The ANES Guide to Public Opinion and Electoral Behavior

Average Feeling Thermometer Rating Toward Vice-Presidential Candidates 1968-2016

  '68 '70 '72 '74 '76 '78 '80 '82 '84 '86 '88 '90 '92 '94 '96 '98 '00 '02 '04 '08 '12 '16
Democratic Candidate 61 ** 50 ** 53 ** 54 ** 57 ** 53 ** 57 ** 58 ** 56 ** 55 54 47 46
Republican Candidate 50 ** 54 ** 51 ** 55 ** 55 ** 46 ** 42 ** 56 ** 56 ** 50 53 47 48
Both Candidates 56 ** 52 ** 52 ** 55 ** 56 ** 49 ** 50 ** 57 ** 56 ** 52 53 47 47
Net Pro Dem. - Pro Rep. 55 ** 48 ** 51 ** 50 ** 51 ** 54 ** 58 ** 51 ** 50 ** 53 64 50 50

Percentage Within Study Year
Table 7A.3.

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Percent among demographic groups who responded:

Democratic Candidate
Republican Candidate
Both Candidates
Net Pro Dem.-Pro Rep.

Note:

This uses the 0-100 thermometer scores. In the final thermometer data,
scores of 97 to 100 are collapsed to 97.
In 1968, DK was scored as 50.
The Net index (Pro Dem. - Pro Rep.) is constructed by subtracting
the Republican vice- presidential candidate thermometer rating from
the Democratic vice-presidential candidate thermometer rating, adding
100 to the difference, and then dividing by 2.
The score for 'Both Candidates' is produced by adding the Republican
and Democratic vice-presidential candidate thermometer ratings and then
dividing the sum by 2.
All results are rounded to the nearest integer

2012 data are for the combined (face-to-face and internet) sample.

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