May 23, 2008 - Americans Would Rather Picnic With Obama, McCain, Quinnipiac University National Poll Finds; 'Likeability' Is Important In A Candidate, 77 Percent Say

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The guys win, as American voters would like to chat at a Memorial Day picnic with Illinois Sen. Barack Obama or Arizona Sen. John McCain rather than New York Sen. Hillary Clinton, according to a Quinnipiac University national poll released today. Results show:
  • 35 percent of voters, including 35 percent of men and 34 percent of women, would most like to chat with Sen. Obama at a Memorial Day picnic;
  • 33 percent of voters, including 41 percent of men and 26 percent of women, would rather chat with Sen. McCain;
  • 27 percent of voters, including 20 percent of men and 33 percent of women, would most like to chat with Sen. Clinton.
In deciding on how to vote for President, a candidate's "likeable personality" is "very important" or "somewhat important," 77 percent of voters tell the independent Quinnipiac (KWIN-uh-pe-ack) University poll.

"Sen. Hillary Clinton has downed a few shots and beers recently to show she's a regular gal, but American voters would rather hang out with the guys, Sen. Barack Obama and Sen. John McCain," said Maurice Carroll, director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute.

From May 8 -12, Quinnipiac University surveyed 1,745 registered voters nationwide, with a margin of error of +/- 2.4 percentage points.

The Quinnipiac University Poll, directed by Douglas Schwartz, Ph.D., conducts public opinion surveys in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Florida, Ohio and nationwide as a public service and for research. For more data -- http://www.quinnipiac.edu/polling.xml, or call (203) 582-5201.

8. Regardless of how you intend to vote, whom would you rather chat with at a Memorial Day picnic - Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama or John McCain? 
                        Tot     Rep     Dem     Ind     Men     Wom     Wht     Blk
 
Clinton                 27%     12%     43%     20%     20%     33%     27%     20%
Obama                   35      14      44      43      35      34      28      74
McCain                  33      69      11      31      41      26      40       3
DK/NA                    5       4       3       7       4       6       5       2
9. When you decide how to vote for president, how important is it to you that the candidate have a likeable personality - very important, somewhat important, not too important, or not important at all? 
                        Tot     Rep     Dem     Ind     Men     Wom     Wht     Blk
 
Very important          34%     23%     44%     28%     29%     39%     28%     62%
Smwht important         43      51      38      47      42      45      48      25
Not too important       13      16      11      14      16      10      14       7
Not important at all     9       9       6      10      12       6       9       5
DK/NA                    1       1       -       1       1       1       1       -