Voters still unfamiliar with Koch Brothers after Democratic attacks

More than half of likely U.S. voters remain unfamiliar with the billionaire Koch brothers after months of Democratic attacks, a poll released Tuesday found.

The brothers, especially Charles and David, the two still affiliated with Koch Industries, have given millions of dollars to conservative causes and candidates. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., suggested earlier this month in a speech on the floor that they want "an America where the system is rigged to benefit the very wealthy.”

But the George Washington University battleground poll found that 52 percent of respondents said they had not heard of the brothers. One-quarter had an unfavorable opinion of them and only 11 percent regard them favorably.

The poll found that people describing themselves as liberal Democrats were more likely to know about the Koch brothers -- only 43 percent said they had not heard of them -- and far more likely to have a negative view at 45 percent.

Attacks on the Koch brothers also appear to inspire the Democratic base to open their wallets. Between mid-January and mid-March, five fundraising emails that mentioned the brothers brought in an average of $6,533.74, far more than the average of $2,534.02 brought in by 19 Koch-free emails.

[Slate]