By Eleanor Boudreau
Memphis, TN – A poll of Shelby County conducted by Yacoubian Research for WKNO shows confidence in the local economy strongly correlated with the way you vote.
Democrats in Shelby County scored +54 on the Consumer Confidence Index. Republicans scored -57. This is a dramatic turn around from September 2008 when Republicans had a positive outlook (+23) and Democrats had a negative outlook (-17).
The poll also shows Democrat Mike McWherter and Republican Bill Haslam in a dead heat in Shelby County in the race for Governor.
The researchers wrote: "If McWherter does everything right over the next eight weeks, he might win by about a 15,000 vote margin, but even this may not be enough to give him the surplus he needs from Shelby County to make up for deficits from East Tennessee."
The poll shows McWherter is supported by 35 percent of Shelby County, Haslam by 34, and the remaining 31 percent are "not sure."
About 400 Shelby Countians were selected at random and interviewed over the phone. The sampling error of the poll is plus or minus six percent.