© Copyright 2018, Des Moines Register and Tribune Co. Iowans are divided on whether Judge Brett Kavanaugh should be confirmed to the U. S. Supreme…
© Copyright 2018, Des Moines Register and Tribune Co.
Iowans are divided on whether Judge Brett Kavanaugh should be confirmed to the U. S. Supreme Court, according to a new Des Moines Register/Mediacom Iowa Poll.
Thirty-seven percent of Iowans surveyed think he should be confirmed, and 31 percent say he should not. Another 32 percent say they are not sure whether Kavanaugh should be confirmed.
The statewide survey of 801 Iowans was conducted by Selzer & Co. Sept. 17-20. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.
Kavanaugh is President Donald Trump’s nominee to fill the seat left open after Anthony Kennedy’s retirement. An appeals court judge, Kavanaugh appeared on track for confirmation until Christine Blasey Ford, a 51-year-old psychology professor in northern California, alleged that Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her at a party in Chevy Chase, Maryland, in 1982.
She told the Washington Post that Mark Judge, a friend of Kavanaugh, watched and laughed as Kavanaugh tried to remove her clothes and held his hand over her mouth so she couldn’t scream. All were teenagers at the time. Judge has said he has no memory of the alleged assault and declined to testify. Kavanaugh has denied the allegation, calling it « completely false. »
Kavanaugh’s nomination by President Trump has triggered sharp divisions in the U. S. Senate, largely along party lines, and stirred passions nationally because he’s expected to shift the high court to a conservative majority. That could lead to restrictions on abortion access, expansion of gun rights and other rightward shifts that fundamentally affect civil rights and public life.
The Iowa Poll shows that partisan lines are clearly drawn in the Hawkeye State regarding Kavanaugh’s confirmation. Republicans (68 percent) overwhelmingly back Kavanaugh, while two out of three Democrats (69 percent) reject him.
Sheree Butenhoff, 65, of Marble Rock, a Republican who is retired, believes Kavanaugh belongs on the high court. She described the sexual assault allegations as “something that Democrats have pulled out of their hats. »
“I think he has had such a bright record for all these years, and I don’t believe the accusations or whatever from 36 years ago, » Butenhoff said. « For Pete’s sake, they are a bit much. »
Pamela Norden, 58, of Cedar Rapids, a Democrat who is a floral designer, opposes Kavanaugh’s confirmation and is troubled by Ford’s accusations. « He deserves to be heard just as much as she deserves to be heard, but right now I believe her, » Norden said.
Norden also said she is concerned that Kavanaugh would vote on the Supreme Court to overturn abortion rights and side with conservative justices on other key issues.
Iowa men surveyed are somewhat more likely than women to support confirmation, and people 55 and older are more likely to support confirmation than younger Iowans are.
Thomas Dean, 67, of Council Bluffs, a U. S. military retiree who served for 20 years in the Air Force and Army, supports Kavanaugh’s confirmation.
“He seems to be a good man and a good judge, » said Dean, a political independent who is skeptical of Ford’s claims, calling them “very partisan.”
However, David Keith, 39, of Spencer, also a political independent, is troubled that Kavanaugh could receive a lifetime job on the Supreme Court while he faces unresolved accusations by Ford.
“I think it should be vetted appropriately before we move forward with the nomination. At this point we don’t know the facts,” said Keith, a family physician who describes himself as holding conservative values. He doesn’t believe the Senate Judiciary Committee is prepared to look into the allegations because it is not an investigative organization like the FBI.
U. S. Sen. Chuck Grassley, an Iowa Republican, holds a key role in the confirmation process as chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Neither Grassley nor Iowa’s junior senator, fellow Republican Joni Ernst, have said how they will vote, although Senate Republican leaders have expressed confidence that Kavanaugh will be confirmed.
The Iowa Poll, conducted September 17-20 for the Des Moines Register and Mediacom by Selzer & Co. of Des Moines, is based on telephone interviews with 801 Iowans ages 18 or older, including 555 likely voters in the 2018 general election for governor and other offices. Interviewers with Quantel Research contacted households with randomly selected landline and cell phone numbers supplied by Survey Sampling International. Interviews were administered in English. Responses were adjusted by age, sex and congressional district to reflect the general population based on recent census data.
Questions based on the sample of 801 Iowa adults have a maximum margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points. This means that if this survey were repeated using the same questions and the same methodology, 19 times out of 20, the findings would not vary from the true population value by more than plus or minus 3.5 percentage points. Results based on smaller samples of respondents — such as by gender or age — have a larger margin of error. Questions based on likely voters in the 2018 general election have a maximum margin of error of plus or minus 4.2 percentage points.
Republishing the copyright Iowa Poll without credit to the Des Moines Register and Mediacom is prohibited.
