Poll Shows Choices OK Voters Seem Poised To Make On Super Tuesday

Monday, February 29th 2016, 7:17 pm

By: News 9

The latest News 9 poll raises deeper questions about the choices -- or lack of choices -- Oklahomans seem poised to make on Super Tuesday.

The poll, conducted a week ago, shows continued strong support among likely Republican voters for wealthy businessman Donald Trump. Among those surveyed, 34 percent say they plan to vote for Trump.

Trailing Trump by 13 points is Sen. Marco Rubio, at 21 percent, followed by Sen. Ted Cruz at 18 percent, Ben Carson at 9 percent, and John Kasich at 6 percent; 13 percent of those surveyed said they were undecided.

2/29/2016 Related Story: Exclusive Poll: Trump Leads Rubio, Cruz In Oklahoma Before Super Tuesday

Additional information compiled in the poll sheds some light on how it is that Trump, who has been a lightning rod for controversy, has been able to maintain such a dominant lead.

"I think Donald Trump is the one candidate that's really kind of instinctively known what Republicans are looking for," said News 9 pollster Bill Shapard."

While Rubio leads among voters who say the most important attribute is being able to win in November, and Cruz leads among those who believe the key is to be the most conservative, more than half of all GOP voters -- 54 percent -- say it's more important that the candidate is someone who can bring change. And, among those voters, Trump is the clear favorite.

Likewise, 60 percent of Republicans in Oklahoma want their nominee to be an "outsider" rather than someone with prior government experience. Again, among those voters, most of whom identify as angry or dissatisfied, Trump is the clear favorite.

"And he's channeled that anger," said Shapard. "He's channeled that dissatisfaction, and he leads among those important attributes among Republicans."

On the Democrat side, almost one in three voters -- 29 percent -- remains undecided, according to the poll. Experts say that is an unusually high number, considering how close the election is.

2/29/2016 Related Story: Exclusive Poll: Sanders Closes Gap, But Still Trails Clinton In OK

A closer look at the data shows that the Democrats who have not made up their minds tend to be older, and identify as moderate to conservative.

"This race is being driven a lot by the undecideds," Shapard commented. "Conservative Democrats who don't feel like they have any candidate in this race."

The question, Shapard says, is whether those undecided Democrats will choose Hillary Clinton or Bernie Sanders, or just decide to stay home.