Events Calendar
In This Section
Most Read Stories
Akron police investigate teen mob attack on family
Woman, 75, charged with beating fawn to death
Akron woman found dead at Brimfield Township store
Man shot in back near Akron park
Man shot outside his Akron home during robbery attempt
Man admits repeatedly biting 2-year-old
Tragic day puts man on path to be Pinnacle owner
Blogs:
Pets:
Dogs' Bark: Not fair! Study shows pups get jealous
The Heldenfiles:
Who Will Get the Michael Media Treatment Next?
Patrick McManamon:
More on Varejao
Akron Zips:
Opponent outlook: Kent State
Browns Bulletin:
Quick thought on Browns rookies
Tribe Matters:
Wedge challenges relievers
Cleveland Browns:
Stallworth test showed marijuana
Kent State Sports:
Men's Basketball Scheduling update
Cleveland Cavaliers:
Andy’s Signed According to ESPN
All Da King's Men:
Does Medicare Have Lower Administrative Costs ?
Blog of Mass Destruction:
CIA Did Mislead Congress
Akron Law Café:
Breaking Story: CIA Lied to Congress about Secret Program
Varsity Letters:
East basketball update
See Jane Style:
Oh Baby!
Car Chase:
Where do We Go from Here?
Let's Talk Real Estate:
Closings….Not the Good Kind!
Ohio Travels with Betty:
Margy inquires-when is a Taste of Hudson?
Sound Check:
LeVert II live performance Saturday night — "Dedication" album due July 13,
HRLite House:
DDI One of Best Places to Work
Akron Gamer:
First 24 'Guitar Hero 5' songs announced
Poll respondents say state is headed in wrong direction on jobs and prices
By Stephanie Warsmith
Beacon Journal staff writer
Published on Thursday, Mar 13, 2008
Nearly three-fourths of Ohioans think the state's economy is on the wrong track.
And most give economic issues, like jobs and prices, a higher priority than foreign policy or domestic concerns.
These were among the results of a statewide poll released Wednesday by the Bliss Institute of Applied Politics at the University of Akron.
John Green, Bliss' executive director, said the poll's findings show an increased focus on the economy. He said a Bliss poll in 2004 the last presidential election year gave a nearly equal billing to foreign policy and domestic issues.
''The economy has moved up in front,'' he said. ''Who knows if that will be the case when the fall election comes around? But, here, in the early going, the situation is different.''
While the poll showed an overwhelming concern about the state's economy, Ohioans expressed a higher degree of satisfaction with the performance of the governor, state legislature and judiciary than in 2005.
''Normally, when things are going badly, you see a negative reaction across the board,'' Green said.
He explained people could be putting the blame elsewhere, such as with the president or Congress, or could appreciate the effort of state government to ''come to grips with problems which are pretty severe.''
The poll showed that most 69.1 percent think a Democrat will win the presidency in Ohio. This was across the board among Democrats (83.3 percent), independents (61.9 percent) and Republicans (55.8 percent.)
''There is a sense that Ohio will go Democratic,'' Green said. ''A lot can change between now and then, but it is very interesting.''
Green said the results show that independents are more interested in the Democratic side and Republicans are ''dispirited.'' He said it will be a challenge for Sen. John McCain, the Republican presidential candidate, to ''turn these numbers around.''
Bliss will be tracking Ohioans' views between now and the Nov. 4 presidential election. They will call back the same people surveyed for the spring poll in the summer and fall.
The spring poll was based on a phone survey of a random sample of 1,507 Ohio adults between Jan. 10 and March 8. It was done by the Center for Marketing & Opinion Research in Canton. The margin of error was plus or minus 2.5 percentage points.
Stephanie Warsmith can be reached
at 330-996-3705 or
swarsmith@thebeaconjournal.com.
Nearly three-fourths of Ohioans think the state's economy is on the wrong track.
Get the full article here.

