Poll: Most Undecided About Sotomayor

(CBS)

Senate confirmation hearings begin today for Sonia Sotomayor, but just four in ten Americans have an opinion of the nominee, a new CBS News poll finds. Those with an opinion tend to be favorable and think she should be confirmed, though opposition has risen in the last month.

Heading into the hearings, 23 percent say they have a favorable view of Sotomayor now and 15 percent are unfavorable. Attacks by her opponents have increased as the hearings have drawn near, and positive opinions of Sotomayor have dropped and negative ones have risen since last month when 33 percent said they had a favorable view and just nine percent had an unfavorable view.

But what could be most significant is that 62 percent of Americans still are undecided or say they haven't heard enough about her yet to make a judgment. That is not unusual for a Supreme Court nominee just prior to his or her confirmation hearings and majorities could not assess previous nominees before their hearings either in CBS News polling.

(AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

In fact, somewhat more people have opinions of Sotomayor now than had opinions of past nominees before their hearings.

Partisan differences in opinions of Supreme Court nominees are also not unusual. In this poll, 39 percent of Democrats have a positive opinion of Sotomayor compared to just eight percent of Republicans.

Since Justice Sandra Day O'Connor's 2005 retirement, just one woman – Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg -- sits on the Supreme Court. The poll also finds that two thirds of Americans think it is important to have another woman on the Court, including 72 percent of women, 79 percent of Democrats and 57 percent of Republicans.

Just over half also think it is important to have a Hispanic serve on the Supreme Court. In September 1991, before the start of Clarence Thomas' hearings, a similar percentage thought it was important to have a black person on the Court.

Sixty-seven percent of Democrats, but just 36 percent of Republicans, think this is important.

By two to one, Americans think Sotomayor ought to be confirmed, with 30 percent saying yes and 14 percent saying no. However 52 percent can't yet say.

Most Americans think that if she does serve on the Supreme Court, Sotomayor will treat all groups of Americans the same when she makes her judicial decisions. Just 21 percent think she will favor certain groups over others.



Read the Complete Poll (PDF)>

Editor's Note: Visit our CourtWatch blog today to watch live video of the Sonia Sotomayor's confirmation hearings, plus live running commentary from CBS News legal analyst Andrew Cohen via Twitter.

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This poll was conducted among a random sample of 944 adults nationwide, interviewed by telephone July 9-12, 2009. Phone numbers were dialed from samples of both standard land-line and cell phones. The error due to sampling for results based on the entire sample could be plus or minus three percentage points. The error for subgroups is higher.

This poll release conforms to the Standards of Disclosure of the National Council on Public Polls.

[mld678]

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[jjd120608]

Sotomayor showed her true colors long before Obama approached her for this position. It would be exceeding stupid of congress to confirm her appointment to the same court who had to reign in her discriminatory views in the Conneticut verdict. She has no business being on the Supreme Court. And Obama has no business appointing her simply because of her skin color.

[excoachken]

She will be a refreshing counter to Clarence "Uncle Tom" Thomas, who has never had the kahonies to stand up for minority rights.

[hclinton2012]

Sonia Sotomayor is NOT a woman and surely NOT a Latino! She is nothing more than a RACIST bigot, who hates WHITES and MALES, unqualified to be a SCOTUS justices, plain and simple!

[hclinton2012]

Yeah, Clarence Thomas is NOT black, just like Sonia Sotomayor is NOT a Latino?

[hclinton2012]

Sonia Sotomayor will try to extend Obama's term beyond the "two term limited", that is why she should be FILIBUSTER now and do away from this "far-left" Liberal "nut-case" from the top court! Another LOSER like this President Barack Obama?

[hungry1968-16]

by TryTakingMyMoney July 13, 2009 8:39 AM PDT
Like the firemen issue, give her a written test, do not allow Affirmative Action pass and she will fail. Like Obama's past, anything she says today will be cloaked and will not show her real beliefs. Thus, do not believe anything said in this hearing, she should be judged on her past...a racist that favors minorities and Affirmative Action, extreme lefty that goes against the constitution with the goal of promoting her personal agenda. Of course we all know she will be confirmed due to extreme repercussions from Obama if they don't. Message to all real Americans...vote these loons out on 2010 & 2012...this is our only hope.






What in her career leads you to believe any of this nonsense is true?

[TryTakingMyMoney]

Like the firemen issue, give her a written test, do not allow Affirmative Action pass and she will fail. Like Obama's past, anything she says today will be cloaked and will not show her real beliefs. Thus, do not believe anything said in this hearing, she should be judged on her past...a racist that favors minorities and Affirmative Action, extreme lefty that goes against the constitution with the goal of promoting her personal agenda. Of course we all know she will be confirmed due to extreme repercussions from Obama if they don't. Message to all real Americans...vote these loons out on 2010 & 2012...this is our only hope.

[hungry1968-16]

by gunownerdan July 13, 2009 8:33 AM PDT
Murderers will always prefer unarmed and defenseless victims.






Really?

Is that why mobsters kill those from rival families - WITH GUNS?

Is that why bikers kill those from rival biker clubs - WITH GUNS?

Is that why inner city gang members kill those from rival inner city gangs - WITH GUNS?

[Joe_NY_15]

Again, just spewing anti-republican anti-gun, anti-American rhetoric with no real knowledge of the issue.

Do you ever think about an issue for real, or do you just jump into your anti-republican nonsense ? Do you really, I mean really think that criminals "prefer" to go against someone who is equally armed ? of course not, they don't want to harm themselves, so they select un-armed victims or those that won't fight back....it's just common sense....why would a criminal want to risk their lives over stolen goods...they wouldn't

Bikers actually use a variety of weapons, of which guns are rare....Ballpean hammers, crowbars, maglites, Large wrenches, knives and other weapons are preferred because they are legal to posses

[Joe_NY_15]

by bannednancy July 13, 2009 6:45 AM PDT
The US military is as "unconstitutional" as you can get within the boundaries of the US.
___________________________________

There is no limit to the STUPIDITY of the left-wing Liberals !!!!

[hungry1968-16]

by gunownerdan July 13, 2009 7:28 AM PDT
What other parts of the Bill of Rights should be repealed?
How about freedom of religion and freedom of speech, those are annoying too.







How many murderers use "free speech" to kill their victims?

[gunownerdan]

Murderers will always prefer unarmed and defenseless victims.
Learn about the racist roots of gun control in America, watch "NO GUNS FOR NEGROES" for free at JPFO.org or on youtube!

[GovernmentControl]

SOTOMAYOR = HARDENED UNREPENTANT RACIST