TOSS UP: State's Economy On Track Despite Snyder Unfavorables, Poll Shows

July 30, 2014
By: Dave Rogers

A mid-July statewide poll by EPIC-MRA shows 47 percent of respondents saying "things in Michigan are generally headed in the right direction."

Sixty-seven percent of respondents said Michigan's economy "has already bottomed out and is starting to improve." The statement that the economy "is at the bottom but is not yet getting any better" earned a 17 percent response and 13 percent said the economy "has not yet bottomed out and will still get worse."

However, the poll showed Gov. Rick Snyder's total "unfavorable" and "very unfavorable" totaling 68 percent while his "favorable" and "very favorable" adds up to 61 per cent.

Some 43 percent of respondents would vote for or leaned toward the Democrat, Mark Schauer, while Snyder's total was 46 percent.

Schauer's favorables totaled 27 percent while his unfavorables were at 23 percent.

President Barack Obama's favorable and very favorable totaled 69 percent while his unfavorable and very unfavorable were 87 percent. Obama's negative rating of 60 percent far outweighed his 39 percent total positive. He had 10 percent "excellent," 29 percent "pretty good," 21 percent "just fair" and 39 percent "poor."

The Democratic challenger for governor, Mark Schauer, was not recognized by 44 percent while Gary Peters, the Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate was not recognized by 32 percent.

Peters earned 35 percent total on favorability and 23 percent unfavorable.

The Republican challenger for the open Senate seat, Terri Lynn Land, had a 20 percent "do not recognize" factor, 39 percent total favorable and 54 percent unfavorable.

Peters earned 45 percent total support while Land's total was 36 percent.

The Tea Party gained 31 percent total support and 44 percent opposed. Some 40 percent identified themselves as Conservative, 36 percent moderate and 18 percent Liberal. Democrats totaled 41 percent while the Republican total was 37 percent.

The telephone poll of 600 responses, conducted by live callers, included 20 percent cell phones.