Mid-Term Elections: Butch Davis Still A Viable Candidate

According to a new survey released by a Raleigh-based Democratic polling firm, Public Policy Polling, 41 percent of voters describing themselves as UNC fans approve of the job Davis is doing as coach, while 20 percent disapprove. In addition, only 14 percent of the Tar Heel fan base polled thinks Davis should be fired, while 57 percent think he should keep his job. Of those polled who described themselves as “hardcore” fans, only 9% of them supported replacing Davis, while 68% said he should remain as coach.

Tom Jensen, Public Policy Polling's director, described the poll’s plus- or minus-7.8 percent margin-of-error ratio as high, but said he is confident in the poll’s findings because the numbers were so lopsided.

“I thought it [the opinions on Davis] would be a lot more divided,” Jensen said. “What it tells me is that most of the anti-Davis sentiment is not coming from Carolina fans. The biggest takeaway is that within the UNC fan base, there is a lot of support for him.”

Public Policy Polling conducts monthly polls on political issues, but also adds other questions about Andy Griffith, athletics and other topics. This poll was conducted before the Heels beat Virginia in C'ville last weekend for the first time since 1981.