March 17, 2011 - Voters Divided On Mayor's Irish Gaffe, Quinnipiac University Poll Finds; Gender, Racial Split On Whether Irish Eyes Will Smile Word format New York City voters are divided along gender and racial lines over Mayor Michael Bloomberg's comments about Irish drinking in public, with 47 percent saying Irish Americans should be offended and 45 percent saying the Irish "should laugh it off as a joke among friends," according to a Quinnipiac University poll released today. The responses come from the 52 percent of voters who tell the independent Quinnipiac (KWIN-uh-pe-ack) University poll that they have read or heard about the remarks. Among that group, white voters say 51 - 39 percent the Irish should laugh it off. The Irish should take offense, black voters say 60 - 32 percent. Men say laugh it off 54 - 38 percent, while women say take offense 55 - 37 percent. Republicans split 46 - 47 percent, and Democrats say 50 - 39 percent the Irish should be offended, while independent voters say 51 - 45 percent they should laugh it off. "There's a big split between men and women and between white and non-white voters on whether Irish Americans should be offended by Mayor Michael Bloomberg's comment about carousing at that swanky Irish joint around the corner from where he lives," said Maurice Carroll, director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute. "Black voters, perhaps accustomed to ethnic slurs themselves, say Irish Americans should be offended, while white voters say laugh it off." From March 8 - 14, Quinnipiac University surveyed 1,115 registered voters with a margin of error of +/- 2.9 percentage points. Live interviewers call land lines and cell phones. 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. 19. Have you heard or read anything about Mayor Bloomberg's comment concerning Irish Americans drinking and hanging out windows? Tot Rep Dem Ind Wht Blk Hisp Yes 52% 53% 50% 57% 59% 48% 47% No 47 47 49 43 41 50 52 DK/NA 1 - 1 - - 1 1 Brnx Kngs Man Qns StIsl Men Wom Yes 43% 55% 51% 50% 69% 52% 51% No 55 45 48 48 31 47 48 DK/NA 2 - 1 2 - 1 1 20. (If "yes" Q19) Do you think Irish Americans should be offended by this or should they laugh it off as a joke among friends? HEARD OR READ MAYOR'S COMMENTS Q19............ Tot Rep Dem Ind Wht Blk Hisp Offended 47% 46% 50% 45% 39% 60% 60% Laugh it off 45 47 39 51 51 32 34 DK/NA 8 7 11 3 9 8 7 Brnx Kngs Man Qns StIsl Men Wom Offended 63% 44% 39% 52% 44% 38% 55% Laugh it off 30 44 52 44 50 54 37 DK/NA 7 12 9 4 6 8 8
