Civitas Institute

Civitas Poll: Democratic Incumbent Martin Holds Narrow Four point Lead

Katie Trout — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 15:23:24 -0400

Raleigh, N.C. – Democratic incumbent Grier Martin holds a narrow four point lead over opponent Steve Henion in the state House District 34 race, according to a new SurveyUSA poll released today by the Civitas Institute.

According to the poll of 350 registered voters in that district, comprised of Wake County, 47 percent of voters said they would vote for Martin if the election for state representative were today. Forty-three percent of voters said they would vote for Henion, and 10 percent said they are undecided.

However, Martin’s lead shrinks to a virtual tie (47 percent-47 percent) when looking at those who are most likely to vote in 2010. In addition, unaffiliated voters support Henion by 45 percent-35 percent margin.

“This race becomes very close among those who are planning to vote this fall,” said Civitas Institute Senior Legislative Analyst Chris Hayes. “And as enthusiasm and momentum are behind Republicans across the state, Henion could see a boost in his numbers.”

Martin, now serving his third House term, has the advantage in name recognition among voters as 44 percent of voters have an opinion of him (31 percent favorable-13 percent unfavorable), for a +18 favorable rating. Thirty-two percent of voters said they are neutral, and 25 percent said they have no opinion of his candidacy.

Meanwhile, Henion has a -2 favorability rating as 13 percent of voters view him favorably while 15 percent have an unfavorable opinion. Thirty-two percent of voters said their opinion is neutral, and 40 percent said they have no opinion on his campaign for state representative.

“This race may come down to the large number of undecided voters and which candidate can effectively share their message before November,” added Hayes.

House District 34 is rated as a D+1 district on Civitas’ North Carolina Partisan Index – an index that rates the relative partisan voting habits of individual legislative districts. For more on the NCPI, click here.

For full results and crosstabs from the poll, click here.

The survey of 350 registered voters was taken August 31-September 1 by SurveyUSA on behalf of the Civitas Institute using the Interactive Voice Response (IVR) method. It carries a margin of error of 5.3%.

This SurveyUSA poll was conducted by telephone in the voice of a professional announcer. Respondent households were selected at random, using Random Digit Dialed (RDD) sample provided by Survey Sampling, of Fairfield CT. All respondents heard the questions asked identically. Where necessary, responses were weighted according to age, gender, ethnic origin, geographical area and number of adults and number of voice telephone lines in the household, so that the sample would reflect the actual demographic proportions in the population, using most recent U.S. Census estimates. In theory, with the stated sample size, one can say with 95% certainty that the results would not vary by more than the stated margin of sampling error, in one direction or the other, had the entire universe of respondents been interviewed with complete accuracy. There are other possible sources of error in all surveys that may be more serious than theoretical calculations of sampling error. These include refusals to be interviewed, question wording and question order, weighting by demographic control data and the manner in which respondents are filtered (such as, determining who is a likely voter). It is difficult to quantify the errors that may result from these factors. Fieldwork for this survey was done by SurveyUSA of Clifton, NJ.
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Civitas Poll: Unaffiliated Voters Support Enforcement of Illegal Immigration Laws

Katie Trout — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 10:44:03 -0400

Raleigh, N.C. – Fifty-seven percent of North Carolina’s unaffiliated voters support Arizona’s new law regarding illegal immigration, according to a new National Research Inc. poll released today by the Civitas Institute.

According to the live caller poll of 400 unaffiliated likely voters, 57 percent said they support Arizona’s new illegal immigration law which requires that law enforcement officers check an individual’s immigration status when enforcing other laws. Thirty-three percent of voters said they oppose it, and 10 percent said they do not know or have no opinion.

“Voters understand that the federal government has failed to control illegal immigration and support a state stepping up and dealing with the matter in a lawful manner,” said Civitas Institute President Francis De Luca.

Native North Carolina residents are in greater support of the law by a 68 percent-19 percent margin. An average 56 percent of unaffiliated voters who have moved to North Carolina from other areas of the country are in support of the legislation.

“Regardless of where North Carolina voters are from originally, there is clear support for enforcing existing illegal immigration laws,” added De Luca. “Will North Carolina lawmakers listen?”

A July 2010 Civitas Institute poll found that 52 percent of the state’s unaffiliated voters believe Attorney General Roy Cooper should join with nine other state attorneys general to support Arizona’s enforcement of new immigration laws. Conversely, 29 percent of voters said they do not think Cooper should join this lawsuit, and 19 percent said they are not sure.

The Civitas Poll is the only monthly live-caller poll of critical issues facing North Carolina. For more information on Civitas polling see www.nccivitas.org/media/poll-results/.

Full text of question:
“Do you support or oppose that new law in Arizona regarding illegal immigration?”
Total Support – 57%
Total Oppose – 33%

Strongly Support – 45%
Somewhat Support – 12%
Somewhat Oppose – 11%
Strongly Oppose – 22%
Don’t Know/No Opinion – 10%

Click here for full results and crosstabs.

This poll of 400 unaffiliated likely general election voters in North Carolina was conducted August 16-18 by National Research, Inc. of Holmdel, NJ. All respondents were part of a fully representative sample of registered voters in North Carolina. For purposes of this study, voters interviewed had to have voted in two of the past four general elections or were newly registered to vote since 2008. An additional screening question was asked to filter only those voters having some likelihood to vote in the upcoming 2010 election.

The confidence interval associated with a sample of this size is such that: 95 percent of the time, results from 400 interviews (registered unaffiliated voters) will be within +/- 4.9% of the “True Values.” True Values refer to the results obtained if it were possible to interview every person in North Carolina who had voted in two of the past four general elections or were newly registered to vote since 2008.
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Civitas Poll: Incumbent Senator A.B. Swindell Trails in Re-Election Bid

Chris Hayes — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 16:07:05 -0400

Raleigh, N.C. – Incumbent Democratic Senator A.B. Swindell trails his Republican challenger Buck Newton by 6 percentage points according to a new Survey USA poll released today by the Civitas Institute.

According to the poll of 350 registered voters in that district, comprised of Nash and Wilson counties, 47 percent of voters said they would vote for Newton if the election for state senator were today. Forty-one percent said they would vote for Swindell, and 12 percent said they are undecided.
Newton’s lead jumps to 54 percent-40 percent among voters who said they are most likely to vote in 2010. Additionally, unaffiliated voters are heavily backing Newton by a 62-17 margin.

“Senator Swindell appears to be in serious political trouble,” said Civitas Institute Senior Legislative Analyst Chris Hayes. “The overwhelming Republican wave running through the electorate is on the verge of sweeping him out of office.”

Newton has built his lead through a higher favorable name identification advantage over the incumbent Swindell. Twenty-five percent of voters have a favorable opinion of Newton, while only 13 percent have an unfavorable opinion, for a net +12 favorability rating. Among unaffiliated voters, Newton’s favorability rating is +22.

Conversely, Swindell’s favorability rating is a -1, with slightly more voters holding an unfavorable opinion (21%) of the Senator than having a favorable opinion (20%). Swindell’s favorability rating among unaffiliated voters is -9 (13% favorable, 22% unfavorable).

“Newton’s lead is directly attributable to his favorable standing among unaffiliated voters in the district. Swindell is going to have to work very hard to get those voters, who are trending more Republican this year, back into his camp,” added Hayes.

Senate District 11 is rated as a D+4 district on Civitas’ North Carolina Partisan Index – an index that rates the relative partisan voting habits of individual legislative districts, meaning that it leans to the Democratic candidates. For more on the NCPI, click here.

For full results and crosstabs from the poll, click here.

The survey of 350 registered voters was taken August 31-September 1, 2010 by SurveyUSA on behalf of the Civitas Institute using the Interactive Voice Response (IVR) method. It carries a margin of error of 4.9%.

Even Part-Time Lawmakers Collecting Above Average Pay

Jana Benscoter — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 10:41:05 -0400

North Carolina's top-paid legislator in 2009 earned 48 percent more than the average state government employee earned in the same year, and 54 percent more than the average private sector employee. The top-paid legislator was Senate President Pro Tempore Marc Basnight, D-Dare, who collected $86,211.48. The top-paid legislators also hold the highest offices in the state General Assembly. Among the 25 legislators collecting the highest compensation in 2009, the vast majority were Democrats; only six were Republicans.

Legislators' earnings come from four sources: salary, which varies based on a lawmaker's position in the General Assembly; per diem, which is paid each day the lawmaker does legislative work; travel, including mileage reimbursement between Raleigh and lawmakers' homes, along with other travel related to legislative business; and an expense account, which also is tied to individual lawmakers' positions inside the General Assembly.

In North Carolina, legislative compensation is set by state statute. The highest a legislator can earn yearly is $38,151 and the lowest is $13,951.

Nationwide, California offers the highest annual pay to lawmakers - $95,291, plus a $173 per diem, according to data compiled by the National Conference of State Legislatures. Following California is Michigan at $79,650; New York at $79,500; and Pennsylvania at $78,314.66.

Those rankings should be no surprise. Each of those states has a full-time legislature, defined by NCSL as one expecting members to spend at least 80 percent or more of the time doing legislative work that they would commit to a full-time job. Full-time legislatures also have substantial staff.

"Being a legislator doesn't just mean attending legislative sessions and voting on proposed laws," NCSL states. "State legislators also spend large amounts of time assisting constituents, studying state issues during the interim, and campaigning for election. These activities go on throughout the year. Any assessment of the time requirements of the job should include all of these elements of legislative life."

The North Carolina General Assembly is considered neither full time nor part time. It falls somewhere in the middle, with members spending about two-thirds of the time required for a full-time job on legislative tasks. Between the long and short sessions, legislators work roughly 15 months out of their two-year terms. They are paid between $27,900 and $76,302 over that time.

Each state sets its own rates for lawmakers' expenses. Connecticut, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Ohio, and Rhode Island do not pay their legislators per diem. Other states offer daily compensation, such as Utah - a part-time legislature - where legislators are paid $117 a day. Utah pays $106 a day for expenses and lodging for each in-session calendar day, and $61 a day for meals. New Mexico doesn't pay a salary to its legislators, instead providing a $159 daily per diem.

The North Carolina Constitution prohibits lawmakers from raising their own pay while they are in office. The last time North Carolina legislators received a pay raise was in 1995. Legislators broached the subject during the 2007 session. Sen. Katie Dorsett, D-Guilford, was primary sponsor of Senate Bill 2031, requesting a 7-percent pay raise.

The measure passed 100-6, and would have created a 21-member commission to recommend salaries, mileage reimbursement rates, and expense payments for all legislators every two years.

As The Associated Press reported in September 2008, "The recommendations of the panel - a majority of its members would be chosen at random through voter rolls - wouldn't have taken effect unless approved by legislators. The bill failed to go anywhere in the Senate."

North Carolina had to close a budget gap of more than 20 percent in fiscal year 2009-10, and anticipates a 30 percent budget gap in the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2011.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, North Carolina government employees earned $44,158 and private sector employees earned $39,350 in 2009.

Earlier this year, members of Congress passed legislation blocking an automatic cost-of-living escalator that would have raised the annual salaries of House and Senate members by $1,600. It marked the second straight year Congress has voted down a scheduled pay increase.

For a complete list of legislative disbursements, visit www.carolinatransparency.com/disbursements/.

Civitas Poll: Democrats Experience 20 Percent Drop in Support among Unaffiliated Voters Since 2008 Election

Katie Trout — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 17:46:08 -0400

Raleigh, N.C. – Democratic legislative candidates have experienced a 20 percent drop in support among unaffiliated voters since 2008, according to a new National Research Inc. poll released today by the Civitas Institute.

According to the live caller poll of 400 unaffiliated likely voters, 39 percent of voters said they would be voting Republican if the election for State Legislator were held today. Twenty-seven percent said they would vote Democrat and 15 percent of voters said neither. Eighteen percent of voters said they did not know for whom they would vote.

This represents a 20 percentage point drop in support for Democrats on the generic ballot since Civitas’ October 2008 poll when Democrats led by a 37 percent-29 percent margin (+8 to -12 percent).

“We are seeing a tremendous shift away from the Democratic party in North Carolina among unaffiliated voters this election cycle,” said Civitas Institute Senior Legislative Analyst Chris Hayes. “Unaffiliateds, who mirrored Democratic voters two years ago in their issue priorities and ballot, are now heavily backing Republican candidates.”

Among those voters who are most likely to vote in 2010, Republican support increases to a 42 percent-27 percent margin. Contrasting this, in October 2008, 47 percent of voters said they would vote Democratic for state legislature, while 37 percent said they would vote Republican.

“While the sluggish economy and big spending in Washington on the stimulus and the bailouts have turned off many unaffiliated voters, nothing has done more to drive unaffiliated voters away from Democratic candidates than the health care reform bill President Obama has trumpeted as his crowning achievement,” added Hayes.

The Civitas Poll is the only monthly live-caller poll of critical issues facing North Carolina. For more information on Civitas polling see www.nccivitas.org/media/poll-results/.

Full text of question:
“And if the election for State Legislator were held today, would you be voting:”
Republican – 39%
Democratic – 27%
Neither – 15%
Don’t Know – 18%

Click here for full results and crosstabs.

Civitas Poll: Over Half of Unaffiliated Voters Support Offshore Drilling

Katie Trout — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 09:17:23 -0400

Raleigh, N.C. – Over half of North Carolina’s unaffiliated voters support drilling for oil off the state’s coast, according to a new National Research Inc. poll released today by the Civitas Institute.

According to the live caller poll of 400 unaffiliated likely voters, 51 percent said they support drilling for oil and natural gas off the coast of North Carolina. Thirty-eight percent of voters said they oppose drilling, and 10 percent said they do not know or have no opinion.

This percentage of support mirrors a May 2010 Civitas poll which found that of all statewide voters, 56 percent support drilling for oil while 37 percent oppose it.

“Despite the oil spill catastrophe in the Gulf, voters remain supportive of drilling for oil and gas off the coast,” said Civitas Institute Senior Legislative Analyst Chris Hayes. “They understand that it would create jobs and spark economic growth across numerous job sectors.”

When looking at those who are most likely to vote in 2010, the margin of support for offshore drilling increases to 54 percent support-36 percent oppose. In addition, unaffiliated voters who have lived in North Carolina over 33 years support drilling for oil and natural gas by a 62 percent-26 percent margin.

“It’s clear that voters recognize that oil exploration off the coast would lead to lower energy and transportation costs for all citizens,” added Hayes.

The Civitas Poll is the only monthly live-caller poll of critical issues facing North Carolina. For more information on Civitas polling see www.nccivitas.org/media/poll-results/.

Full text of question:
“Do you support or oppose drilling for oil and natural gas off the coast of North Carolina?”

Total Support – 51%
Total Oppose – 38%
Strongly Support – 24%
Somewhat Support – 27%
Somewhat Oppose – 11%
Strongly Oppose – 27%
Don’t Know/No Opinion – 10%

Click here for full results and crosstabs.

Analyzing the State Legislative District Polling - Part 4: The Intensity Gap and Definite Voters

Chris Hayes — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 14:54:30 -0400

Summer is quickly coming to a close and election season is
in full swing. Therefore it makes sense to stop and see what the
landscape looks like right now by analyzing some of the details of the
legislative district polling that Civitas has done over the past couple of
months.

Part 1: Unaffiliated voters on the move
Part 2: Is It Just “The Economy, Stupid”?
Part 3: The Obama Effect
Part 4: The Intensity Gap and Definite Voters

In non-presidential year elections, when voter turnout regularly falls below 50 percent of registered voters, election outcomes can hinge on which party’s base vote is more motivated to turn out. As the calendar turned to 2010, a clear intensity gap in base-party motivation began to be evident in Civitas polling.

Indeed, a Gallup Poll released on Monday revealed a 25-point motivation gap between the percentage of Republicans (50%) who said they were “very enthusiastic” about voting this year compared to Democrats (25%). In fact, unaffiliated voters are more motivated about voting this year than registered Democrats – due in no small part to their widespread disapproval of Democratic President Obama’s policies as we profiled last week.

But gauging voter enthusiasm is only one indicator of turnout in off-year elections. Determining who exactly are likely voters, and their preferences, can also be helpful in detecting trends among the electorate.

In looking at the Civitas polls taken in competitive legislative districts over the past few months, a definite trend emerges – those saying they are most likely to vote are more disapproving of the job Obama is doing as President and are more likely to vote for Republican candidates.

In each poll conducted, Civitas asked voters to rate themselves on a 1-10 scale on how likely they were to vote in the upcoming election, with 10 meaning they were definite to vote.

Below is a chart looking at the difference between the answers of all voters versus those who say they are 10 out of 10 likely to vote on the generic ballot question:

Generic Ballot GOP Margin

	All Voters	Most Likely (10/10)	Difference
SD 43	+31	+32	+1
SD 45	+12	+18	+6
SD 50	+14	+17	+3
SD 9	+11	+9	-2
SD 8	+10	+25	+15
SD 10	-9	+6	+17
SD 19	+7	+19	+12
SD 25	-2	-2	0
SD 1	+16	+23	+7

HD 116	+5	+13	+8
HD 25	+7	+23	+16
HD 6	+12	+29	+17
HD 51	+13	+24	+11
HD 36	+16	+22	+6
HD 103	+11	+17	+6
HD 112	+10	+25	+15
HD 54	-9	0	+9
HD 4	+5	+23	+18
HD 22	+6	+8	+2

In all but two legislative districts (SD 9 and SD 25), when looking at definite voters, the generic ballot shifted further for the Republicans than the results for all voters. On average, the definite voter shift towards Republicans is nearly 10-percentage points.

As we discussed in Part 3 last week, voter opinion on Obama is driving much of the increased likelihood to vote for Republican
candidates. The following is a similar chart of the legislative districts, but this time, looking at the shift among definite voters on their opinion of Obama’s job performance. You’ll notice a similar move towards disapproval occurs among definite voters.

Obama Job Approval

	All Voters	Most Likely (10/10)	Difference
SD 43	-39	-40	-1
SD 45	-26	-29	-3
SD 50	-25	-24	+1
SD 9	-10	-10	0
SD 8	-18	-34	-16
SD 10	+2	-13	-15
SD 19	-18	-28	-10
SD 25	-18	-15	+3

HD 116	-16	-18	-2
HD 25	-11	-29	-18
HD 6	-19	-35	-16
HD 51	-17	-26	-9
HD 36	-16	-21	-5
HD 103	-10	-18	-8
HD 112	-32	-43	-11
HD 54	-2	-5	-3
HD 4	-22	-40	-18
HD 22	-26	-22	+4

On this question, three districts (SD 50, SD 25 and HD 22) move a few points more positive for Obama’s job approval, but in the remaining 15, the more likely voters have higher disapproval ratings for Obama. This anti-Obama intensity surely is not good news for Democratic candidates in those districts.

When looking at the head-to-head matchups in particular, a similar trend holds – definite voters move towards the Republican legislative candidate by an average of six percentage points. In HD 4, for example, Republican Jimmy Dixon leads Democrat Mott Blair by four points among all voters (43%-39%). But among self-described definite voters, Dixon’s lead jumps to 20 (51%-31%). This is the most extreme example, but it is indicative of the intensity gap favoring Republican legislative candidates this cycle.

Lawmakers Give Habitual DWI Offenders Drivers’ Licenses

John Eick — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 11:59:04 -0400

During the long legislative session of 2009 that was defined by increased spending, in¬creased taxes, and a statewide smoking ban, the General Assembly managed to make several other significant changes to the General Statutes. One such revision – largely made unnoticed and with little media attention or fanfare – would drastically alter current laws on the books by putting drunk drivers back on the roads.

House Bill 1185, sponsored primarily by Rep. Ronnie Sutton (D-Robeson), would allow habitual impaired drivers to petition to restore their driver’s license after 10 years provided that they have maintained a clean criminal record and are no longer users of drugs or alcohol.

The state considers anyone who has four DWI convictions in fewer than 10 years a habitual impaired driver. At the time the bill was being considered, the law stipulated that anyone con¬victed of four DWIs would be forced to surrender their license for life, but now offenders could seek a permit from the Department of Motor Vehicles.

The purpose of such legislation, according to Sutton was to give those convicted of DWI a second chance. “This is something to allow a person who has had real problems to straighten their lives out and hopefully find themselves on the straight and narrow,” Sut¬ton told the News & Observer in May 2009.

Rep. Pricey Harrison (D-Guilford), one of the bill’s supporters, mentioned the practicality of giving those convicted of habitual DWI another shot. “Particularly in rural North Carolina, it’s difficult to get around with an automobile, so this is just a chance to give them a second chance.”

Craig Lloyd, MADD-NC State Executive Director, as expected opposed the bill. “We sent a letter to the Governor requesting that she veto the legislation,” Lloyd said referring to HB 1185. Saying that North Carolina ranked fifth in the country in 2008 for drunk driving fatalities, Lloyd supported alternative legislation – House Bill 1489 – that he claimed would deter first time offenders from driving while intoxicated again. In 2008, law enforcement made almost 74,000 DWI arrests. Of those, 35 to 40 percent of DWI arrests are repeat offenders.

Sponsored by Rep. Thom Tillis (R-Mecklenburg) and former Rep. Ty Harrell (D-Wake), HB 1489 would re¬quire first time DWI offenders to have an ignition interlock system installed on every car that they may drive. An igni¬tion interlock system is a sophisticated sensor that a driver must blow into to test for alcohol on their breath.

The vehicle cannot be started if the driver’s blood alcohol content (BAC) is above a preset level.

“This legislation not only focuses on habitual offenders, but we would hope that it also would deter any first time offenders from driving while intoxicated again,” Lloyd said. “The interlock has been mandated for several years, but this legislation would require it for first time offenders.”
The House of Representatives ini¬tially took action on HB 1185 in April of 2009 and were promptly followed by the Senate. Gov. Bev Perdue signed the legislation into law last July. The new policy was implemented on December 1, 2009 and, due to a sunset provision, is set to expire on December 1, 2014.

New UNC System President Funded Abortions and Gay Rights in North Carolina

Jessica Anderson — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 10:58:46 -0400

This is the second of a three part series examining the new president of the University of North Carolina Thomas Ross.
Part 1: Ross speedily confirmed as President of UNC System, ACORN ties and all

Thomas Ross, while the head of the Z Smith Reynolds Foundation, steered over $280,000 to Planned Parenthood from 2001-2007 and an additional $50,000 to NARAL Pro-Choice America. Both groups provide abortions and inevitably had the most to gain from the UNC system’s new health care plan, which up until last week included coverage for elective abortions.

Ross gave directly to such groups in the almost seven years he served as Executive Director of the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation, a leftist foundation which gives hundreds of thousands of dollars annually to liberal activist groups that support abortion, comprehensive sexual education, gay rights and radical, third-wave feminism.

As Executive Director, he approved money for the Equality NC Foundation in support of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender community, and projects like the Women’s Economic Equity Project. He approved $70,000 for the international non-profit IPAS, whose mission is to empower women by exercising their sexual and reproductive rights. Financially giving to groups like NC Lambda Youth Network, a “youth-led statewide leadership development network for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and allied (LGBTA) young people, ages 13 to 24,” is most alarming as he will oversee 200,000 students in the UNC system beginning in January 2011.

Examining his resume, the new UNC president proves to be yet another love child of liberal groups seeking greater power and more influence – this time in education. Here are some more donation figures from the new president of the UNC system:

2007

ACLU: “To support the salary of a reproductive health education coordinator.” $30K
Center for Community Action, Inc.: “For the implementation phase of the Women’s Economic Equity Project.” $70K
Equality NC Foundation: “For general operating support to strengthen leadership for the LGBT community in North Carolina.” $35K
IPAS: “To promote sexual and reproductive rights advocacy in North Carolina’s Latino communities.” $40K
Planned Parenthood: “For the Strategic Advocacy Today, a Pro-Choice Tomorrow Program.” $175K

2005

Equality, NC Foundation: “For general operating support.” $20K
IPAS: “To promote sexual and reproductive rights advocacy in North Carolina’s Latino Communities.” $30K
Planned Parenthood Health Systems, Inc.: $50K
Planned Parenthood of Central North Carolina: $30K

2004

Planned Parenthood: $25K
NC Lambda Youth Network: “Rainbow Youth Coalition (RYC).” $15K

2003

NARAL Pro-Choice America: “General operating support.” $50K

Ross’ previous roles in North Carolina have been political appointments. Raleigh News and Observer reporter Rob Christenson said “In turning to Ross, the UNC Board of Governors found someone who is part of a relatively small group of men and women who run North Carolina's politics, businesses, foundations, courts and law firms.” Ross’ appointment as head of the state’s largest institution will make sure that the “relatively small group” continues to control the direction of North Carolina, elections or no elections.

The amount of money contributed under Ross’ leadership to such radical left organizations portends what will likely be an unfortunate shift of the UNC system from the moderate, non-partisan and businesslike leadership of Erskine Bowles. We can instead expect to see a more openly liberal, partisan direction coming from the central administration in Chapel Hill, at least if history is an indicator.

Civitas Poll: 6 in 10 Unaffiliated Voters Support Death Penalty for First-Degree Murder

Katie Trout — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 09:35:52 -0400

Raleigh, N.C. – Six in 10 unaffiliated voters in North Carolina support the death penalty for first-degree murder, according to a new National Research Inc. poll released today by the Civitas Institute.

According to the live caller poll of 400 unaffiliated likely voters, 64 percent said they support the death penalty in cases of first-degree murder. Twenty-seven percent of voters said oppose it, and eight percent said they have no opinion or don’t know.

Due to a de-facto moratorium on the death penalty in North Carolina, the last execution occurred on August 18, 2006.

“Regardless of political affiliation, voters in North Carolina want justice for victims of murder,” said Civitas Institute President Francis De Luca. “The General Assembly, along with Gov. Perdue, continues to ignore citizens and side with special-interest groups by continuing the death penalty moratorium, delaying executions and enacting legislation such as the Racial Justice Act.”

Furthermore, unaffiliated voters who have moved into North Carolina also support the death penalty for first-degree murder. Voters who lived on the West coast are in support by a 72 percent – 19 percent margin. Sixty percent of voters who lived in the Northeast said they support the death penalty while 30 percent said they opposed it. The margin of support among voters from the Midwest stands at 63 percent support-28 percent oppose.

“Longtime residents and new residents both agree that the death penalty is an appropriate justified punishment for first-degree murders,” added De Luca. “Voters are clearly sending a message to legislators, but are the legislators listening?”

The Civitas Poll is the only monthly live-caller poll of critical issues facing North Carolina. For more information on Civitas polling see www.nccivitas.org/media/poll-results/.

Full text of question:
“Do you support or oppose the death penalty for first-degree murder?”

Total Support – 64%
Total Oppose – 27%
Strongly Support – 40%
Somewhat Support – 24%
Somewhat Oppose – 12%
Strongly Oppose – 15%
Don’t Know/No Opinion – 8%

Click here for full results and crosstabs.