A new poll by Monmouth University shows 21% of Americans say they will never get a COVID-19 vaccine shot if they can avoid it. That number is down 3 points from similar polls by Monmouth in January and March. But – the survey was conducted before the recent news regarding Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine. Political affiliation is a big determining factor in how people feel about the vaccines. • 43% of Republicans say they’ll never get the shot versus 5% of Democrats; 22% of independents say they want to avoid getting the vaccine altogether. • Adults under age 65 continue to be more likely to avoid getting the vaccine (25%) than seniors than seniors (11%). The survey also found President Biden currently holds a job rating of 54% approve and 41% disapprove. His rating last month stood at 51% to 42%. Biden garners good reviews for his handling of the coronavirus outbreak with 62% saying he has done a good job and 31% saying he has done a bad job. That’s an increase from 57%–31% in March and 58%–23% in late January. Click here for more results of the poll.
Mayor Pete Buttigieg (via Instagram) The latest polling from Monmouth University for the upcoming Iowa caucus’ show out Mayor Pete Buttigieg in the top spot for the first time. He edges former Vice President Joe Biden by 3 points and Sen. Elizabeth Warren for 4 points. Here are the results of the latest poll – the numbers in parenthesis represent standing when combining first and second place results:
• Mayor Pete Buttigieg 22% (37) • Former Vice President Joe Biden 19% (29) • Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) 18% (35) • Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) 13% (25) • Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) 5% (14) • Senator Kamala Harris (D-CA) 3% (9) • Billionaire Tom Steyer 3% (6) • Entrepreneur Andrew Yang 3% (4)
Those numbers show an increase of 14 points for Buttigieg since Monmouth’s last poll in August when he garnered just 8 percent. The South Bend mayor’s gains since the summer have been across the board, with increasing support coming from nearly every demographic group reports Monmouth University. “Buttigieg is emerging as a top pick for a wide variety of Iowa Democrats,” said Patrick Murray, director of the independent Monmouth University Polling Institute. “While he has made nominally bigger gains among older caucusgoers, you really can’t pigeonhole his support to one particular group. He is doing well with voters regardless of education or ideology.” It goes without saying that a first or second-place finish in Iowa would seriously underscore Buttigieg’s standing among the current crop of Democratic White House hopefuls. Mayor Pete is the first openly gay candidate to have a serious shot at the Democratic presidential nomination.
That said, only 28 percent of likely caucusgoers say that they are firmly set on their choice of candidate. The majority of respondents indicated they would not be overly disappointed if they had to switch their support. There are easily identifiable reasons for the upswing in Buttigieg’s standing. One, the 37-year-old mayor has begun to cast himself as an option for moderate Democrats who are also looking at Biden. Two, when the Buttigieg campaign announced its top funding raising numbers ($24.8 million) after the second quarter of 2019, his team said they would put that money to use, which they have. Buttigieg has more than 100 staffers and over 20 organizing offices across Iowa.
However, it’s worth noting that despite laying out a detailed policy platform to help African Americans he calls “The Douglas Plan,” he faces an uphill battle in attracting the support of black voters, both nationally and in South Carolina where the third primary voting will be held. African-Americans make up about two-thirds of Democratic voters in the Palmetto state. It’s been 31 years since a Democrat won the nomination without majority-black support.
Sen. Bernie Sanders, Mayor Pete Buttigieg and former Vice President Joe Biden
The latest poll from Monmouth University shows Joe Biden currently has the support of 27% of Democrats and Democratic-leaning voters, which is similar to his 28% support in March and 29% in January.
Sen. Bernie Sanders garnered 20%, slightly down from 25% in March, and South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg currently has 8% support. Just to show how much he has surged in recent weeks, the 37-year-old mayor registered less than 1% in prior Monmouth polls.
California Sen. Kamala Harris has 8% support, Sen. Elizabeth Warren at 6% and former Texas Congressman Beto O’Rourke at 4%.
“You cannot deny that Buttigieg is experiencing a real moment right now, but it’s important to remember there is a lot of fluidity in this field,” said Patrick Murray, director of the independent Monmouth University Polling Institute.
“Voters are not only moving from candidate to candidate but also from candidate to undecided,” he added. “Right now, the top tier is determined largely by who has a high national profile. This may not gel with how the contest will play out in the early states.”
From the chart below, it looks like Biden is holding onto his position, but clearly Buttigieg is pulling from Sanders, Harris and Warren.
Donald Trump’s approval rating has hit an all-time low in the latest Monmouth University Poll.
The Donald’s current job rating stands at a net negative 32% approve and 56% disapprove. This marks his lowest rating in Monmouth’s polling since taking office in January.
Trump’s biggest dips come from Independent women voters.
His lack of any notable legislative achievements plus his decision to move the U.S. embassy in Israel which many feel will destabilize the Middle East were contributing factors to his declining numbers.
Previous surveys conducted over the course of the past year indicated his approval rating ranging from 39% to 43% and his disapproval rating ranging from 46% to 53%.
A new poll by Monmouth University shows 21% of Americans say they will never get a COVID-19 vaccine shot if they can avoid it. That number is down 3 points from similar polls by Monmouth in January and March. But – the survey was conducted before the recent news regarding Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine. Political affiliation is a big determining factor in how people feel about the vaccines. • 43% of Republicans say they’ll never get the shot versus 5% of Democrats; 22% of independents say they want to avoid getting the vaccine altogether. • Adults under age 65 continue to be more likely to avoid getting the vaccine (25%) than seniors than seniors (11%). The survey also found President Biden currently holds a job rating of 54% approve and 41% disapprove. His rating last month stood at 51% to 42%. Biden garners good reviews for his handling of the coronavirus outbreak with 62% saying he has done a good job and 31% saying he has done a bad job. That’s an increase from 57%–31% in March and 58%–23% in late January. Click here for more results of the poll.
