% 40% 48% 48% 28% 38%

Disapprove 40 20 37 44 45 58 49
DK/NA 18 6 23 8 7 15 13

TREND: Do you approve or disapprove of the way Barack Obama is handling his job as
President?

APPROVE.......
High Low
Dec 16 Jul 14 May 13 Apr 8 Mar 2 May 4 Dec 16
2010 2010 2010 2010 2009 2010 2010

Approve 44 46 46 45 49 66 44
Disapprove 43 49 48 49 46 29 43
DK/NA 13 5 6 6 4 5 13

2. Do you approve or disapprove of the way Bob Casey Jr. is handling his job as United
States Senator?

Union
Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom HsHlds

Approve 39% 28% 55% 36% 42% 37% 44%

Disapprove 29 42 16 30 31 26 26
DK/NA 32 30 30 34 27 36 30

Alghny Philly NthEst SthEst NthWst SthWst Cntrl

Approve 42% 53% 43% 34% 37% 43% 34%

Disapprove 25 17 23 32 30 35 32
DK/NA 32 30 34 34 33 22 34

TREND: Do you approve or disapprove of the way Bob Casey Jr. is handling his job as
United States Senator?

APPROVE.......
High Low
Dec 16 Jul 13 May 13 Apr 8 Mar 2 May 28 Dec 16
2010 2010 2010 2010 2010 2009 2010

Approve 39 48 47 48 53 56 39
Disapprove 29 29 30 30 29 21 29
DK/NA 32 23 23 22 18 23 32
 3
4. If the 2012 election for President were being held today, do you think you would vote
for Barack Obama the Democratic candidate, or the Republican candidate?

Union
Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom HsHlds

Obama 41% 5% 77% 36% 41% 42% 41%

Republican 37 81 7 32 39 36 34
DEPENDS ON CAND(VOL) 14 11 9 21 13 14 16
DK/NA 8 3 7 11 8 8 9

Alghny Philly NthEst SthEst NthWst SthWst Cntrl

Obama 45% 75% 39% 43% 36% 28% 32%

Republican 37 12 37 35 42 47 45
DEPENDS ON CAND(VOL) 10 10 16 14 12 17 14
DK/NA 8 3 8 8 10 7 9

5. Do you feel that Barack Obama deserves to be reelected, or do you feel that he does
not deserve to be reelected?

Union
Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom HsHlds

Yes 44% 9% 76% 40% 44% 44% 44%

No/Does not 45 84 14 40 44 46 45
DK/NA 11 6 9 20 13 10 11

Alghny Philly NthEst SthEst NthWst SthWst Cntrl

Yes 45% 76% 44% 48% 44% 28% 33%

No/Does not 44 14 45 42 49 62 52
DK/NA 11 10 11 10 8 10 15

6. If the 2012 election for United States Senator were being held today, do you think you
would vote for Bob Casey Jr. the Democratic candidate, or the Republican candidate?

Union
Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom HsHlds

Casey 43% 8% 77% 35% 43% 42% 49%

Republican 35 75 6 34 35 35 30
DEPENDS ON CAND(VOL) 11 10 9 15 10 12 11
DK/NA 11 8 8 16 11 10 11

Alghny Philly NthEst SthEst NthWst SthWst Cntrl

Casey 46% 70% 45% 40% 36% 38% 34%

Republican 33 17 35 35 42 38 42
DEPENDS ON CAND(VOL) 14 4 14 13 9 12 12
DK/NA 7 8 6 13 13 12 13

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7. Do you feel that Bob Casey Jr. deserves to be reelected, or do you feel that he does
not deserve to be reelected?

Union
Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom HsHlds

Yes 40% 15% 65% 36% 42% 38% 47%

No/Does not 33 59 13 32 32 33 27
DK/NA 27 26 22 32 25 29 26

Alghny Philly NthEst SthEst NthWst SthWst Cntrl

Yes 46% 53% 41% 33% 36% 39% 38%

No/Does not 28 18 27 40 35 43 34
DK/NA 26 29 31 27 29 18 28

8. Do you think Barack Obama is too liberal, too conservative, or about right?

Union
Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom HsHlds

Liberal 38% 70% 11% 39% 39% 36% 34%

Conservative 7 4 10 6 8 6 9
About right 45 16 71 44 42 47 46
DK/NA 10 10 8 11 11 10 11

Alghny Philly NthEst SthEst NthWst SthWst Cntrl

Liberal 38% 13% 36% 39% 40% 47% 43%

Conservative 6 12 5 5 9 6 7
About right 49 70 40 49 41 35 37
DK/NA 8 5 19 7 9 12 12

9. Do you think Bob Casey Jr. is too liberal, too conservative, or about right?

Union
Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom HsHlds

Liberal 24% 46% 7% 26% 26% 23% 23%

Conservative 7 3 9 8 7 7 8
About right 43 25 64 38 43 43 50
DK/NA 25 25 19 28 23 27 20

Alghny Philly NthEst SthEst NthWst SthWst Cntrl

Liberal 22% 10% 24% 30% 32% 28% 24%

Conservative 8 9 4 7 7 8 8
About right 48 57 41 36 40 42 43
DK/NA 23 25 30 27 20 22 25

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10. Do you think Bob Casey Jr. generally shares the views of Barack Obama on major issues
or not?

Union
Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom HsHlds

Yes 50% 57% 44% 52% 56% 45% 52%

No 16 14 19 13 17 15 16
DK/NA 34 28 37 34 27 41 32

Alghny Philly NthEst SthEst NthWst SthWst Cntrl

Yes 45% 50% 50% 58% 46% 51% 47%

No 15 18 14 10 20 22 17
DK/NA 41 32 36 32 34 27 36

22. Do you think the U.S. is doing the right thing by fighting the war in Afghanistan
now, or should the U.S. not be involved in Afghanistan now?

Union
Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom HsHlds

Right thing 38% 54% 27% 40% 44% 33% 43%

Shld'nt be invlvd 56 41 68 54 50 61 53
DK/NA 6 5 6 6 6 6 5

Alghny Philly NthEst SthEst NthWst SthWst Cntrl

Right thing 40% 26% 41% 43% 33% 44% 37%

Shld'nt be invlvd 56 70 52 52 61 50 54
DK/NA 4 4 7 5 5 6 8

TREND: Do you think the U.S. is doing the right thing by fighting the war in Afghanistan
now, or should the U.S. not be involved in Afghanistan now?

Dec 16 Jul 14
2010 2010

Right thing 38 48
Shld not be invl 56 45
DK/NA 6 7

23. Do you think Congress should try to repeal the new health care law, or should they
let it stand?

Union
Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom HsHlds

Repeal it 45% 73% 22% 42% 45% 44% 43%

Let it stand 45 20 68 45 45 46 47
DK/NA 10 7 10 13 10 10 10

Alghny Philly NthEst SthEst NthWst SthWst Cntrl

Repeal it 44% 26% 37% 46% 52% 55% 48%

Let it stand 47 70 47 45 38 33 40

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DK/NA 9 4 16 9 10 12 11

24. As you may know, President Obama reached agreement with Republican leaders in
Congress on a broad tax package that would extend the Bush-era income tax cuts for two
years, reduce worker payroll taxes for one year, and continue unemployment benefits for
an additional 13 months. Do you approve or disapprove of this plan?

Union
Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom HsHlds

Approve 69% 72% 66% 72% 69% 69% 71%

Disapprove 24 21 29 20 25 23 22
DK/NA 7 7 4 9 6 8 6

Alghny Philly NthEst SthEst NthWst SthWst Cntrl

Approve 63% 75% 71% 70% 80% 64% 66%

Disapprove 30 19 21 23 14 30 28
DK/NA 7 7 8 7 6 6 6

25. (If disapprove q24) Do you disapprove of the deal mainly because the tax cuts
increase the federal deficit or mainly because tax cuts should not go to the wealthy?

DISAPPROVE PLAN Q24...................

Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom

Increases deficit 19% 27% 13% 17% 19% 19%

Cuts shldn't go
to wealthy 67 48 83 69 64 69
OTHER REASON(VOL) 9 16 2 7 9 9
DK/NA 6 9 2 7 8 3