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IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact:
Jeffrey S. Garber, President
OpusComm
Group, Inc. Largest Gay Study Examines 2004 Presidential Election
Preferences Dean in the Lead with 36.7%;
15% of Vote Divided Among Bush,
Gephardt, Kerry, and Lieberman Syracuse,
New York – August 9, 2003 –“If the 2004
presidential elections were held today, for whom would you vote?” This was one
of many questions posed by the soon-to-be released 2003-2004 Gay/Lesbian Consumer Online Census, conducted this past
July and August. Enjoying
a strong lead is former Vermont Governor and Democratic presidential candidate
Howard Dean. Dean, long a supporter of
GLBT rights and architect of Vermont’s liberal gay civil union policy, is top
choice of 37% of survey respondents who answered the question. George
W. Bush, the Republican incumbent, garners 5.7% of respondent votes. Among other candidates, Dick Gephardt (D),
John Kerry (D), and Joe Lieberman (D) each reap 4% of the vote, while another
3% prefer a third party contender.
Others making the list — each with 2.5% of the vote or less, include
Carol Moseley-Braun, John Edwards, Bob Graham, Dennis Kucinich, and Al
Sharpton, all representing the Democratic Party. With
nearly 8,000 respondents, the 2003-2004
Gay/Lesbian Consumer Online Census is the largest and most comprehensive
GLBT consumer study ever conducted. Prepared by GLCensus Partners
(Syracuse University and OpusComm Group), the annual study fills the growing
need among manufacturers and service providers for detailed information on
consumer behavior and preferences of the Gay/Lesbian/Bisexual/Transgender
(GLBT) community. The
survey reveals that choices made by the GLBT population will have a marked
impact on the 2004 elections.
“Ninety-two percent of our respondents are registered to vote, as
opposed to the national average of 69.5% according to the 2000 U.S. Census,”
explains Jeffrey Garber, president of OpusComm Group Inc., and founder of the
GLCensus Partners’ study. “This reinforces our findings that the GBLT
community is a strong voting block that takes their politics seriously.” Dean
is the clear favorite among all age groups surveyed. His popularity increases from 32% in the 18-24 year old group to
more than 45% of respondents 55 and older.
Overall,
35% of survey respondents have not yet made up their minds who to vote for in
2004. “One
interesting finding is that the percentage of undecideds decreases with age,”
said Amy Falkner of Syracuse University, lead researcher on the project. “While
a sizable portion of 18-24-year-old respondents have yet to make up their
minds, older respondents are much more sure whose camp they are in. Since we
know historically that voting participation increases with age, those
candidates listed are likely to see strong support from the GLBT community.” Female
survey respondents also indicated they weren’t quite as ready as male
respondents to choose a candidate. 42.2% of women said they weren’t sure yet
who to vote for, while 30.3% were in the Dean camp with only 3.1% ready to pull
the lever for Bush. Of male respondents, 41.4% were for Dean, 7.5% for Bush and
30.3% were undecided. In
regard to household income, Howard Dean’s popularity is consistent across the
board, but demonstrates even stronger following in those households who earn
$150K+. George W. Bush’s popularity increases along with earnings, with 9% of
higher bracket respondents giving him the vote, up from 3% of the lower wage
earners. The
survey also detected differences among city, suburban, and rural
respondents. “Among Bush supporters,
Bush is slightly more popular in the country than in the city,” notes Falkner,
“while among Dean supporters, the opposite is true. This is interesting as our
survey shows that our respondents are almost split in residing in urban and
non-urban areas.” “It’s
a big country,” Garber adds. “The challenge for any presidential candidate is
to appeal to a wide range of people over all geographic locations. What we are
finding is that, more than ever, the GBLT community has the potential to be a
powerful force in selecting the next president of the United States.” The
new 2003-2004 Gay/Lesbian Consumer Online
Census, completely expanded and revised, was conducted July 7 to August 18,
2003. The census provides significant new findings in the areas of GLBT demographics, media habits and the
following consumer categories: Automotive,
Childcare, Computer Equipment, Electronics, Entertainment, Financial, Food and
Beverage, Home and Garden, Pets, Sports and Fitness, and Travel as they
relate to the GBLT community. For more information, contact www.glcensus.org. The
Gay & Lesbian Consumer Online Census is an endeavor of the GLCensus
Partners, a partnership between the S.I. Newhouse School of Public
Communications at Syracuse University, and advertising and public relations
firm OpusComm Group, Inc., which specializes in consultation of sensitivity
issues and market plan development for all types of advertisers to target the
GLBT community. For
further information and to review a full summary of the 2003-2004 Gay & Lesbian Consumer Online Census, contact Jeffrey
Garber, president of OpusComm Group at jeff@opuscommgroup.com (315) 636-2018 or
visit www.glcensus.org. A detailed description of the Gay & Lesbian
Consumer Online Census methodology can be viewed at http://www.glcensus.com/downloads/Why_Online_Surveys.htm IMPORTANT NOTICE: ALL INFORMATION
IS TO BE ACCREDITED TO: GLCensus Partner
(www.glcensus.org) Study - A Syracuse University and OpusComm Group research partnership |
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