Poll: Hoosiers change opinion on Tea Party

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) - The political movement known as the Tea Party - that loomed so large in last month's election - is a polarizing political movement to Hoosiers.

In the exclusive WISH-TV/Ball State University Hoosier Survey, those reached by phone were asked the same question about the Tea Party as two years ago and we saw big changes in the results.

This year 43 percent said they have a favorable view of the tea party up from 32 percent two years ago.

44 percent have an unfavorable view, up from 19 percent.

The biggest change is in those with no opinion.   This year only 4 percent have no opinion about the tea party.  Two years ago, 46 percent said they had no opinion.

During the 2012 General Election, you heard so many candidates pushing the extremes of their parties' platforms.

But you can see why Hoosiers voted how they do with the results of the next question.

When we asked Hoosiers their political views, 33 percent said they're conservative, 18 percent said liberal and a full 42 percent said they consider themselves moderate.

The Hoosier Survey was conducted for WISH-TV and the Bowen Center for Public Affairs by Princeton Research Associates International (PSRAI) from November 12 - 24, 2012. PSRAI surveyed 602 Hoosier adults by landline and cell phone, chosen randomly, yielding a margin of sampling error of +/- 4.5 percent. In addition to providing statewide results, some findings also were broken down by region.