Headlines today from the new Winthrop Poll focused on why six in 10 South Carolinians think U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., shouldn’t run for president. But there’s a lot more meat in the poll of 1,109 residents taken between Feb. 21 and March 1.
Gun ownership. Three out of four South Carolinians said state lawmakers should pass a state law ensuring consistent, full enforcement of federal law that forbids those convicted of criminal domestic violence from owning guns.
Gas tax. Some 55 percent of respondents said they’d be willing to pay 10 cents more per gallon of gas to fix state roads and bridges.
Economy. More than two-thirds of respondents said the nation was headed in the wrong direction, but 52 percent said the state’s current direction was good.
Problems. ISIS or terrorism in general was the most important problem for the country, followed by politicians/government and the economy. In the state, the most important problems were education, jobs and the economy.
Cervical cancer vaccine. A proposal in the state would allow health officials to offer the HPV vaccine to prevent cervical cancer to female students entering the seventh grade. Just over two in three respondents said they would support the proposal.
Gay marriage. Just over half of respondents (52.7 percent) said they thought marriages between same-sex couples shouldn’t be recognized by the state as valid. Some 43 percent thought they should be valid.
Approval ratings. Here are various approval ratings revealed in the poll:
- President Barack Obama — around 40 percent.
- Congress — 14.9 percent.
- Nikki Haley — 53.2 percent.
- C. legislature — 41 percent.
- S. Sen. Tim Scott — 53.6 percent
- S. Sen. Lindsey Graham — 45.5 percent
We Can Do Better, South Carolina!