1. Perfect Politician? Citizens’ Perspective
TallahasseeVoices is a pro bono internet survey panel sponsored by Kerr & Downs Research, which thanks media partners, WCTV, WFSU‐FM, the Tallahassee Democrat for covering citizens’ voices as expressed through TallahasseeVoices.
Survey was conducted in October 2010; 545 of the 6,000 panel members responded. Results were weighted to reflect the demographics of the 90%+ local residents who have access to the internet at home, work, or school.
Contact: Phillip Downs, Ph.D., Senior Partner, Kerr & Downs Research
Professor of Marketing, Florida State University
Founder, TallahasseeVoices

2. Fiscal conservative/socially liberal
75% of liberals and moderates would vote for politicians who are fiscally conservative and socially liberal-to-moderate in their views (only 39% of conservatives would).
Candidates who can convince voters that they are fiscally conservative and socially moderate-to-liberal will carry Leon County as 64% of all local voters will support a politically conservative & socially moderate-to-liberal politician.
Charlie Crist & Alex Sink are the only state or national politicians* who local citizens view as fiscally conservative & socially moderate-to-liberal.
*Only 9 politicians were in the study.

3. Fiscal conservative/socially liberal
30% of citizens view Obama as fiscally conservative and socially liberal-to-moderate – he presumably fails the first part of this definition in many people’s minds.
13% and 8% of local voters label Marco Rubio and Rick Scott, respectively, as fiscally conservative and socially moderate-to-liberal - both presumably fail the second part of the definition.
20% of local voters label Kendrick Meek as fiscally conservative and socially moderate-to-liberal.

4. Why so few!?
Why are so few political candidates labeled fiscally conservative and socially moderate-to-liberal if this is the winning formula?
“Political parties force candidates to be extremists,” concludes Phillip Downs, Ph.D., Founder of TallahasseeVoices and Senior Partner of Kerr & Downs Research, the firm that sponsors TallahasseeVoices. “You can’t get past the primaries if the parties are not convinced of your conservative (Republicans) or liberal (Democrats) bona fides. For example, blame or credit Jeb Bush and other conservative Florida Republicans for Rubio’s ascendancy and Crist’s demise. The political system is giving us politicians who will not work together and who do not represent the views of a majority of the citizens.”
6 in 10 local citizens believe that political parties are ruining our political system!

5. Would you support political candidates who are fiscally conservative and socially moderate-to-liberal?

6. Which of the following politicians are fiscally conservative and socially moderate-to-liberal?*
*Multiple responses were permitted

7. Some people argue that the Democrat and Republican parties are critical to the success of our political system. Other people argue that the Democrat and Republican parties are ruining our political system. With which group do you agree?