Image Credit: Michael Vadon – CC / Gage Skidmore – CC / Lawrence County Right to Life
The Tennessee Conservative [By Jason Vaughn]
Poll results released yesterday by Vanderbilt suggest that the majority of Tennessee Republican voters prefer Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis over former President Donald Trump to be the party’s presidential nominee in 2024 and that Tennessee’s abortion law should be amended to offer exceptions in certain cases.
According to Vanderbilt’s statewide poll that they say was administered to 1,180 registered Tennessee Republican voters, Desantis leads Trump 54 percent to 41 percent in a head-to-head matchup.
Vanderbilt states that the survey was conducted between November 8th and November 28th and that it has a margin of error plus or minus 3.4 percentage points.
The “statewide poll” was codirected by John Geer, Ginny and Conner Searcy Dean of the College of Arts and Science and professor of political science, and Josh Clinton, Abby and Jon Winkelried Professor and professor of political science.
The detailed results and their methodology can be found HERE.
A standout result of the poll is that 34 percent of Republicans said they are “more of a supporter of the Make America Great Again, or MAGA, movement” than they are a “supporter of the Republican Party.”
According to pollsters, 60 percent of MAGA Republicans back Trump. Yet 66 percent of non-MAGA Republicans back DeSantis.
Poll results also state that 21 percent of MAGA Republicans agree with the statement “Joe Biden won the 2020 presidential general election.” By contrast, 51 percent of non-MAGA Republicans believe Biden won.
According to the poll, Less than 40 percent of MAGA Republicans thought the 2022 midterm elections were counted fairly and accurately nationwide, compared to 62 percent of non-MAGA Republicans, 71 percent of Independents and 96 percent of Democrats.
Vanderbilt Poll Results on Abortion
According to Vanderbilt’s poll, only 19 percent of those surveyed could correctly identify Tennessee’s current abortion law and what it entails. 36 percent stated they did not know enough about it to comment and the remaining 45 percent believe the law to be different than what it is.
Poll results show that 75 percent think abortion should be legal in Tennessee if the pregnancy is the result of rape or incest. That belief appears to be held regardless of political affiliation with 62 percent of Republicans, 78 percent of Independents and 93 percent of Democrats agreeing.
88 percent of Republicans, 47 percent of Democrats and 62 percent of Independents—think “abortion should be illegal after 15 weeks except in cases of rape, incest or to save the life of the mother,” according to the poll.
Political Science Professor Josh Clinton said, “Our results show that the Republican Party is clearly divided, and Republicans are trying to figure out who they are and which issues they want to prioritize…the splits we find in Tennessee Republicans have important implications for how Republicans react nationally and in other states as they look forward to running the House of Representatives and trying to take back the White House in 2024.”
About the Author: Jason Vaughn, Media Coordinator for The Tennessee Conservative ~ Jason previously worked for a legacy publishing company based in Crossville, TN in a variety of roles through his career. Most recently, he served as Deputy Director for their flagship publication. Prior, he was a freelance journalist writing articles that appeared in the Herald Citizen, the Crossville Chronicle and The Oracle among others. He graduated from Tennessee Technological University with a Bachelor’s in English-Journalism, with minors in Broadcast Journalism and History. Contact Jason at news@TennesseeConservativeNews.com
9 Responses
I do not put much faith is so-called polls. Especially by rinos
I don’t do poles, nor do I believe anything coming out of Vanderbilt or any of our other colleges.
WHY would we trust ANY poll from Vanderbilt? EVER?!??
Exactly Jen. I was going to say the same thing. Vanderbilt is one of the most WOKE institutions in our state. I don’t believe anything they say. All they care about is the almighty dollar.
President Trump is the one to be the Republican nominee ; they never seem to poll people like me . The Communists are terrified of President Trump so I think the poll is a fraud . In fact I KNOW it to be a fraud because it was done by Vanderbilt which is nothing more than a lying Communist Indoctrination center ; most all colleges and universities are ! The Communists will do anything to stop President Trump from regaining the office that he won the second time in 2020 . Accordingly I’m not surprised to see the garbage about a poll that seeks to split the RINO party . Never believe a thing ” they ” have to say. It’s always false .
Half is true, Abortion needs to be outlawed period.
Communist Vanderbilt.
DeSantis is pure RINO, as evidenced by his endorsements from Ryan, McConnell, Pompeo, Liz Cheney and other who work regularly and openly with the globalists. His campaign funds are, to date, from big corporate RINO donors. Of course universities manage to poll this. The Florida governor or NOT what he seems and there is a huge contingent of the same-old, same-olds behind him.
Who paid for survey? And, I say bull, Trump fans are waking up to the Dems in Rhino drag.