November 18, 2010 - American Voters Say Ban Cell Phones While Driving, Quinnipiac University National Poll Finds; Support For War In Afghanistan Collapses Word format By a 63 - 34 percent margin, American voters support a federal ban on cell phone use while driving, even while using a "hands-free" device, according to a Quinnipiac University national poll released today. American voters say 50 - 44 percent that the U.S. should not be involved in Afghanistan, the first time the independent Quinnipiac (KWIN-uh-pe-ack) University poll finds more voters opposed to the war. This compares to a September 9 survey in which voters said 49 - 41 percent that the U.S. was doing the right thing in Afghanistan. Repeal "don't ask, don't tell," voters say 58 - 34 percent, including 55 - 38 percent among voters with a member of the military in their family. This is the first time military families have supported repeal of "don't ask, don't tell." Given three choices on the new health care reform law: 30 percent of American voters say expand it; 18 percent say leave it as it is; 47 percent say repeal it. "In a country narrowly split on most questions, there is unusual agreement that it is a good idea to ban driving while talking on a cell phone," said Peter A. Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute, "even when a driver is using a 'hands-free device.' "Given that Democrats generally favor a larger role for government, it is not surprising that they support a ban 70 - 28 percent, while Republicans back a ban 56 - 40 percent and independent voters support a ban 64 - 33 percent." Women back the idea 70 - 26 percent, while men support it 55 - 42 percent. While voters 18-34 years old back the ban only 51 - 47 percent, those over age 55 call it a good idea 74 - 22 Ten percent of voters admit they talk on a cell phone while driving "very often," while 21 percent say "sometimes," 38 percent say "rarely" and 31 percent say "never." A cell phone ban would increase highway safety "a great deal," 49 percent of voters say, while 31 percent say it would improve safety "some." "In a country sharply divided on so many things it is ironic gays in the military - once the prototypical wedge issue - has attracted a national consensus among the voting public to a much larger degree than other, seemingly less controversial issues," said Brown. Support for President Barack Obama's policy in Afghanistan turns the political landscape upside down. Democrats say 62 - 33 percent the United States should not be there, even though they strongly support President Obama heavily on virtually all other issues. Republicans, who oppose Obama on most issues, back the war 64 - 31 percent. Independent voters say 54 - 40 percent the United States should not be in Afghanistan. Military families are divided, as 49 percent believe the U.S. is doing the right thing in Afghanistan while 47 percent say the U.S. should not be involved. "President Barack Obama is in somewhat of a tenuous position politically on the Afghan war. If Republicans should desert him, he'd find himself with a very unpopular war on his hands," said Brown. Looking at health care, 48 percent of independent voters, whose massive move to the Republicans in this month's election was a big reason for the GOP triumph, want it repealed, while 19 want it left unchanged and 26 percent want it expanded. Although there is much controversy in Washington, D.C. about administration efforts to change the current "don't ask, don't tell" policy on gays in the military, outside the Beltway there is a consensus. Although Republicans favor keeping the current policy 53 - 38 percent, Democrats want it changed 72 - 22 percent and independent voters feel the same way 64 - 29 percent. Overall, support for changing the policy is statistically unchanged from this February when Quinnipiac found the public supported repeal 57 - 36 percent. From November 8 - 15, Quinnipiac University surveyed 2,424 registered voters nationwide with a margin of error of +/- 2 percentage points. The Quinnipiac University Poll, directed by Douglas Schwartz, Ph.D., conducts public opinion surveys in Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Florida, Ohio and the nation as a public service and for research. For more data or RSS feed- http://www.quinnipiac.edu/polling.xml, call (203) 582-5201, or follow us on Twitter. 30. Do you approve or disapprove of the way Barack Obama is handling foreign policy? Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom Wht Blk His Approve 46% 16% 75% 43% 46% 46% 41% 79% 49% Disapprove 44 75 16 48 47 42 50 6 43 DK/NA 10 9 10 9 7 13 9 15 8 AGE IN YRS....... INCOME............. POL PHIL......... 18-34 35-54 55+ <50 50-100 >100K Lib Mod Con Approve 61% 44% 39% 48% 50% 42% 75% 59% 19% Disapprove 30 48 50 39 43 51 17 30 72 DK/NA 10 8 12 12 7 7 7 11 9 WHITE............. NoColl Coll BrnAgn Degree Degree Evngl Prot Cath Approve 42% 56% 24% 32% 40% Disapprove 47 38 67 60 50 DK/NA 11 6 9 8 10 TREND: Do you approve or disapprove of the way Barack Obama is handling foreign policy? APPROVE....... High Low Nov 18 Sep 09 Jul 21 May 26 Apr 22 Apr 29 Jul 21 2010 2010 2010 2010 2010 2009 2010 Approve 46 45 43 48 48 57 43 Disapprove 44 44 46 43 42 32 46 DK/NA 10 11 12 9 10 11 12 47. What should Congress do with the new health care law, expand it, leave it as is, or repeal it? Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom Wht Blk His Expand 30% 5% 53% 26% 26% 34% 25% 57% 41% Leave as is 18 5 28 19 17 18 16 28 21 Repeal 47 85 14 48 52 42 53 8 31 DK/NA 6 5 5 6 5 6 6 7 6 AGE IN YRS....... INCOME............. POL PHIL......... 18-34 35-54 55+ <50 50-100 >100K Lib Mod Con Expand 45% 29% 22% 34% 29% 23% 59% 36% 11% Leave as is 17 16 20 17 19 18 24 24 7 Repeal 34 51 49 42 49 55 12 32 78 DK/NA 4 4 8 6 3 4 5 7 4 WHITE............. NoColl Coll BrnAgn Degree Degree Evngl Prot Cath Expand 29% 34% 16% 19% 18% Leave as is 16 20 9 12 19 Repeal 49 42 70 64 57 DK/NA 7 4 4 5 6 48. Federal law currently prohibits openly gay men and women from serving in the military. Do you think this law should be repealed or not? Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom Wht Blk His Yes 58% 38% 72% 64% 54% 63% 57% 63% 61% No 34 53 22 29 38 30 34 31 35 DK/NA 8 9 6 7 8 8 8 6 5 AGE IN YRS....... INCOME............. POL PHIL......... 18-34 35-54 55+ <50 50-100 >100K Lib Mod Con Yes 62% 61% 55% 58% 59% 64% 83% 68% 38% No 34 33 34 35 34 30 14 25 52 DK/NA 5 7 10 8 7 6 2 7 10 WHITE............. Military NoColl Coll BrnAgn HsHlds Degree Degree Evngl Prot Cath Yes 55% 55% 67% 40% 46% 60% No 38 37 26 50 43 34 DK/NA 7 8 7 10 11 6 TREND: Federal law currently prohibits openly gay men and women from serving in the military. Do you think this law should be repealed or not? Nov 18 Feb 10 Apr 30 2010 2010 2009 Yes 58 57 56 No 34 36 37 DK/NA 8 6 7 49. Do you think the U.S. is doing the right thing by fighting the war in Afghanistan now, or should the U.S. not be involved in Afghanistan now? Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom Wht Blk His Right thing 44% 64% 33% 40% 52% 37% 48% 29% 30% Shld'nt be involved 50 31 62 54 42 57 46 68 63 DK/NA 6 6 5 6 5 6 6 3 7 AGE IN YRS....... INCOME............. POL PHIL......... 18-34 35-54 55+ <50 50-100 >100K Lib Mod Con Right thing 42% 48% 41% 39% 51% 52% 29% 40% 56% Shld'nt be involved 55 47 50 56 44 43 65 55 39 DK/NA 4 5 9 5 6 6 6 5 6 WHITE............. Military NoColl Coll BrnAgn HsHlds Degree Degree Evngl Prot Cath Right thing 49% 44% 46% 56% 54% 50% Shld'nt be involved 47 51 47 39 40 45 DK/NA 5 5 7 5 6 5 TREND: Do you think the U.S. is doing the right thing by fighting the war in Afghanistan now, or should the U.S. not be involved in Afghanistan now? RIGHT THING... High Low Nov 18 Sep 09 Jul 21 May 26 Apr 22 Jan 14 Nov 18 2010 2010 2010 2010 2010 2010 2010 Right thing 44 49 48 49 56 59 44 Shouldn't be inv 50 41 43 42 36 35 50 DK/NA 6 10 9 9 8 6 6 50. How often do you use a cell phone while driving a car - Very often, sometimes, rarely, or never? Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom Wht Blk His Very often 10% 11% 9% 9% 13% 7% 9% 9% 19% Sometimes 21 24 21 19 22 19 22 22 8 Rarely 38 42 33 39 38 38 39 38 37 Never 31 22 36 32 26 35 29 31 36 DK/NA 1 1 - 1 1 1 1 - - AGE IN YRS....... INCOME............. POL PHIL......... 18-34 35-54 55+ <50 50-100 >100K Lib Mod Con Very often 16% 11% 3% 8% 9% 18% 10% 9% 11% Sometimes 25 26 11 17 24 26 24 19 22 Rarely 33 39 40 34 44 40 35 39 39 Never 26 23 45 40 22 16 31 32 27 DK/NA - 1 1 1 - - 1 - 1 WHITE............. Own NoColl Coll BrnAgn Cell Degree Degree Evngl Prot Cath Very often 8% 8% 14% 10% 10% 8% Sometimes 19 20 22 23 22 21 Rarely 39 37 39 39 41 39 Never 32 34 25 27 27 31 DK/NA 1 1 1 - 1 1 51. The Secretary of Transportation recently said that he may push Congress for a national ban on using a cell phone while driving. The ban would include hands-free cell phones. Do you think that a national ban on using a cell phone while driving is a good idea or a bad idea? Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom Wht Blk His Yes, good idea 63% 56% 70% 64% 55% 70% 64% 64% 59% No, bad idea 34 40 28 33 42 26 32 34 40 DK/NA 3 4 2 4 3 4 3 2 1 AGE IN YRS....... INCOME............. POL PHIL......... 18-34 35-54 55+ <50 50-100 >100K Lib Mod Con Yes, good idea 51% 62% 74% 68% 61% 53% 71% 63% 60% No, bad idea 47 35 22 29 37 44 27 34 37 DK/NA 2 3 4 3 2 2 3 3 3 WHITE............. Own NoColl Coll BrnAgn Cell Degree Degree Evngl Prot Cath Yes, good idea 65% 65% 59% 62% 63% 68% No, bad idea 32 32 39 32 32 30 DK/NA 3 4 2 5 5 1 52. How much do you think prohibiting the use of cell phones while driving would do to make the roads and highways in the United States safer, A great deal, some, not much, or nothing at all? Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom Wht Blk His A great deal 49% 43% 56% 47% 40% 57% 46% 63% 66% Some 31 32 31 33 33 29 34 20 21 Not much 13 18 10 14 18 9 14 9 9 Nothing at all 5 6 3 5 6 4 4 8 3 DK/NA 2 1 1 1 2 1 2 - 1 AGE IN YRS....... INCOME............. POL PHIL......... 18-34 35-54 55+ <50 50-100 >100K Lib Mod Con A great deal 39% 46% 60% 56% 41% 38% 48% 52% 47% Some 30 35 29 27 35 40 31 31 32 Not much 20 15 7 10 18 16 15 11 15 Nothing at all 10 4 3 5 5 6 4 5 5 DK/NA 1 1 2 1 1 1 2 1 1 WHITE............. Own NoColl Coll BrnAgn Cell Degree Degree Evngl Prot Cath A great deal 49% 54% 36% 51% 46% 51% Some 32 28 40 31 33 33 Not much 14 12 16 14 15 12 Nothing at all 4 4 6 3 4 5 DK/NA 2 1 2 1 1 -
