Friday, December 15, 2017

Vanderbilt poll on Tennessee politics
When it comes to their views on public policy, Tennesseans are more moderate than many believe, according to the latest Vanderbilt Poll released on Thursday. The findings suggest that Tennessee in 2018 could prove to be an important bellwether for the future of the state and country future according to John Geer, Professor of Political Science. “What’s fascinating about the 2018 elections is that you’re going to witness a battle on two fronts,” Geer said. “One is whether the Democrats can be viable statewide in light of the Dean and Bredesen candidacies. Might we see the Democrats win the governorship, the open Senate seat, or both? The other battle is for the soul of the Republican party. Is the Tennessee GOP still the party of Howard Baker or has it become the party of Steve Bannon?” The poll found 62 percent believe their fellow Tennesseans to be conservative or very conservative. Yet when asked, just 48 percent rate their own ideological leanings, as conservative or very conservative . A 14-point gap between perception and reality. In fact,the poll found that the state is evenly balanced between conservatives (48 percent) and those who identify as moderate (31) or liberal (17). Tennesse Gov. Bill Haslam has a 63 percent approval rating, and remains the most popular politician in the state by a considerable margin. “Haslam is very representative of what the state is,” Geer said. Approval of President Donald Trump stands at 48 percent, Sen. Bob Corker,47 percent and Sen. Lamar Alexander, 44 percent. All down in support from the last poll earlier this year. President Trump has lost substantial support in Tennessee, dropping 12 points over the last year. Over the same time period, the percentage of Tennesseans who say they believe President Trump is changing Washington for the better has fallen to 35 percent, while just 39 percent of Tennesseans believe the president tells the truth most of the time.


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