McAllister’s Good News: Voters Hate Corruption More Than Cheating

Newly-elected Rep. Vance McAllister, R-La. waits for House Speaker John Boehner of Ohio to join him for a ceremonial swearing-in, Thursday, Nov. 21, 2013, on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
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Voters dislike politicians who abuse their power more than politicians who engage in an extra-marital affair, according to a new Quinnipiac University Poll released Tuesday.

That’s good news for Rep. Vance McAllister (R-LA) who, on Monday, was caught in grainy camera footage kissing a member of his staff (who’s not his wife).

Quinnipiac presented those surveyed with a fictional congressman named James Miller. He was not listed as a Democrat or a Republican. Some of those surveyed were told that Miller was “unfaithful to his wife with another woman.” Fifty-eight percent said they had a “somewhat unfavorable” or “very unfavorable” view of Miller while 36 percent said they had a “very favorable” or “somewhat favorable” opinion of him. Thirty-nine percent said they would probably or definitely vote for him again while 49 percent said they would definitely or probably not vote for him again.

Another set of those surveyed were told that Miller had used his position to hire an “unqualified family member as a favor.” Only 22 percent of those presented with that situation said they had a somewhat or very favorable view of Miller while 75 percent said they had a very unfavorable or somewhat unfavorable view of him. Just 24 percent said they were likely or definitely would vote for Miller again while 67 percent said they were unlikely or definitely would not.

The poll’s findings came out a day after the video of McAllister surfaced. McAllister has said he does not plan to step down.

The poll was conducted from March 26 to March 31 among 1,578 registered voters. It had a margin of error of plus or minus 2.5 percentage points.

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