A4 NEWS Portland Tribune Thursday, September 18, 2008

President: Iraq We like them, we don’t like them

Oregonians don’t much like President Bush, with the percentage of state voters viewing him unfavorably more than
twice as high as those viewing him favorably. Meanwhile, the other presidential and vice presidential candidates
Favorable
Unfavorable

war, economy and the U.S. Senate candidates in Oregon aren’t overly popular with state voters either — with a slight exception
for still popular Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama.

28% 62% 56% 34% 41% 25% 44% 40% 39% 40%
25%
28% 33% 39%

boost Obama
■ From page 1 cans, but didn’t provide the
boost he needed among unaffili-
ated voters.
Moore and Tim Nashif of the “I don’t believe she’s helping
Hoffman Group, both conducted John McCain in Oregon with BUSH OBAMA BIDEN McCAIN PALIN MERKLEY SMITH
after the Republican convention. swing voters,” Hibbitts said. “It’s
Those reported Obama leads of 6 going to be decided by swing vot- Source: Davis, Hibbits & Midghall Inc. TRIBUNE GRAPHIC: PETE VOGEL
and 7 percentage points, respec- ers in the middle.”
tively. The Palin nomination solidi- many times,” she said. “I also In Multnomah, Washington ple, or 36 percent, said the state ground states in the 2000 and
“This is probably as good as fied Lynn Johnson’s support for didn’t like his position on the and Clackamas counties, 68 per- is moving in the right direction. 2004 elections, but Hibbitts and
it’s going to get for McCain, since she war.” cent of all voters have unfavor- But 47 percent said the state is other political analysts now
the Republicans, tends to support Palin, the Alaska governor, is able views of the president, poll- on the wrong track. place it alongside Washington,
this general range,
unless Obama’s
“This is only anti-abortion
candidates. “I think
a highly polarizing figure in
Oregon, pollsters found. Among
sters found.
To a certain extent, McCain is
Pollsters found only 5 percent
of Oregon voters were undecid-
among the states leaning Demo-
crat. That’s partly because of the
campaign im- probably as Obama is a Republicans, 82 percent view running against his own party, ed in the presidential race. huge increase in registered De-
plodes,” Hibbitts chameleon,” said her favorably and only 3 percent Hibbitts said, “and that’s a diffi- Ralph Nader, who has been mocratic voters here, and the
said. ”Obama’s good as it’s the 39-year-old reg- view her unfavorably. But 71 cult trick to pull off.” more popular here than in most popularity of Obama, Hibbitts
been ahead all going to get for istered nurse from percent of Democrats view her The souring economy and war of the country, garnered the sup- said.
summer, and has Northeast Port- unfavorably and only 8 percent in Iraq provide another crucial ad- port of 2 percent of voters in the That means Portland and Ore-
captivated Orego- the Republicans, land, a registered view her favorably. vantage for Obama in Oregon. On- poll. gon voters may not see much of
nians to a degree.” Republican and a Among independent voters, ly 18 percent of Oregon voters “He’s basically a spent force,” the two major-party candidates
Albert Beard, a
this general poll respondent. 35 percent view Palin favorably said the nation is headed in the Hibbitts said. in the state during the next sev-
71-year-old retiree range, unless “He changes and and 38 percent unfavorably. right direction, and 70 percent Obama’s selection of en weeks leading to the Nov. 4
from Southwest says what he thinks In the voter-rich Portland said the nation is on the wrong Delaware Sen. Joe Biden as his election.
Portland who was Obama’s people want him to area, 50 percent of voters view track. running mate didn’t overwhelm “If Oregon is a battleground
one of the poll re-
spondents, said
campaign say.”
Palin “puts on a
Palin unfavorably and only 28
percent view her favorably.
“The ‘wrong track’ numbers
have been in the 60s or 70s for
Oregon voters, according to the
poll. “He’s OK but he’s not
state a month from now,” Hib-
bitts said, “Barack Obama is in
Obama will help implodes.” good front, but I Palin proved no more popular three or four years,” Hibbitts great,” according to voters, Hib- huge trouble.”
end gridlock in — Tim Hibbitts, pollster don’t know that I among women than men said. “That makes it hard for the bitts said.
Washington about trust her too statewide. ‘in’ party to win an election.” Oregon was one of the battle- stevelaw@portlandtribune.com
crucial problems much,” said Donna Hibbitts concluded that Palin A year or more ago, voters’
like Social Security, global Dean, a 72-year-old retiree from helped McCain close some of the pessimism on the nation’s direc-
warming and the budget deficit. Northeast Portland and regis-
“I just think that somebody tered Democrat.
needs to come in and make gov- “I hate the thought that Mc-
gap with Obama in Oregon, but
that she isn’t resonating with
the state’s voters as much as she
tion was more tied to the war in
Iraq, Hibbitts said. Oregon vot-
ers are still prone to oppose the
Oregon unlikely to be a
ernment work,” said Beard, a Cain, who is my age, would die
registered Democrat. while in office, with as little ex-
The Tribune/Fox 12 poll sug- perience as she’s got.” Dean said.
is in other states.
Pollsters found that only 28
percent of Oregon voters hold fa-
war, he said, but the sagging
economy has superseded Iraq on
voters’ worry list.
swing state this election
gests that Palin’s nomination Dean told pollsters she’s go- vorable views of President Bush, Voters were more upbeat Oregon was a battle- switched allegiances to cast
helped McCain consolidate sup- ing for Obama. “I think that Mc- while 62 percent said they have about Oregon, but still in a nega- ground state in the last two votes in the primary.
port among wavering Republi- Cain has sided with Bush far too unfavorable views. tive mood. Twice as many peo- presidential elections, but But that prediction has
probably won’t be this time. proved wrong.
One reason: the surge of new Party registration figures in
Democratic voters in Oregon. the weeks since the May pri-
Democrats picked up a mary show Democrats contin-
whopping 17.3 percent more ue to make gains.
registered voters from Janu- In June and July, Democrats
ary through July, adding picked up 17,763 new members,
130,552 new members. a 2 percent increase in two
Republicans lost 11,128 of months. Republicans picked up
their registered voters during 3,245 new members, a 0.5 per-
the same period, or 1.6 percent cent increase.
of the total. “I don’t think it’s temporary
Some political analysts pre- at all,” said pollster Tim Hib-
dicted the influx of new De- bitts of Davis, Hibbits &
mocrats would be temporary, Midghall Inc. “George Bush
driven by excitement over Ore- and the Republican brand in
gon’s Democratic presidential Oregon have been very deeply
primary between Barack Oba- damaged over the last four
ma and Hillary Clinton. Some years.”
Republicans and independents — Steve Law 285253.071008

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