In less than two weeks, the political fate of Puerto Rico will be sealed for the next four years. The many pressing problems and promising opportunities in view for the nearly 4 million U.S. citizens resident on the island will be the responsibility of a new team representing one of the three active political parties on the island.
This week, a Herald reader has the opportunity to cast a virtual vote for the party that he/she favors and, in the case of registered voters on the island, for the candidates that will enjoy the benefit of his/her support at the ballot box.
No more "undecided or "leaning" voters. It’s now time to "lay it on the line."
Three weeks ago, the Herald offered the same Hot Button Issue poll for readers to choose among the Popular Democratic (PDP) ticket represented by Aníbal Acevedo Vilá and Roberto Pratts, the New Progressive (NPP) ticket represented by Pedro Rosselló and Luis Fortuño and the Independence ticket (PIP) represented by Rubén Berríos Martínez and Edwin Irizarry Mora.
Over 400 readers participated in the poll, some 40% of whom were residents of Puerto Rico. At that time, there was overwhelming support for the New Progressive Party ticket with a consistent 3 to 1 margin of preference among poll respondents on both the island and mainland. The final tabulations follow:
Results of Herald Hot Button Poll, October 1, 2004
| VOTERS |
PDP |
NPP |
PIP |
| Mainland |
24% |
71% |
05% |
| Island |
27% |
67% |
06% |
| Overall |
25% |
70% |
05% |
Last week’s island-wide public opinion survey, however, conducted for the Herald by the Opinion Dynamics Corporation, told a somewhat different story. It did show the NPP ticket ahead of the PDP and PIP, but not by such a dramatic margin. No residents of the mainland were surveyed for this poll. Tabulations for this first of three tracking polls follow:
Results of Herald/Opinion Dynamics Poll, October 11-14, 2004
| VOTERS |
PDP |
NPP |
PIP |
Undecided |
| Island Only |
36% |
41.5% |
04.5% |
18% |
The significant difference in level of support for the NPP as seen by a comparison of the two polls could be partially explained by the large number of undecided voters reported in the Opinion Dynamics survey, but even if each person in the 18% of respondents reporting as "undecided" had opted for the NPP, it would not have equaled the strong preference for the Rosselló/Fortuño ticket earlier expressed by Herald readers.
The ongoing Herald/Opinion Dynamics survey is also asking those interviewed how they rate each candidate on the important issues facing the island. In a series of questions, respondents were asked to name the gubernatorial candidate who would be "best" in solving certain problems generally judged to be determining factors in the election. The following box indicates the percentage numbers of potential voters rating a given candidate as "best." Percentages for those choosing "all the same" or "not sure" are not tallied.
How do you rate the candidates?
| ISSUE |
Rosselló |
Acevedo Vilá |
Berríos |
|
Insuring the safety of Puerto Ricans
|
44%
|
32%
|
8%
|
|
The question of Puerto Rico’s political status
|
45%
|
31%
|
8%
|
|
Improving the economy
|
49%
|
35%
|
5%
|
|
Improving education
|
42%
|
40%
|
7%
|
|
Providing more access to medical care
|
51%
|
34%
|
5%
|
|
Fighting crime and drug abuse
|
46%
|
29%
|
6%
|
|
Holding down taxes
|
36%
|
33%
|
11%
|
|
Insuring a good water system
|
41%
|
31%
|
5%
|
|
Determining the future of Vieques and Roosevelt Roads
|
37%
|
26%
|
18%
|
|
Controlling political corruption
|
32%
|
37%
|
13%
|
|
Managing the electric power system
|
41%
|
35%
|
4%
|
Please take this final opportunity to express your preference for the next leadership of Puerto Rico by picking the party whose candidates you wish to see victorious on November 2nd. The choices are:
For Governor and Resident Commissioner, respectively:
PDP -- Aníbal Acevedo Vilá and Roberto Pratts
NPP -- Pedro Rosselló and Luis Fortuño
PIP -- Rubén Berríos Martínez and Edwin Irizarry Mora
Please vote above!
