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New Law School poll sparks buzz

"The eyes of the nation will be on Wisconsin in the 2012 election year," proclaims the Marquette University Law School website.

And as a result, national attention is also directed to Marquette University Law School and its extraordinary new polling project. The first results unveiled Jan. 25 have already created a buzz, with coverage in the Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, National Review, Huffington Post, Politico and numerous other media outlets. A story in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel quickly sparked more than 900 reader comments in a matter of hours, and the story was also featured on 89 broadcasts in media markets across Wisconsin.

"This is a starting point for assessing attitudes of Wisconsin voters throughout 2012. We hope that the Marquette Law School Poll will be of broad interest to the public, from academics to the media to ordinary, intelligent citizens," said Law School Dean Joseph D. Kearney. "The poll is part of the Law School's larger commitment to serving the region as a neutral commons for thoughtful discourse on the hard problems of public policy—as 'Milwaukee's public square,' in the Journal Sentinel's recent characterization of us."

The first round of polling results shows that Gov. Scott Walker holds leads of six to ten percentage points over four potential Democratic opponents in hypothetical matchups for a possible gubernatorial recall election; President Obama holds a similar eight-point lead in the presidential race; and the state remains divided over a variety of policy issues.

The Marquette Law School Poll is directed by Charles Franklin, a visiting professor of law and public policy and a national expert on polling. With its monthly results through the 2012 election, it's the most extensive independent statewide polling project in Wisconsin history.

In an analysis piece posted on law.marquette.edu/poll, Alan J. Borsuk, senior fellow in law and public policy at Marquette University Law School, explains the rationale behind the ambitious project:

"Amid the amazing tumult on the Wisconsin political scene, with partisanship and passion running so high, how can you get straight information about what voters are thinking? One good answer: You can run a large-scale polling project, adhering to the highest standards of professionalism and non-partisanship. You can poll repeatedly throughout the year, so that you can follow trends. You can make all the results available promptly to anybody. You can go to lengths to give others a chance to see what you've found out."

That commitment became clear with the poll's debut. In addition to the extensive media coverage, the results were also paired with an "On the Issues With Mike Gousha" event, where Franklin provided additional context, as well as video commentary and further analysis by Borsuk and others.

The poll will continue monthly through the election in November. More details on the poll, including methodology and complete poll questions and demographic breakdowns, are available online.