Politics

Most Idahoans say GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump does not have the temperament to be, in fact, president, a new Idaho Politics Weekly poll shows.

Yet, as we’ve reported recently, Trump still leads Democrat Hillary Clinton in this state, finds our pollster Dan Jones & Associates.

However, more Idahoans (but not a majority) believe Trump is better qualified to be president than Clinton, Jones finds in a new survey.

As of Thursday night, Trump is the official GOP nominee, having won the required number of Republican national delegates in the Cleveland convention.

Trump gave an hour-plus acceptance speech, and for once, the convention hall was rocking with support for the billionaire developer.

Democrats meet this week in Philadelphia to nominate Clinton – and the race to the November election will be officially on.

Jones finds in his latest survey:

• 56 percent of Idahoans said Trump “definitely” or “probably” doesn’t have the temperament to serve as chief executive of the most powerful nation on Earth.
• 40 percent said he did.
• And 4 percent didn’t know.

Last Week IPW published a new Jones poll showing Trump winning over Clinton in Idaho, 44-23 percent.

But, the new questions show, many Idahoans still have concerns about Trump’s ability to be a good president, should he win in November.

• 43 percent of Idahoans told Jones that they believe Trump is qualified to be president.
• 37 percent said Clinton is qualified.
• While 20 percent said they didn’t know.

Trump has never run for, nor held, public office before. But he clearly is a successful businessman and says he is a billionaire through any number of business projects he’s launched.

Clinton is a former First Lady, U.S. senator from New York, and former Secretary of State under the Democratic Barack Obama administration.

Both candidates have been in the public eye for more than 20 years.

Breaking down some of the new poll’s demographics:

• 63 percent of Idaho Republicans say Trump has the temperament to be president, yet 34 percent of GOP voters say he does not.
• Only 6 percent of Democrats say he does, 94 percent say he doesn’t.
• 64 percent of political independents say Trump does not have the presidential temperament, 33 percent say he does.
• 69 percent of Republicans say Trump is more qualified for the top job than Clinton, but 10 percent of Republicans say the Democrat is more qualified.
• Democrats say Clinton is more qualified than Trump, 89-5 percent.
• Political independents are split, with 46 percent saying Clinton is more qualified, 32 percent saying Trump is.

Finally, Jones (again) finds significant statistical differences between how men and women feel about Trump and Clinton, who will be the first female major party presidential nominee in U.S. history.

Trump has his problems with female voters, as measured by any number of polls across the nation.

In his latest poll, Jones finds:

• Men are split over whether Trump has the temperament to be president, 49 percent say he does, 49 percent say he doesn’t.
• No question about women, however; 62 percent say he does not have the proper temperament, 33 percent say he does.

Who is more qualified to be president?

• 41 percent of women say it is Clinton, but only 33 percent of men pick her.
• 51 percent of men say Trump is more qualified, but only 36 percent of women say he is more qualified than the Democrat.

Jones polled 601 adults from July 5-16. The survey has a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percent.