Also posted at The Next Hurrah
Hey "West Wing" fans, check out the new Zogby poll:
Viewers of NBC’s The West Wing would prefer that Democratic Congressman Matthew Santos were elected the next President, giving him a 16-point lead over Republican Senator Arnold Vinick, a new Zogby Interactive poll finds. The interactive poll of 5,505 West Wing viewers was conducted from February 18 to 25, 2005, and has a margin of error of +/-0.7 percentage points.
Santos, the Texas Congressman played by Jimmy Smits, is the favorite of a plurality in the poll, which was weighted to ensure it reflects the partisan breakdown of the U.S. population, and not just the demographic that views The West Wing frequently or occasionally. Arnold Vinick, the California Senator played by veteran actor Alan Alda, trails significantly. The poll also found one-in-five viewers (19%) still undecided on the race, while 9% are not willing to support either candidate.
Don't touch that remote!
Look below the fold for details.
Looks like women prefer Santos over Vinick:
Part of Vinick's problems can be attributed to a gender gap. While he and Santos are tied among men, each getting 35% of the vote, Santos holds a commanding lead among women, where he outpolls Vinick by 53% to 22%.
(Pointless editorial comment: Vinick is more my type... um, Alan Alda, I mean. But I'd take a moderate Republican over some Democrats).
Maybe Vinick is too moderate for Republican viewers:
Vinick also has failed to sew up Republican support. While Santos has the support of three-quarters of Democrats (74%), Vinick only has a lock on 49% of Republicans. Among independents, meanwhile, Santos leads 39% to 26%.
Maybe it was Vinick's response to reporters' questions regarding religion that pissed off Republicans viewers.
Tonight's "West Wing" episode is the season finale. It's about the Democratic National Convention. Don't miss it.