Washington’s obsession with the 2016 presidential race and potential candidates hasn’t caught on in the rest of the country, as a new survey about two of the most talked-about players, Sens. Ted Cruz and Elizabeth Warren, shows.
“Nothing” highlights word clouds for conservative Texan Cruz and Warren, the liberal from Massachusetts.
However, for those in the huge poll of 2,311 with a tiny margin of error of plus or minus 2 percent who do know the duo, Cruz and Warren are polarizing politicians, each known for their sharp-elbow style of politics.
“Please indicate one word comes to mind when you hear the name Elizabeth Warren…”
The survey from Paragon Insights, provided to Secrets, found that Cruz, the first 2016 candidate to officially announce his bid, and Warren, urged by populists to challenge Hillary Clinton, are nearly equals when it comes to voter recognition and partisanship.
Consider:
— 50 percent of those surveyed had no opinion of Warren, while 43 percent had no opinion of Cruz.
— 28 percent have a favorable opinion of Cruz, while 29 percent have an unfavorable opinion.
— 29 percent have a favorable opinion of Warren, 21 percent unfavorable.
— 31 percent identify Warren as “liberal” or “very liberal,” while 39 percent identify Cruz as “conservative” or “very conservative.”
“Please indicate one word comes to mind when you hear the name Ted Cruz…”
The “registered voters” polled aligned with most Americans and weren’t especially partisan. For example, their view of President Obama tracked with other polls, 48 percent approving of his job, 49 percent disapproving. Their top concern is the economy, followed by national security.
But they clearly see the two potential political dynamos as partisans. “Voters that are familiar with Warren and Cruz already view them through a strongly ideological lens,” said the poll analysis.
Paragon’s conclusion: “The bottom line is that the data suggests both Warren and Cruz are deeply polarizing candidates in that both are well-known among the far left and the far right of the Democratic and Republican parties, respectively. They have a lot of work ahead to introduce and define themselves to the more moderate wings of their own parties, as well as to the all-important independent section of the electorate which has played a critical role in recent presidential elections.”
Paul Bedard, the Washington Examiner’s “Washington Secrets” columnist, can be contacted at [email protected].
