Few feel ho-hum about Anderson

Love him or hate him, more than two-thirds of Salt Lake City residents have strong opinions of Mayor Rocky Anderson.

A Dan Jones & Associates poll conducted July 17-19 for the Deseret Morning News and KSL-TV found that 54 percent of respondents approved of Anderson; among them, 35 percent strongly approved. Meanwhile, 44 percent expressed disapproval — with 34 percent saying they strongly disapproved.

But Anderson's popularity in the final months of his last term in office is not as strong as that of his sometimes-nemesis, the Salt Lake City Council, which has the approval of 70 percent of poll respondents. Feelings regarding the council don't run as strong, however: Only 16 percent said they strongly approved.

The poll collected the opinions of 400 Salt Lakers and has a margin of error of plus or minus 5 percent. Unlike other recent polls, which questioned residents regardless of political interest, the new poll singled out residents who said they were likely to vote in the Sept. 11 mayoral primary election.

That sample change doesn't seem to have had much of an impact on the poll findings: The new results show little change from an April poll, which gave Anderson a 59 percent approval rating.

Anderson and the council have often been at odds, as the mayor has expressed frustration that the relatively conservative body has been slow to act on some of his pet initiatives, and some council members have criticized Anderson's increasingly vocal role in liberal national and international politics.

Those differences of opinion seem to mesh with the poll results. Republicans by and large disapprove of Anderson's performance — only 17 percent approve, and 69 percent strongly disapprove — while 68 percent of Democrats strongly approve of him and with the "somewhat approves" added in, the figure reaches 90 percent.

Meanwhile, the council has the backing of 82 percent of Republicans. Where the council defeats Anderson in approval ratings, apparently, is in its bipartisan support: 62 percent of Democrats also approve of the council.

Independents are more evenly split, with 51 percent approving of Anderson's performance and 68 percent approving of the council's.

There is a religious divide in the poll, as well, especially when it comes to the mayor. Catholics and Protestants like him — at rates of 73 and 85 percent, respectively — while members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints do not. Seventy-five percent of LDS voters said they disapproved of Anderson, and 61 percent said they strongly disapproved.

The council has broad support across religious lines: 70 percent of Catholics, 74 percent of Protestants and 80 percent of Latter-day Saints like the legislative body.