June 7, 2011
6/7: Slim Majority Want Weiner to Remain in Congress
NY1/Marist New York City Poll
In the wake of U.S. Representative Anthony Weiner’s emotional admission that he engaged in inappropriate online activity with women other than his wife, a little more than half of New York City registered voters still want Weiner to remain in Congress. A majority, however, say Weiner should bid farewell to his hopes of becoming the next mayor of New York City.
Anthony Weiner
Click Here for Complete June 7, 2011 NYC NY1-Marist Poll Release and Tables
According to this NY1-Marist Poll conducted just hours after the story broke, 51% of New York City voters believe Anthony Weiner should not resign from Congress. 30% disagree and think he should step down, and a notable 18% are unsure.
However, when it comes to the 2013 race for New York City mayor, voters want Congressman Weiner to stay out. A majority — 56% — do not want him to make a bid for the office, including a majority of Democrats. 25% of registered voters would like to see him campaign, and 19% are unsure.
“All of this spells trouble for Congressman Weiner and his political future,” says Dr. Lee M. Miringoff, Director of The Marist College Institute for Public Opinion. “For voters, there are questions of judgment — never a winner for an office-holder.”
House of Representatives Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi is calling for an investigation into Weiner’s actions, but do New York City residents think Congressman Weiner acted illegally? Slightly more than six in ten — 61% — believe his behavior was unethical but not illegal. 13% say his actions constituted illegal behavior while the same proportion — 13% — report Weiner did nothing wrong. An additional 14% are unsure.
The congressman has admitted that his actions were personal flaws and apologized to his wife, his family, his constituents, and the media. However, those in New York City don’t think his teary mea culpa was sincere. Nearly two-thirds of New York City residents — 64% — report Weiner apologized only because he got caught while 24% think he is truly sorry. 12% are unsure.
Table: Congressman Anthony Weiner Resignation?
Table: Congressman Anthony Weiner 2013 NYC Mayoralty?
Table: Views on Congressman Anthony Weiner’s Actions
Table: Congressman Anthony Weiner’s Apology
Racy Online Rendezvous: The Exception or the Rule?
While a majority of New York City residents — 54% — believe sending lewd photos over the Internet is unusual practice for politicians, a notable 30% of New Yorkers think it is common practice. 16% are unsure.
Table: Is Sending Lewd Photos Over the Internet Common Practice by Politicians?
Does the Internet Ruin Lives? Internet Users Don’t Regret Behavior, but View Lewd Photo Exchange as Cheating
Most Internet users don’t have any regrets when it comes to their own online behavior. 83% say they have not said or sent anything over the Internet that they regret while 17% have.
Congressman Anthony Weiner admitted yesterday that he exchanged lewd photos and engaged in other provocative activities with women other than his wife. Do New York City residents consider that to be cheating? Six in ten — 60% — think it does constitute infidelity. About one-third — 32% — says it does not, and 7% are unsure.
If residents discovered their partner engaged in this type of behavior, half would hold a grudge. In fact, 50% report they would not forgive their partner if he or she sent sexually charged photos of themselves to someone over the Internet while 33% would forgive them. 17% are unsure.
Women are less likely than men to forgive these indiscretions. A majority of women — 54% — would not forgive their partner while 27% would. This compares with 45% of men who wouldn’t let go of the incident while 40% would move past it and forgive their partner.
So, overall, does social media, like Facebook, do more harm than good, or does it do more good than harm? A majority — 54% — believe it is hurtful to relationships while 19% say it makes personal connections better. More than one in four New York City residents — 27% — are unsure.
Table: Personal Online Practices
Table: Is Sending Lewd Photos Over the Internet Cheating?
Table: Forgive Partner for Engaging in Inappropriate Online Behavior?
Table: Social Media: More Good Than Harm or More Harm Than Good?