Janelle Irwin Taylor
A majority of Duval voters do not want the Republican National Convention in their city this Summer, according to a new poll.
The RABA Research poll commissioned by Republican Voters Against Trump found 49% of those surveyed did not support Jacksonville hosting President Donald Trump’s nomination speech in August. Only 39% said they supported it.
Further, 57% said they were concerned the convention would spur a new COVID-19 outbreak while only 43% said they weren’t worried.
Given more information about the convention including both pros — that it will fill hotels and boost the economy — and cons — that it will cost the city millions, risk new infections and potentially put first responders at COVID-19 risk — 39% said they supported the convention with 52% opposing it.
“President Trump may be jonesing for adoring crowds, but as we saw this weekend in Tulsa, actual voters are not nearly as excited about attending risky, mass gatherings as Trump is,” said Sarah Longwell, Strategic Director of Republican Voters Against Trump. “These results demonstrate that even in a critical county that Trump won in 2016, voters would rather he stay away.”
The poll was conducted June 17 and 18, before Trump took the stage in Tulsa for his first major return to the campaign trail. The rally, which campaign officials touted getting more than 1 million RSVPs for, launched Saturday with six campaign staffers testing positive for COVID-19 and saw Trump take to the podium to a crowd of less than 7,000.
Jacksonville is set to host portions of the RNC later this summer after Trump complained its host city, Charlotte, North Carolina, refused to give assurances Trump could deliver his nomination speech before a packed crowd.
Both Gov. Ron DeSantis and Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry have said Florida will welcome the event, but expressed some wavering on whether precautions would need to be made if the virus proves a threat.
The poll came during a drastic shift in coronavirus trends that saw new cases shattering old records almost daily, including in Jacksonville. Duval County added a record 264 cases Saturday.
The poll also suggested Trump’s support in the city is lacking. It put former Vice President Joe Biden eight points above Trump at 51% to 43% with rest undecided.
Biden’s support showed also in favorability ratings with Trump having a net favorable of 46% compared to Biden’s 50%. Trumps unfavorable rating was 50% compared to Biden’s 42%.
But Biden could be in trouble in the city if voter enthusiasm plays out at the voting booth. Of those who found him favorable, only 36% said he was “very” favorable, compared to Trump’s 41%.
It’s also worth noting the poll skewed to Demographics more likely to reject Trump. Of the 600 respondents, 42% were Democrats while only 36% were Republican. The poll also included 67% of respondents who reported as college-educated. Trump once famously said, “I love the poorly educated.”
The poll has a 4% margin of error.
26 comments
Wondering64
June 22, 2020 at 1:06 pm
So what do Curry(Mimi me to Trump) have to say about these poll numbers).will it be the people’s that voted him in office, are will it be Trump
Pete Martens
June 22, 2020 at 7:08 pm
Finish reading moron. More fake news for stupid Democrats.
George C Markos
June 23, 2020 at 7:47 am
Democrats, do not be fooled by these pols. Please remember to vote on November 4th, we are depending on you.
Bottom Dollar
June 22, 2020 at 9:04 pm
Yawn the same fake news polls that predicted that Hillary landslide back in 2016.
Everybody just inhale exhale and reach around back to unbunch those pretty leftist official Democrat stinky panties now inhale exhale and go get an adult beverage.
You are welcome.
All better now.
Mike
June 23, 2020 at 4:27 am
I saw a poll once that said….
“When did you stop beating your wife?”
The response was:
“I never did that”
So Polls questions are phrased in such a way that the desired answer is confusing the issue entirely (like above).
Or they are specifically designed to produce the desired answer. And they are definitely skewed by the audience being asked, and size of the poll numbers.
.
LINDIESUE
June 22, 2020 at 2:30 pm
What? The Republican voters against Trump don’t want the convention there in Jax? Shocking. This story is obviously idiotic.
Thinker Prime
June 22, 2020 at 3:01 pm
The poll reports that 67% of its respondents are college educated yet over all only 35.4% of the population are college educated. That that tells us is that however they conducted the poll, it is not a sample of the opinion of the US population, it is a highly biased sample weighted to the educated (who are about a third of the population). Since we know that the educated, with long years in the ideological Progressive pressure cooker of academia consistently vote differently than the majority of the population, the poll has little to no positive predictive value for how the US population will vote. Yet the article is written as though it does. Either the author did not know enough stats to understand that oversampling an unrepresentative value skews their results or they did know and choose to do so anyway since they intended to skew the results. Either way this is a classic example of the IT maxim “garbage in, garbage out”. The author, Ms. Taylor, should probably stick to reporting on things she actually understands
J Scott
June 22, 2020 at 8:01 pm
Finally someone with some common sense. I’m getting awful tired of these polls, none of which mean a hill of beans.
mkav
June 22, 2020 at 11:40 pm
blah blah blah…rationalize all you want. this is not the only poll indicating overall displeasure with the POTUS. specifics of the polls, specifics of the polled, specifics of the methodology vary, and ALL polls can be challenged…but we need to face it: POTUS is not very well thought of in many constituencies right now.
David
June 22, 2020 at 3:02 pm
Time for Covid Curry to go
Doc
June 22, 2020 at 3:03 pm
I live just North of Jacksonville. It is Trump country. All across Northern Florida is Republican. You live more than 4 hours away in Tampa. How do you even pretend to know what is happening in Jacksonville? Florida is a very, very diverse state. But Northern Florida, except small sections of Jacksonville, is definitely Trump Country. Put your 3 “brilliant, beautiful” daughters in your car and take a ride around Northern Florida and talk to people. That’s what reporters are supposed to do. You might learn something about fellow Floridians you didn’t know. You’ll learn they are going to vote for our President again, and most importantly, you’ll be able to find out WHY. Good example to set for your children.
Bob
June 23, 2020 at 9:56 am
I live in Jacksonville and my wife and I are definitely NOT for the goofball in office. Idiocy; incompetence; lying; cheating…just to name a few adjectives that describe our current ‘administration.’ For the life of us, we don’t understand why some people support all this. And it’s NOT fake news – just listen to him…what he says isn’t fake! And he’s done nothing but divide this country horribly…VERY sad
Mike Stevenson
June 22, 2020 at 3:08 pm
Jacksonville only thinks it’s a bad idea bc of the idiots showing up to tear our town down. Without those people protest not-so-peacefully the convention is a welcomed event. Why don’t these pollsters ask why they don’t want it? Bc the answer is a favorable poll for trump and an unfavorable poll for those coming to town.
Dave
June 22, 2020 at 3:44 pm
Obviously 60% of Democrats dont want convention
Big Mama
June 22, 2020 at 5:36 pm
Lotta “OF” people in Jacksonville
David Oppenheimer
June 22, 2020 at 6:02 pm
Only 600 voters polled. Probably people who clicked a link somewhere.
J.Scott
June 22, 2020 at 10:02 pm
David Oppenheimer. I agree. Clicking on a link to take a poll eliminates all credibility.
I used to know a great guy with your name. Did you ever live out west?
Vox Veritatis
June 22, 2020 at 7:30 pm
“The RABA Research poll commissioned by Republican Voters Against Trump”
There’s your story. Fake be the bogus ‘news’ that follows it…
Paolo
June 22, 2020 at 7:40 pm
No one trusts Drudge anymore, F him.
Sam Ray
June 22, 2020 at 7:54 pm
Jacksonville, Covid 19 will be the least of your worries when the GOP convention comes. The 2020 GOP convention will make the 1968 Democratic convention look like a picnic.
mkav
June 22, 2020 at 11:42 pm
blah blah blah…rationalize all you want. this is not the only poll indicating overall displeasure with the POTUS. specifics of the polls, specifics of the polled, specifics of the methodology vary, and ALL polls can be challenged…but we need to face it: POTUS is not very well thought of in many constituencies right now.
Hormel Chavez
June 23, 2020 at 12:20 am
This poll is hysterical! I would absolutely love to see the raw data where polling was done and with who.
Consider this: A week ago they had a huge rally in the St. Johns River for Trump’s Birthday that drew 1000’s of boats and spectators. I grew up in Duval and lived there for 35 years and I have never seen a parade like that for anyone except maybe the Jags. AND this was just for his birthday! If he somehow wins, the River will hardly be navigable for a week. Many of these people have been laid-off or have seen a cut in hours. Trump is seen as a savior to the middle class in North Florida (especially after the debacle of the previous administration) and they are furious at the Democrat’s unfair behavior towards him. Add to that, it’s a big military town with a lot of Veterans (my father included) and Jacksonville is possibly how he manages to hold Florida in November.
Tom
June 23, 2020 at 6:57 am
To Trump supporters. Coronavirus is 10 times more lethal than the flu and 5 times more contagious. Many who are identified as “recovered” from it are left with permanent damage to their lungs. They will never be the same. Trump is a crackpot but you don’t have to be. Don’t go to rallies and wear a mask.
Sen. Romero
June 23, 2020 at 3:01 pm
These naysayers are the only non-armed, non-Mega nuts left in Jax?
Comments are closed.