Most in USA Disagree with Bush Decision to Commute Libby Prison Sentence
Survey USAJuly 3, 2007
Results of SurveyUSA News Poll #12322
Most in USA Disagree with Bush Decision to Commute Libby Prison Sentence: 21% of Americans familiar with the legal case involving former White House aide Scooter Libby agree with President Bush's decision to commute Libby's prison sentence, according to a SurveyUSA nationwide poll conducted immediately after the decision was announced. 1,500 Americans were surveyed. Of them, 825 were familiar with the Libby case. Only those familiar were asked to react to the President's action. 17% say Bush should have pardoned Libby completely. 60% say Bush should have left the judge's prison sentence in place. 32% of Republicans agree with the President's decision, compared to 14% of Democrats and 20% of Independents. 26% of Republicans say Libby should have been pardoned completely, compared to 21% of Independents and 8% of Democrats. Conservatives split evenly: 31% say Libby should have been pardoned. 35% say the judge's sentence should have been left in place. 31% agree with the President's decision to commute the prison sentence, but to leave the fine and conviction in place. Reaction to the President's decision may evolve over time. This poll attempts to measure a first reaction to the news, before many individuals would have had a chance to be influenced by political spin applied to the story.
|
1
|
Are you familiar with the legal case involving former White House employee Scooter Libby? |
| 1500 Adults | All | Gender | Age | Race | Party Affiliation | Ideology | Region | |||||||||||||
| Margin of Sampling Error: ± 2.6% | Male | Female | 18-34 | 35-54 | 55+ | White | Black | Hispanic | Other | Republic | Democrat | Independ | Conserva | Moderate | Liberal | Northeas | Midwest | South | West | |
| Yes | 55% | 65% | 46% | 38% | 57% | 71% | 59% | 49% | 41% | 50% | 54% | 57% | 58% | 56% | 63% | 51% | 56% | 55% | 52% | 58% |
| No | 41% | 31% | 51% | 59% | 40% | 24% | 38% | 47% | 54% | 47% | 43% | 39% | 38% | 41% | 34% | 44% | 41% | 42% | 44% | 37% |
| Not Sure | 4% | 4% | 4% | 3% | 3% | 5% | 3% | 5% | 5% | 3% | 3% | 4% | 4% | 3% | 3% | 6% | 4% | 2% | 4% | 5% |
| Total | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% |
| Composition of Adults | 100% | 48% | 52% | 32% | 40% | 28% | 72% | 11% | 11% | 6% | 30% | 40% | 27% | 29% | 43% | 19% | 19% | 23% | 36% | 22% |
|
2
|
President Bush has commuted the portion of Scooter Libby's sentence that would have required Libby to serve 30 months in prison. Libby remains a convicted felon - he still must pay a 250 thousand dollar fine and serve 2 years of probation - but he will not go to prison. Based on what you now know, should the President have pardoned Scooter Libby completely? Should the president have taken no action, and left the prison sentence in place? ... Or, do you agree with the president's decision to commute the prison portion of the Libby sentence? |
| 825 Familiar With Case | All | Gender | Age | Race | Party Affiliation | Ideology | Region | |||||||||||||
| Margin of Sampling Error: ± 3.4% | Male | Female | 18-34 | 35-54 | 55+ | White | Black | Hispanic | Other | Republic | Democrat | Independ | Conserva | Moderate | Liberal | Northeas | Midwest | South | West | |
| Pardoned Scooter Libby Completely | 17% | 23% | 10% | 17% | 19% | 15% | 17% | 12% | 18% | 31% | 26% | 8% | 21% | 31% | 11% | 10% | 14% | 17% | 15% | 23% |
| Left The Prison Sentence In Place | 60% | 54% | 67% | 63% | 57% | 61% | 59% | 76% | 52% | 61% | 40% | 77% | 56% | 35% | 69% | 79% | 63% | 56% | 62% | 58% |
| Agree With The President's Decision | 21% | 21% | 20% | 18% | 22% | 21% | 23% | 11% | 27% | 6% | 32% | 14% | 20% | 31% | 19% | 9% | 21% | 23% | 21% | 19% |
| Not Sure | 2% | 1% | 3% | 2% | 1% | 3% | 2% | 2% | 3% | 2% | 3% | 2% | 2% | 3% | 1% | 3% | 2% | 4% | 2% | 0% |
| Total | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% |
| Composition of Familiar With Case | 100% | 57% | 43% | 22% | 41% | 37% | 77% | 10% | 8% | 5% | 29% | 41% | 29% | 29% | 49% | 17% | 20% | 23% | 34% | 24% |