Poll: Pennsylvania Public Split on Mayor Nutter’s Handling of Papal Visit
![Pope Francis | neneo / Shutterstock.com. Mayor Nutter | Jeff Fusco](https://cdn10.phillymag.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/pope-maps-nutter-940x540.jpg)
Pope Francis | neneo / Shutterstock.com. Mayor Nutter | Jeff Fusco
A plurality of Pennsylvanians approved Mayor Nutter’s handling of Pope Francis’ September visit to Philly, a new poll from Public Policy Polling reveals.
Forty-six percent of those surveyed approved of Nutter’s performance, compared to just 14 percent who disapproved. Another 39 percent were unsure.
The polling’s methodology may contribute to the seeming ambivalence: Roughly a thousand voters from across Pennsylvania were surveyed by PPP — it’s possible that people outside Philadelphia and its confines may not have had much opinion about the event.
In a related question, however, 66 percent of respondents said they approve of the pope, while 13 percent disapprove. Twenty percent were unsure.
Other highlights from the wide-ranging poll:
• Forty-five percent of Pennsylvanians think Attorney General Kathleen Kane should step down, while 25 percent think she should remain in office. Just 18 percent think she should run for re-election next year — compared to 56 percent who don’t.
• The most popular issue polled? Eighty-four percent said they favor a criminal background check for everyone who wants to buy a firearm. The remaining 16 percent of respondents were evenly split between disapproval and being unsure.
• Meanwhile, 45 percent of Pennsylvanians approve of cheesesteaks, while 8 percent had an unfavorable reaction. Forty-five percent of respondents were “unsure” how they felt about the delicacy.