Sox Manager More Popular Than Mother Theresa and Santa Claus

Bay Staters like Hillary Clinton and support same-sex marriage, but nothing compares to their love of Red Sox Manager John Farrell.

The Sox manager received the lowest disapproval percentage in Public Policy Polling history – even better than Abraham Lincoln, Mother Theresa and Santa Claus. What a difference a year makes for the Sox.

The team’s hot start has 27 percent of those who took the survey predicting a World Series. Only 3 percent said the Sox will not make the playoffs.

Sixty-four percent of those surveyed said Farrell is doing a good job. Only 1 percent disapproved of Farrell’s work this year. This is the lowest disapproval rating Public Policy Polling has ever seen.

In comparison, in a national poll in November, Lincoln was given a 2 percent unfavorable rating, Mother Theresa was at 5 percent unfavorable, Gandhi was 9 percent unfavorable and Santa Claus came in at 13 percent unfavorable. 

Presidential Politics

Fifty-five percent of those who were surveyed support Hillary Clinton for the Democratic nomination in 2016, easily beating Vice President Joe Biden (17 percent). Gov. Deval Patrick and Senator Elizabeth Warren both received 4 percent in the poll.

“It says a lot about the universal desire for Hillary Clinton to be the Democratic candidate in 2016 that she’s over 50 percent in Massachusetts even with two home state officials in the mix,” said Dean Debnam, president of Public Policy Polling.

State politics

Bay Staters are split on Patrick’s job performance. Forty-eight percent approve of his job, while 41 percent disapprove. Warren received similar marks – 44/39 percent.

On the topic of same-sex marriage, Massachusetts residents speak positively about it nine years after it became legal in the commonwealth. Sixty-percent said same-sex marriage has had no impact on their lives while 25 percent said it had a positive effect.

The breakdown was Independents (15 percent positive, 15 percent negative and 70 percent no difference); Republicans (12 percent positive, 25 percent negative, 62 percent no difference); and Democrats (41 percent positive, 10 percent negative, 49 percent no difference).