Quinnipiac’s latest findings are surprising in some ways and not so surprising in others:
Only 13 percent of American voters say they are part of the Tea Party movement, a group that has more women than men; is mainly white and Republican and voted for John McCain, and strongly supports Sarah Palin, according to a Quinnipiac University national poll released today.
While voters say 44 – 39 percent that they will vote for a Republican over a Democratic candidate in this November’s Congressional elections, if there is a Tea Party candidate on the ballot, the Democrat would get 36 percent to the Republican’s 25 percent, with 15 percent for the Tea Party candidate, the independent Quinnipiac University poll finds.
By a 28 – 23 percent margin, American voters have a favorable opinion of the Tea Party, with 49 percent who say they don’t know enough about the group to form an opinion.
American voter opinion of the Democratic Party is 48 – 33 unfavorable, with opinion of the Republican Party 42 – 33 percent unfavorable.