Supreme Court

Supreme Court Nomination: 58% Say Senate Dems Should Confirm Qualified Conservative

Survey of 1,000 Likely Voters

July 7, 2005

Should Democrats in the Senate vote to confirm or oppose a well-qualified conservative nominee?
Confirm	58%
Oppose	24%
RasmussenReports.com

July 11, 2005--If President Bush nominates a qualified conservative to serve on the Supreme Court, 58% of Likely Voters say that Senate Democrats should vote to confirm that nominee.

A Rasmussen Reports survey found that just 24% believe that Harry Reid's party should oppose such a nominee.

Republicans and unaffiliated voters strongly support confirmation. Democrats are evenly divided--43% say their Senators should vote to confirm while 38% take the opposite view.

The divide among Democrats is strictly along ideological lines--58% of liberal Democrats want their party to oppose confirmation of a qualified conservative. 56% of moderate and conservative Democrats take the opposite view.

[More Below]

Sixty-four percent (64%) of men, and 53% of women, believe Senate Democrats should vote to confirm a qualified conservative nominee.

That view is shared by 61% of white Americans and 50% of other Americans.

Earlier survey data showed that 42% of Americans have a favorable opinion of the U.S. Supreme Court. Nearly as many, 41%, have an unfavorable opinion. Liberal voters have a higher opinion of the Court than conservatives.

Retiring Justice Sandra Day O'Connor is viewed favorably by 55% of American voters. Just 17% believe she is politically conservative.

During the battle over Judicial nominations earlier this year, just 22% of Americans had a favorable opinion of the filibuster compromise reached by fourteen Senators.

Data has also been released on issues relating to the Court including abortion, same-sex marriage, and flag burning.

Rasmussen Reports is an electronic publishing firm specializing in the collection, publication, and distribution of public opinion polling information.

Our publications provide real-time information on consumer confidence, investor confidence, employment data, the political situation, and other topics of value and interest. We provide daily updates on the economic confidence of Consumers and Investors. Our consumer data generally identifies trends two to six weeks ahead of traditional consumer confidence measures.

To keep up with our latest releases, be sure to visit the Rasmussen Reports Home Page.

This survey of 1,000 Adults was conducted by Rasmussen Reports July 7, 2005. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence.